ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School varsity boys basketball team officially rolls out its 2018-19 season Monday, and with it, really big expectations for the upcoming 25-game regular season.
The Raiders are led by second-year head coach Donald “Bootsie” Pettigrew, and he, along with his players, is looking to bounce back from a subpar campaign in 2017-18.
A season ago in Pettigrew’s inaugural year as head coach, the Raiders went 7-18 overall, and only managed to win two games against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents, while also missing the state playoffs. Their tie for last place in the standings has turned into motivation to improve this season.
The vibe on the hardwood this season is much different, as the Raiders are committed to continuing the culture change that Pettigrew instituted last year. Gone is the high-scoring “system” and the players who ran it.
With a stronger focus on defense, several returning starters, as well as a fresh set of underclassmen making the jump to the varsity level, Pettigrew and the Raiders believe they can end Hoke County High School’s two-year reign as conference champions.
“We’re really excited about the mix of the younger guys and the seniors who are on this year’s team,” Pettigrew said. “We’re going to do big things this year, and I think we’re going to be a lot better than last year. We’ll be a top-five team in the conference, and our goal is to win the (conference) championship.
“We also want to make it deep in the playoffs,” he added. “I put a lot of pressure on myself with that. When I played here, we were one of the top teams in the state, and I want us to get back there. That’s all we’ve talk about in practice since February.”
The last time Richmond finished atop the conference was in 2015-16, then the Southeastern Conference, when it ended tied with the Bucks with a 7-3 record. Helping Pettigrew on the bench this season are long-time familiar faces Derrick Watkins and Frank Harrington.
After the season came to a 59-54 end against Scotland High School in the SAC tournament in February, Pettigrew said his players were back on the court just five days later already getting back to work. From there, the Raiders competed in several spring and summer tournaments, and it’s this dedication and team camaraderie that could make the difference in the coming months.
“I want the guys to learn the game the right way and play unselfishly,” Pettigrew explained. “They’ve already made a commitment to each other and are holding one another accountable. In order to be successful, we need to do the little things.”
Senior shooting guard Rod Newton (3) is expected to be the team’s best perimeter shooter.
The Raiders have competed in two preseason jamborees this fall, and have seen several returning and new varsity players impress on the court. One of the most consistent players has been junior center Jarvis Tillman, as he scored 15 points in just 16 minutes against Cheraw High School in the team’s final scrimmage.
Pettigrew hopes to use “several post players” this season, including Tillman, sophomore Nygie Stroman, senior Antonio “AJ” Isaac and his son, Xavier Pettigrew. Stroman has also had a solid preseason, but Isaac and Xavier Pettigrew haven’t seen much action.
Isaac just wrapped up his season as the Raider football team’s nose tackle, and will join the team this week. Pettigrew, on the other hand, has been battling a lower body injury, but will be ready for the season opener. This will be his second season with the team after transferring from Temple Christian School as a junior.
New to the varsity team is sophomore starting point guard Patrick “PJ” McLaughlin, who Pettigrew hopes to see develop as the team’s floor general. Senior shooting guard Roderick Newton returns as the team’s “best shooter,” as he’ll look to use his range from the three-point line to lead the offense. Senior guard Alex Quick also adds height and speed to both sides of the ball for Richmond.
Other players who will see a lot of action are junior guard Quamir Sivels, sophomore guard Caleb Hood, and his younger brother, freshman Kellan Hood.
“Defensively, we’re getting after it,” Pettigrew said of his team’s efforts. “We’re going to pound it inside-out a lot, and I have a lot of guys who can play multiple positions. I have a jumbo set where I have Alex and the one, Xavier at the two, Nygie at the three, Jarvis at the four and AJ at the five.”
In terms of teams that the Raiders will need to contest for an SAC championship, it’ll be the likes of Hoke County, Jack Britt, Lumberton and Scotland high schools, Pettigrew explained. Those four teams all finished ahead of Richmond last year, and Pettigrew isn’t discounting Pinecrest or Seventy-First high schools as possible threats either.
Richmond will travel to Pine Forest High School Monday to open its season after not playing competitively in two weeks. Tipoff for the Raiders will take place around 7:30 p.m. following the Lady Raiders’ game, their second contest of the season.
“I think mentally, our game against Pine Forest, as well as our first three games which are all on the road, will tell us a lot about us early. All three teams (Pine Forest, Southern Lee and Ronald Reagan high schools) were playoff teams last year. We want it that way and I hope we have a great season.”
