ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball team was the school’s final athletic program to conclude its season before the COVID-19 outbreak in the last couple of weeks.
It was just three weeks ago that the Raiders and third-year head coach Donald Pettigrew fell late to Independence High School in a close matchup in the second round of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs. Since then, high school sports have essentially disappeared.
But prior to the current suspension by the NCHSAA, the Raiders put together another strong season under Pettigrew. Richmond, which went 20-9 in 2019-2020, earned the program’s first 20-win season for the first time in three years.
The Raiders also won their opening round playoff game, defeating Butler High School, before making a second-round exit to the Patriots for the second season in a row. But for Pettigrew, the season was one of growth that saw himself, the program and several players continue to grow.
“It was a great experience watching the guys grow this year,” Pettigrew said. “I’ve had some of them from their freshman and sophomore years, and everyone worked so hard in the gym. Jarvis (Tillman) and Quamir (Sivels) went through the process of getting better and played big pieces to the puzzle.
“My first year was about winning games, but the difference from last year to this year was we expected to do more and be better,” he continued. “And we did that. Our expectations were higher and the guys stepped up. We even had a chance to win in the second round of the playoffs.”
The Raiders were led by several players this winter, all of whom helped Richmond lock up the third-place spot in the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings. Aside from the senior leadership from Sivels and Tillman, other key contributors were juniors Caleb Hood, Patrick McLaughlin and Nygie Stroman.
Leading the team with 14.8 points per game was Stroman, who was also named to the All-District 8 and All-SAC team. The 6-7 forward used his post play and outside shot to score 20 or more points five times, including a career-high 29 points against Independence, to earn his second straight All-SAC roster spot.
McLaughlin grew into his role as the team’s point guard, averaging 7 points a game while also dishing out a team-high 3.7 assists per contest. He hit two free throws against Butler in the final seconds to send the Raiders deeper into the playoffs.
Hood joined the team in mid December following the football season, and became the team’s go-to player in the paint. Using his strength, Hood averaged 8.4 points a game along with 5 rebounds a night. He went off for a season-high 21 points against Lumberton in the SAC tournament.
“PJ’s sophomore year was up and down and this year he was like another coach on the court,” Pettigrew said of McLaughlin. “He’s a leader, a winner and so unselfish. Caleb was awesome for how hard he played, and he brought so much energy every night.
“Nygie is a scorer who could score 25 every night,” he added. “His game developed so much around the hoop, and the important thing is that all the guys are getting better for next year.”
To start the season, Richmond won its first eight games, its best start under Pettigrew. Down the stretch, Richmond won eight of its 10 regular season games, and returned to the SAC tournament championship for the second year in a row.
“It was a big accomplishment to win in such a tough conference,” Pettigrew shared. “We played two teams (Lumberton and Pinecrest) who were playing each other for a trip to the state championship. It wasn’t easy but the guys played hard all year and they believed in each other.
“It really was an exciting season. We have great fans and our kids fed off that all year. The intensity and the basketball atmosphere was there and we appreciate that.”
At the onset of the season, Pettigrew and the Raiders established the team mantra of “gold status,” something they carried with them throughout the 29-game season. The head coach said it was a standard his players upheld, and they played “with a lot of pride and intensity.”
One of the best moments for the team, according to Pettigrew, was when it defeated rival Scotland High School 67-62 on senior night. It was a redemption win over the Scots from the first meeting of the season, and Pettigrew said the “emotion of the rivalry” fueled his team’s victory.
Now with all sports put on hold, the Raiders’ spring and summer workouts remain uncertain. But Pettigrew said when practices can finally resume, he hopes to see the Raiders “continue to get better and work hard in the offseason.”
