ROCKINGHAM – Monday marks the beginning of a new week of athletic events around the campus of Richmond Senior High School, and several programs will also enter postseason play.
Hurricanes Florence and Michael have extended nearly every one of the six fall sports programs’ schedules, but things seem to be back on track with the Lady Raider golf, tennis and volleyball teams, as all three will begin postseason competition this week. Other programs, including the Raider soccer and football programs, still have a solid chunk of the regular season still on the docket.
Below is a breakdown of what to expect this week:
Miller and Davis set for NCHSAA regionals at Pinehurst No. 1
It may have taken a makeup golf match last week for Richmond golfers Hailey Miller and Natalie Davis to qualify for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s regional round, but both are set to tee off Monday morning at Pinehurst No. 1.
Weather had stunted both golfers’ chances to get the five required nine-hole scores to compete in the postseason, but Miller, a junior, and Davis, a senior, managed to average a score of 50 or lower between those rounds to make the trip to Pinehurst Resort. Davis will tee off at 8:09 a.m. Monday, with Miller going out at 9:03 a.m.
Head coach Keith Parsons explained that if either golfer plays well enough, she will advance to the state tournament, which is set to begin Monday, Oct. 22.
Richmond volleyball locks up No. 3 seed in shortened SAC tournament
Ashleigh Larsen’s Lady Raider volleyball team has won its last five matches, and will close out the regular season on the road at Scotland High School on Tuesday (6 p.m.). Richmond (12-7, 9-4 SAC) has held the No. 3 spot in the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings for a majority of the season, and regardless of a win or a loss at fifth-place Scotland (7-10, 6-7 SAC), the Lady Raiders will travel to Pinecrest High School to begin SAC tournament play Wednesday.
Because of the hurricanes impacting athletic schedules across the state, the SAC is cutting its conference tournament in half this season, only allowing the top four teams to participate. Pinecrest (13-7, 11-2 SAC) will enter as the No. 2 team, and host No. 3 Richmond. In the other match, top-seeded Jack Britt High School (15-7, 13-0 SAC) will welcome in No. 4 Lumberton High School (12-7, 7-7 SAC). The winners from each match will turn around and play the SAC championship Thursday.
Richmond has lost both of its matches against the Lady Patriots this season, with each one going to five sets. Wednesday’s match is set for 6 p.m.
Raider soccer to host senior night Monday ahead of three-match week
Because Chris Larsen’s Raiders play outdoors, and oftentimes two or three times a week, the Richmond soccer program has been the most affected this fall with postponement of matches. Last week, ahead of Hurricane Michael, the Raiders saw their two SAC matchups against Lumberton and Scotland high schools pushed back two weeks. Having not played since last Monday, a 3-1 win in penalty kicks at Hoke County High School, Richmond will be back in action three more times (hopefully) this week.
There are six regular season matches left on the schedule, and the three this week are all against teams in the lower half of the SAC standings. The fourth-place Raiders (6-8, 4-4 SAC) will host seventh-place Seventy-First High School (5-9, 2-7 SAC) Monday at 6 p.m. for senior night. This year’s team has eight seniors, all of whom will be recognized ahead of the game. They are: Carlos Alcocer, Nolan Allen, Evyn Brower, Jose Fonseca, Alexis Gonzalez, Kyle Goodwin, Jackson Haley and Evan Hudson.
Richmond will turn around to travel to Seventy-First for a match Tuesday (6 p.m.), and finish the week at last-place Scotland High School (3-10, 1-7 SAC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Raider magic propelling Richmond football into Week 9 matchups with Lumberton
The Raider varsity football team is on a five-game winning streak after blowing past Hoke County 53-0 during homecoming on Friday. It’s the longest stretch of consecutive wins in the Bryan Till era, and the most since the 2015. With the team clicking on all cylinders, it was the Raider defense’s third shutout of the season, and Richmond is outscoring its opponents by 23 points per game this season. The varsity team (6-1, 3-0 SAC) will travel to Lumberton High School (1-5, 0-2 SAC) Friday and look to extend its winning streak. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
In junior varsity action, the Raiders will return home after spending the last two weeks on the road. Thursday’s 34-12 win over the Bucks was the program’s 25th-straight win, and it remains undefeated under second-year head coach Patrick Hope (16 wins). Richmond will welcome in the Lumberton junior varsity team Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Lady Raider tennis and cross country teams in action
The Lady Raider tennis team has won 11 matches in a row, but hasn’t played since senior night last Monday. Weather postponed its regular season finale against SAC-leader Pinecrest, and the regional playoffs are set to begin this week. However, the locations, times and opponents have yet to be determined. ROSports will update this information as it becomes available.
Out on the cross country course, the Raider and Lady Raider teams will continue their seasons at Pinecrest Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Official Richmond County Male and Female Athletes of the Week will be from the respective cross country teams.
