ROCKINGHAM — Following a shortened week last week due to inclement weather, the Richmond Senior High School and area middle school athletic programs will get back to a full week of sports starting Tuesday.
Richmond basketball closes regular season with three games
Both the Raider and Lady Raider basketball teams will conclude their regular seasons this week with three games following a postponement this past Friday. Richmond will travel Tuesday and Wednesday to Seventy-First and Lumberton high schools, respectively, before ending with senior night at home against Scotland High School on Friday.
The Lady Raiders (13-8, 4-7 Sandhills Athletic Conference) sit in fifth place and will look to climb the ladder in the final stretch. They’ll look to redeem with a win against second-place Seventy-First (15-5, 9-2 SAC) and try for the regular-season sweeps of sixth-place Lumberton (10-11, 3-8 SAC) and seventh-place Scotland (6-14, 3-9 SAC).
For the boys, head coach Donald Pettigrew and the Raiders are looking to hang atop the upper third of the conference standings. Currently in third, Richmond (15-6, 8-3 SAC) will first try for the sweep of the sixth-place Falcons (7-13, 3-8 SAC) and then try to pick up two redemption wins against second-place Lumberton (18-3, 9-2 SAC) and fourth-place Scotland (11-10, 7-5 SAC).
All the girls’ games will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the boys at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Middle school basketball playoffs begin Tuesday
Also getting off to a delayed start are the Southeastern Middle Athletic Conference boys’ and girls’ basketball playoffs. Originally slated to begin last Thursday, the five Richmond County teams will now hit the hardwood starting Tuesday.
The Rockingham Middle School Lady Rockets (9-0) earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye and will play No. 4 Carver Middle School (7-4) in the second round on Thursday at 4 p.m.
The No. 2 Rockingham boys’ team is still waiting to see who it’ll play in the second round following the outcome of the No. 3 Cordova (6-2) and No. 6 Carver (4-5), which is set for Tuesday at 4:15 p.m.
Both Hamlet Middle School teams will compete in opening-round action on Tuesday. The No. 3 Lady Red Rams (7-2) will welcome in No. 6 East Hoke (4-5) at 4 p.m., followed by the No. 4 Red Rams (6-3) against No. 5 Sandy Grove (5-4) at 5:15 p.m.
High school spring sport tryouts set for Wednesday
Richmond’s spring sports season officially opens on Wednesday, Feb. 12, with tryouts. The baseball, softball, boys’ tennis and girls’ soccer programs will all get underway that day at 3:30 p.m.
The boys’ and girls’ track and field teams will hold its first day of tryouts on Monday, Feb. 17, and the boys’ golf team will also get started at Foxfire Golf Club that week with a date and time to be announced.
All interested athletes must have an updated physical on file and complete a concussion form and athletic packet.
