ROCKINGHAM – And just like that, Richmond Senior High School football is back. Well, at least spring practices are.
In a what has seemingly been a blink of an eye since he took over the Raiders’ program just over a year ago, head coach Bryan Till is amped up and ready for his second full season in charge on the sidelines for the Raiders.
Monday marks the start of official spring practices for the seven-time state championship program, which gives Till and his rising sophomore, junior and senior players a 10-day window to get back in the groove of things.
With a new season comes several new expectations, challenges and dreams of success. But one thing that isn’t necessarily new, at least like it was this time last year, is Till’s system.
“I’m really excited about this year,” Till said in his office surrounded by xs and os scribbled on a dry erase board. “The kids have really taken to my program, and it’s so different in year two. At this time last year, it was a whirlwind. But now it’s a lot more structured, and we’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last May.”
In 2017, Till made waves in an already impressive locker room. Noting how much he values Richmond’s history and community, Till took a relatively young team behind true freshman quarterback Caleb Hood and went 7-5 before suffering a first-round playoff exit.
But all of that is behind the Raiders, and with lessons learned, Till is anticipating another, more successful year under his watch. And it all starts this spring.
“I’m really excited about they guys’ tenacity in the weightroom,” Till said with a smile, as it’s no secret how much he enjoys conditioning his players. “It’s a lot of fun getting the season started. There are no games, so you just enjoy the moments with the guys and their teammates. We’re ready to be together — we’ll keep building our program, as well as the youth, rec and middle school programs.”
The Raiders will be without roughly three dozen senior players from last year’s squad, among them leading rusher Dante Miller (University of Columbia commit), starting offensive linemen Chase Coulthard (UNCP commit) and Daryn Mason, key defensive lineman Delon Wall, linebackers Jaquan Everett and Savion Streeter, and defensive backs Tony McRae and Shane Summey.
But that’s not an issue, as Till has full confidence that with the departure of those players, the next players up in line will step up and keep Richmond on track for a Sandhills Athletic Conference championship. While the season is still very young, the likes of Hood, wide receiver Malik Stanback, defensive lineman Isaiah Ratliff, offensive lineman Jake Ransom and running back Jaheim Covington are just a couple of names sure to headline the 2018 season.
One new thing that has been successful during the offseason has been Till’s implementation of of the team’s Leadership Council, which includes 11 rising players who work on leadership skills that can be used on and off the field. Having just wrapped up its 10-week training course, Till hopes these players can help serve in leadership roles throughout spring practices and into the fall season. For a full report on the Leadership Council, click here.
In the 10 days of practice from Monday, May 14, through Friday, May 25, Till explained that his approximately 120 players will be working on several football drills including “fundamentals, offensive, defensive and team concepts and lots of team competitions.”
“We’ll try each day to do some sort of 15-20 minute competition to make practice more competitive,” Till expressed. “It could be a seven-on-seven drill, or a team competition with bags each day. We’re not allowed any body-to-body contact, so there’s no tackling involved. But we’ll start working on tackling reps on bags immediately when we put on helmets and shoulder pads.”
As noted, Till has put a lot of emphasis on using the weightroom for his players’ benefit to get ready for Friday night lights. One of his favorite times of the school day is when he heads down to the weightroom during fourth block to strengthen and condition his players the right way with help from several coaches, including Brad Denson, Jay Jones, Andy Shuler and Milton Swinnie.
“There has been a lot of buy in from the community with helping with food and recovery nutrition,” Till said of the void that’s been filled. “When I got here, the kids knew how to lift, but last year they were learning my style. But now we’re past that learning curve.
“Richmond was fundamentally the best program that I’ve taken taken over,” Till said of what the weightroom expectations were like when he moved to Richmond. “Now we’re able to get more lifts in because it’s a system that I’m comfortable with. The Leadership Council is helping with accountability, and the kids continue to buy into it. It’s a great atmosphere to be around.”
While no contact football can be played over the course of the next 10 days as the school year’s final full month draws to a close, Till will still utilize this time to get a feel for what lies ahead.
“The expectation (for spring practice) is to get a depth chart in place for summer (workouts),” Till commented. “This will give us a chance to see guys fly around the field, get a good understanding of what we have, and allow us to get ready for the season.”
And with the ever present expectation to win not only on Friday nights, but to win another state championship and end a 10-year drought, Till believes that what he and his coaches and players are doing can get the Raiders back to championship glory. And he knows that it can’t happen without the continued outpouring of support from Raider Nation’s faithful.
“It’s big to get a chance to teach life lessons and coach in this community,” Till said. “We have people here who care and invest in our program and our school. The way we grew as a country is evident here, with the mills and the loyalty. Friday nights can get us back to that.
“When I see people here consistently caring about our program, it reminds me of all the good in the world,” Till concluded. “I love it here.”
And perhaps it will be that love and Till’s willingness to go above and beyond for his players not only on the field but in the classroom and community, that what will lift Richmond Raider football to the next level.
But for now, it all starts with spring practice.
