ROCKINGHAM – The Richmond Senior High School Raider soccer team had a conference second-best five players named to the 2018 All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team.
Announced over the weekend following SAC champion Pinecrest High School’s exit from the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs, it was three seniors and two juniors who brought home the postseason accolades for the Raiders. Seniors Carlos Alcocer, Alexis Gonzalez and Evan Hudson were joined by juniors Luke Hawks and Noah Jordan on the 28-member team.
Hudson was just one of two Richmond players named to the 2017 All-SAC team as a junior, and Alcocer makes a return to the team after being named the conference player of the year in 2016 following his sophomore season. This marks the first career selections for Gonzalez, Hawks and Jordan.
Pinecrest’s Jasper Ardinger was named the SAC’s player of the year as he helped lead the Patriots (13-1) to their second-straight regular season conference title. Earning the SAC’s coach of the year honor was Hoke County’s Colin McDavid. Pinecrest had an SAC-best seven players named to the team, while Hoke County and Richmond were each awarded five roster spots.
The five Raiders chosen were instrumental in helping Richmond to a 12-10 record in head coach Chris Larsen’s first season. Richmond finished the regular season on a seven-match winning streak that saw the Raiders jump from fifth place to a tie with Hoke County for second. The team also made it back to the playoffs after missing out last year. Of the 61 total goals that the Raiders scored in 2018, the five All-SAC selections combined to score 37 of them.
“Whenever players are selected for this team, it shows that the work they put in during the offseason pays off,” Larsen said. “These guys have been selected by the coaches in their conference for things they do right on and off the field. It’s something they are remembered for and with three seniors getting it, and two of them getting it a second time, I’m proud of their accomplishments.”
Carlos Alcocer, senior striker
After missing out on making the All-SAC team during his junior year, Alcocer closes out his Richmond career with his second selection. Alcocer was tied with Gonzalez for the team lead in goals with 10 on the year, and he was one of Richmond’s fastest and most reliable players in front of the net. One of his biggest moments was scoring Richmond’s first goal in its 3-1 penalty shootout win over Hoke County, which started the seven-match winning streak.
“It feels great to be selected because it’s a good way to finish my senior year,” Alcocer said. “But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. It’s a team game and my teammates were the ones who helped me get this award, and I really appreciate them.
“My favorite memory from this year was the long distance goal I scored against Hoke County,” he continued. “I’d like to thank my teammates for giving me a great final year and especially Coach Larsen for helping me become the player I am today.”
Alexis Gonzalez, senior midfielder
Gonzalez made a return to the Richmond soccer team for his senior season after not playing since his freshman year. He appeared not to miss a beat, as he matched Alcocer’s team-leading 10 goals. Gonzalez turned things on around the midpoint of the season, and scored the Raiders’ only hat trick in 2018 in a 7-0 win over Scotland High School in the final couple of games of the season.
“This makes me proud because I really left my soul on the field in every game we played,” Gonzalez said. “Good results come from hard work. If it wasn’t for my teammates that fought with me every game, I wouldn’t get this title, so a huge hug to them.
“My favorite moment was when we won against an undefeated Hoke County team because it was not just a win, it was a big win that helped start our winning streak,” he added. “It showed us never giving up was the key to our success. I want to thank Coach Larsen for having faith in me and also my teammates for making me feel like a part of the family, especially Carlos and Jose Fonseca.”
Luke Hawks, junior forward
Hawks was a pleasant surprise in his first varsity season for Larsen, as he scored a team second-best nine goals behind Alcocer and Gonzalez. Generally starting off the bench, Hawks provided a spark in Larsen’s offense that began with his two-goal performance against No. 8 Lee County High School on Aug.30. Trailing 1-0, Hawks netted two goals in 56 seconds to lift the Raiders past the Yellow Jackets.
“It’s a great honor to make the team, and I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Hawks commented. “They uplifted me and kept me going. Every time I went on the field, I tried to hustle toward the ball and give 100 percent. I tried to give my best effort every game.
“My two goals against Lee County were definitely my favorite moment,” he smiled. “I want to thank God and my parents, Chris and Heather Hawks, because they always told me how well I did after games.”
Evan Hudson, senior center back
Hudson, who is the only Richmond returner to the All-SAC team, emerged as one of Larsen’s senior leaders this year alongside fellow senior teammate and goalkeeper Jackson Haley. A key part of Richmond’s back defensive line, Hudson helped limit Richmond’s opponents to scoring just 35 in 22 games. Larsen used Hudson up front from time to time, and the senior managed to net three goals on the season.
“It feels pretty good to end my career with back-to-back All-SAC selections,” Hudson said. “It shows that when you put in hard work you’re rewarded in the end. It’s a good award overall. I felt like I helped on defense most, but was able to push up on offense when we needed to score.
“My favorite moment was the goal line save I had with my head against Ardrey Kell in the playoffs,” Hudson recalled. “I’d like to thank Coach Larsen, my parents Mike and Nora Hudson, and my teammates for helping me out this year.”
Noah Jordan, junior midfielder
Jordan has been a two-year starter for the Raiders and saw his work in the midfield pay off this season. He had back-to-back two-goal games during the team’s winning streak, and he finished the year with five total goals. Jordan started the year as an outside midfielder, but Larsen moved him to the middle part way through the season, which is what he credited to him having success around the net.
“I’m really honored to be named to the All-Conference team,” Jordan said. “It’s cool because I felt like I listened to Coach Larsen when he said we need to go to the ball (and attack). Luke is really good at that, and I think moving to center midfielder really helped me as a player.
“Scoring the first goal against Pinecrest at home was probably my favorite moment,” Jordan added. “That was a pretty big goal in that game. I want to thank Coach Larsen for changing up the way we played this year, and my parents Butch and Wendy Jordan for giving me the opportunity to play soccer.”
Below is a full list of the 2018 All-SAC team:
Coach of the Year: Colin McDavid (Hoke County)
Player of the Year: Jasper Ardinger (Pinecrest)
Pinecrest (6): Jair Ballesteros, Jack Hildebrand, Braydon Peery, Gary Smith, Nick Vences and Peyton Williamson.
Hoke County (5): Nakya Davila, Pedro Davila, Xavier Hernandez, Isaiah Plessner and David Williams.
Richmond (5): Carlos Alcocer, Alexis Gonzalez, Luke Hawks, Evan Hudson and Noah Jordan.
Jack Britt (2): Joseph Knoel and Kevin Wanovich.
Lumberton (2): Josh Britt and Quinton Frederick.
Purnell Swett (2): Pacy Brooks and Jafet Robels.
Seventy-First (2): Josiah Boyd and Raymond Grate.
Scotland (1): Hunter Edkins
Co-Goalkeepers of the Year: Joan Carrillo (Lumberton) and Nick Ramirez (Purnell Swett)
