ROCKINGHAM — Raider Stadium may have only seen the first half played in Friday’s high school game, but it had a day full of action Saturday as the Raider Youth Football Program took the field.
Led by president Errol Hood, the “Baby” Raiders are fielding three teams this fall: 8U, 10U and 12U. They welcomed in the 910 Cowboys, seeing two of the three teams earn a victory. The Raiders are members of the North Carolina Amateur Athletic Union.
12U team earns first win of season
In the oldest grouping’s game, the Raiders rolled past the Cowboys 28-0 to earn their first win of the season. The shutout by the defense saw Richmond hold the Cowboys to under 50 total yards of offense, and didn’t allow a single first down in the game.
Leading the defensive line were Zack Garner, Joe Parsons and Tate Simpson, who combined to sack the Cowboys’ quarterback seven times in the win. Parsons also scooped up a fumble recovery and returned it to the end zone for a touchdown.
Making his first start at quarterback was Fred Isaac, and he finished the day with a 15-yard passing score to tight end Jaylen Wilson. The ground game of AJ Covington, Bob Little and Kaumari Morgan was also crucial in helping the 12U team to a win, which is now 1-2 on the fall.
“I’m very proud of the efforts of my coaching staff, and moreover, the efforts of our kids on both sides of the ball,” head coach Marcus Brown said. “One thing that they’re coming to realize is that a win or loss feels different in Raider Stadium amongst the community.”
10U team suffers tough loss to Cowboys
The Raider 10U team would suffer a 42-0 loss to the Cowboys, making it 0-3 on the season. On offense, Jeremiah Covington had a strong game, rushing for 45 yards on four carries. Jaziah Cooper added 65 yards to the ground game, all coming on the same run. Quarterback Richard Bryant had two runs for 35 combined yards.
Clark Gabriel led the defense with six total tackles, while Covington had five and Cooper added four tackles of his own. William Bryant rounded things out with three tackles.
8U Raiders remain perfect, tied for first
In what was the closest contest of the afternoon, the 8U Raiders toughed out a 6-0 win over the Cowboys. The win moved the 8U team to 3-0 on the year, and the Raiders currently are tied with the Patriots atop the East Division.
Saturday’s top rusher was Kaleb Hairston, who amassed 120 rushing yards on 11 carries. He added the lone touchdown of the game and also collected a fumble recovery on defense. TJ Watkins chipped in 25 yards on three rush attempts, and hauled in one catch for 30 yards.
Jaxton Watson passed for 50 yards, while Maurice Lemon had one catch for 20 yards and three carries for 50 yards.
Defensively, Raceem Campbell had six total tackles, seeing four of them end in a loss of yardage. Willie Hooks racked up six tackles and fell on top of the ball for a fumble recovery. Watkins and Watson both finished the game with four tackles each.
The Raider Youth Football Program will see all three of its teams back in action this Saturday, Oct. 5. The Raiders will host the Wolverines at Richmond County Ninth Grade Academy, with game times set for 10 a.m. (8U), 11:30 a.m. (10U) and 1 p.m. (12U).
Errol Hood contributed to this article.
