ROCKINGHAM — A wave of momentum has slowly been building the last five weeks for the Richmond Raider football team.
And perhaps at no better time for the Raiders and head coach Bryan Till.
What once seemed like a distant horizon, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A East state playoffs are set to open this week. The plan for Richmond is to cash in on that momentum and crash the hopes of other teams.
Up first for the No. 18 Raiders (5-5) will be a road trip to No. 15 Leesville Road High School (8-2), a program Richmond last played in the second round of the 2021 postseason.
Till pointed to the program’s growth this fall as a main reason why he believes the first-round meeting is a winnable game for the Raiders.
“The fact that we have been getting better each week gives us a chance,” Till explained. “We will have to continue to get better though and play with fewer mistakes. We actually overcame some last week (against Scotland) but that will be hard to do in the playoffs.”
Currently on a four-game winning streak to close out the regular-season, the team’s longest stretch of consecutive wins in two years, Richmond will face a team that mostly matches up evenly on paper.
Following their 35-28 win over 3A rival Scotland High School to end the regular-season, the Raiders moved back to .500 on the year. The team’s five losses, four of which came in the opening four weeks of the campaign, were all against conference championship-winning teams.
The Pride, however, hasn’t defeated a team this season that didn’t have a winning record above the .500 mark. Leesville Road’s six other wins came against programs that went a combined 22-38 in 2023.
While Richmond is considered the underdog based on rankings, Leesville Road is comparable to many of the teams the Raiders have defeated this year.
When asked how much weight he puts on seeding and an opponent’s record and RPI to prepare, Till’s answer was simple. He turned the table to put accountability on the Raiders’ coaches.
“Zero,” said firmly. “I put my faith in what we see on film and what we talk about as a coaching staff and what other coaches around the state say when I talk to them.”
As the week of practice has progressed, the Raiders have dialed in their focus to prepare for their familiar, yet unfamiliar opponent. The team is approaching practice this week as business as usual with a couple of postseason perks.
“The main (difference) is we have pulled up some JV kids, so our depth to run scout team effectively is better,” Till shared. “Also we ask certain guys on our varsity team to simulate some of (Leesville Road’s) guys to give us a good look at what we might see.”
Coached by Ben Kolstad, the Pride finished in second place of the CAP 6 conference standings this season. The Pride averaged 40.9 points per game and allowed just 12.3 points per game on defense.
Leesville Road won four of its final five regular-season games, losing to conference winner Cardinal Gibbons 33-23 to enter the playoffs. Cardinal Gibbons is a link between Richmond and Leesville Road, as the Raiders lost 26-9 to the Crusaders in the third game of the fall.
“They are very similar on defense,” Till noted of the Pride. “(Kolstad) is the defensive coordinator and they still have some really good players on defense.
“The offense has changed (since we last played), with a new offensive coordinator in championship coach Jim Bob Bryant. They are extremely multiple and will shift and motion to get you out of position regularly.”
This season, the Pride has balanced its offense with 1,858 passing yards and 1,726 rushing yards. Quarterback Deiondre Goldston has thrown 170-for-251 for 1,759 yards and 19 passing scores.
Leesville Road has five wide receivers who have caught at least 10 passes this season, led by primary target Jayden Gary (50 catches, 544 yards, eight TDs). Devin Goldston (37 receptions, two scores) and Elijah Stevenson (28 grabs, five TDs) are also threats in the passing game.
On the ground, the Pride rely on running back Lyfe Shaw-Stephens to carry most of the load, as the senior has 769 yards on 141 carries and 16 rushing scores. Freshman Akshar Barnes has punched it in four times on the ground on 29 touches.
“Their offense is run by a very steady guy at QB with a good arm and who makes very few mistakes,” Till said. “They will throw it to three or four guys at any time, but No. 85 (Gary) has the most targets, will motion the most and be in the most different places.
“The offensive line is well-coached and plays snap to whistle. The running back No. 24 (Shaw-Stephens) is big but can still catch it out the backfield, as well as run between the tackles.”
While the offense is “more complex” since the teams last played, it’s Leesville Road’s defense that has stifled opponents all season. Richmond has averaged 25.2 points per game this season and 34 points per game during its current winning streak.
Till pointed to a group of linebackers in Xavier Lewis (49 tackles, 19 tackles-for-loss), Braxton Lassiter (35 tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss) and Jaylon Watkins (four tackles-for-loss) as the spearhead of a physical defense.
Lewis leads the team with 7.0 sacks, Christian Shaw has added 3.0 sacks and Micah Purvis leads the team with 57 total tackles.
Against teams with at least a .500 record this season, the Pride has allowed 16.8 points per game.
“The defense is a true 3-4,” Till explained. “They will run multiple coverages behind it and the defensive line makes the whole thing very good.
“No. 6 (Lewis), No. 7 (Lassiter) and No. 12 (Watkins) are very good and require a number of double teams so it allows a strong group of linebackers the ability to run around very freely,” he added. “The DBs run to the ball well, too. They pursue the football from every angle.”
Another big part of the Raiders’ potential success on the road this week will be the community. Till stressed the importance of the fans’ role in the win over Scotland and hopes to see that roll over into the trip to Raleigh.
“Having everyone there last week brought so much energy to our guys and they feed off of that,” Till closed. “It would be great to look up and see tons of green and gold backing us on the road.”
Kickoff between No. 18 Richmond at No. 15 Leesville Road is set for Friday at 7 p.m. The winner would advance to the second round and face the victor between No. 2 Cleveland and No. 31 Gray’s Creek.
