ABERDEEN — The Sand Hills Bowling Center was the scene for the second Sandhills Athletic Conference bowling meet of the year, as both the Richmond Senior High School Raider and Lady Raider teams were in action.
Coached by first-year head coach Ralph Butler, Richmond battled Jack Britt and Lumberton high schools in the lane, but both teams ultimately came up short to the Buccaneers and Pirates. Last season, Jack Britt and Lumberton were the top two programs in the conference standings.
Against the Lady Buccaneers, the Lady Raiders fell by just 14 total pins, as the Raiders weren’t far behind, losing by 16 total pins. Lumberton proved to be a much tougher opponent, with the Lady Raiders losing by 94 pins and the Raiders falling behind by 294 total pins.
The format for the SAC bowling matches sees each team face two other teams at each match, playing both teams in four individual matches. Individual bowler scores aren’t kept, as five bowlers from each school combine to bowl each match. Each bowler bowls a total of two frames, with the No. 1 bowler going last in an effort to get an extra attempt in the 10th frame.
With the two losses to Jack Britt and Lumberton, both Richmond teams slipped to fifth place in the SAC standings.
“We knew both Jack Britt and especially Lumberton would be tough matchups this week,” Butler said following the match. “Unfortunately, we didn’t compete as well as we’d hoped.
“Right now, the biggest thing (we need to work on) is picking up our spares and stop leaving frames open,” he continued. “Lumberton did a phenomenal job of doing that. Strikes are great, but just simply picking up spares more consistently will make us more competitive.”
Butler noted that seniors Tyler Bass and Evan Hudson have “the most experience between the group of boys.” He went on to add that they’re the most consistent bowlers on the team, while fellow senior Cameron Carraway has “picked things up quickly and is beginning to get more confident” at the meets.
For the girls, Butler explained that senior Savannah Lampley and junior Jessilyn Hubbard have “been the most consistent” for the Lady Raiders. Lampley “is just so competitive and wants to win regardless of what she is playing,” and the head coach concluded by saying her desire to win is “contagious and rubs off on the girls around her.”
The Richmond bowling teams will look to bounce back this Thursday, Dec. 6, in Fayetteville, N.C. The Raiders and Lady Raiders will bowl against Pinecrest and Seventy-First high schools, starting at 4 p.m.
