ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County’s football fans will have to wait another week to see the Raiders on the gridiron this winter.
Head football coach Bryan Till confirmed with the Richmond Observer via text message Thursday afternoon that the team’s long-awaited season opener against Purnell Swett High School has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.
William Deese, Purnell Swett’s athletic director, also verified the news in an email that the Raiders and Rams won’t meet in just over two weeks.
Till informed the Raiders at practice Thursday afternoon, and said the team’s anticipation for the upcoming season wasn’t hindered.
“I’m glad we’re getting to play soon, but it is frustrating for our kids and Purnell Swett’s kids because they have waited 14 months to get back on the field,” Till said. “It’s a little bit of a gut punch, but in the grand scheme of things, what’s another week with everything we’ve gone through?
“The guys are so excited right now, and we’ll continue to practice one more week,” he added. “It’s important to continue the things we’ve preached the last several months like being patient, taking care of ourselves away from school, and being safe so we can play.”
The Raiders’ first game wasn’t slated until Friday, Feb. 26, on the road against the Rams, but because of the required two-week quarantine, coupled with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s football practice rules, there isn’t enough time for the Rams to properly prepare for the season.
Per the NCHSAA, football teams must practice the first three days with just helmets, followed by three additional days of helmets and shoulder pads. After the sixth day, “complete uniforms may be worn” and “body-to-body contact can begin.”
The postponement of this year’s shortened seven-game Sandhills Athletic Conference season marks the third time in five years that the Raiders and Rams have had their conference opener pushed back.
In 2016, Hurricane Matthew delayed the game until Nov. 11, and two years later Hurricane Florence forced the game to be played on Nov. 9.
In 2019, the Raiders and Rams only played until halftime, a 35-0 win for Richmond, after the game was called due to inclement weather.
Till explained that the game “is technically postponed,” but added there is still the chance that it gets canceled.
If the rest of the season goes according to plan without any hiccups, he said it would be difficult to play the Rams unless another team were to be quarantined. If that happened, there is the possibility of switching opponents from one week to another.
Based on the NCHSAA’s modified sports calendar, the football regular season will run from Feb. 26 through April 9, with playoff seeding occurring on April 10.
The way the NCHSAA playoffs are being determined this season, a team will make the state playoffs based on its conference win percentage, not its total win count. Should the Raiders miss out on the Purnell Swett game, it could potentially have negative ramifications on the team playing in the postseason.
“If we don’t play a game due to COVID protocols, it’s ruled a ‘no contest’,” Till explained. “At the end of the season when (the NCHSAA) seeds the playoffs, it’s by conference win percentage.
“It’s important we get as many games as possible to try and improve our win percentage.”
In terms of impacting the team’s preseason preparation, Till said the Raiders will proceed with its originally planned install schedule. Since it’s not a game week, the focus is still set on Richmond taking care of itself on the practice field.
Another option is for the Raiders to try and find a new Week 1 opponent, but Till noted that’s a weighty decision.
“We could find an opponent, and there are some teams with open games, but that doesn’t help us get in the playoffs,” he explained.
“At the same time, we want to give kids all the opportunities to play. We have to weigh the decision of playing an opponent that is a good experience for everybody, or worry about a game that won’t count toward playoffs. We will continue to explore those options.”
The Richmond junior varsity football team will also not play Purnell Swett on Thursday, Jan. 25. Instead, the JV Raiders will play Hoke County High School for the first of two contests between the teams this season.
Till and the varsity team’s next scheduled opponent is Pinecrest High School on Friday, March 5, in Southern Pines.
The Richmond Observer will update this story as new details to the Raiders’ schedule become available.
