ROCKINGHAM — A new season of Richmond Raider golf begins this week, and with it comes the hope of the team making a run at qualifying for regionals and states.
Fourth-year head coach Keith Parsons and the Raiders will return a couple of familiar faces this spring, along with some newcomers to the course.
Among the returners are senior Ethan Brown and junior Ayden Mabe, who both competed for the Raiders during last spring’s 4A Midwest Regional tournament. Both are also multi-year golfers for the Raiders, and junior Lane Richardson also returns this spring.
New this year is a trio of seniors — David O’Neal, Chandler Orr and Caleb Talton.
Parsons expects the Raiders to be competitive in the newly aligned 3A/4A Sandhills Athletic Conference, and said the team will rely on the leadership of Brown and Mabe.
“Ethan and Ayden are the leaders, for sure,” Parsons said. “Both know a lot about the game and have passed on that knowledge to their teammates. It is great to have two players such as them to lean on for leadership; I expect great things from both of them.”
“The dynamic (this season) is a bit different,” he added. “This is the first time since I became coach Jonathan Rich won’t be with us. Having Ethan and Ayden make that so much easier.”
In the Midwest Regional last season, Brown shot a 100 (50-50) and Mabe posted a 109 (54-55). During the season, they averaged a nine-hole score of 50.4 and 53.6 strokes, respectively.
Richmond finished second in the SAC standings last spring, edging rival Scotland High School by one point thanks to a strong final match in the regular season.
Rich, along with Jaxon Mabe and Will Thompson, have all graduated. The three former Raiders were all part of the regional-qualifying team last year.
The format this year will be a return to normalcy for the Raiders. Last spring, the boys’ and girls’ golf seasons were combined and teams had to compete in groupings with their own teammates.
Returning this spring, players from different teams will be paired together and keep each other’s score, something Parsons noted brings a bit more competitiveness during matches.
There will also be the addition of new courses this year since the conference realignment, which Parsons said “will make play a bit more difficult, which should help all our players improve.”
With excitement brewing for the upcoming season, Parsons and the Raiders’ primary goal is to see each golfer work on his craft and get better as the season unfolds.
“This year, as always, I would love to see each player improve from the beginning of the season until the end,” Parsons explained. “Ultimately, that is our most attainable goal.
“The new conference should be interesting, with Union Pines, Southern Lee and Lee County. Not sure what we’ll see from them; I expect them to be competitive.”
The Raiders will play six matches this season, starting on Monday at Scotch Meadows in Laurinburg at 3 p.m. The first three matches will be nine-hole events, followed by three 18-hole tournaments, including the SAC championship at Pinehurst No. 1.
Below is a complete schedule for the Raider golf team this spring:
March 14 — at Scotland
March 21 — Foxfire (home match)
March 28 — at Lee County, Southern Lee
April 4 — at Hoke County (18 holes)
April 11 — at Union Pines (18 holes)
April 25 — at Pinehurst No. 1 (18 holes)
The Richmond Observer will report on the Raiders’ first match of the season when the results are released.
