ROCKINGHAM — Knowing they were facing a tough opponent, the No. 1 Richmond Raiders couldn’t overcome turnovers and a couple of late penalties against No. 16 Leesville Road on Friday.
The second round matchup in the 4A East playoffs came down to the final couple of drives, but the Raiders couldn’t beat the clock and fell 19-14 to the Pride.
Richmond held a lead after the first quarter, but a trick play on special teams by Leesville Road in the second quarter shifted the momentum.
The Raiders committed three turnovers in the loss (two interceptions and one fumble), and the Pride were able to capitalize on two of them. Leesville Road didn’t commit any turnovers.
Head coach Bryan Till noted that field position played a big part in Friday’s outcome, but said the Richmond defense did a good job at fighting through adversity.
“The big thing, and it’s been in all the tough games we played this season, was the field position bit us tonight,” Till said. “Whether it was a turnover or their ability to punt it deep, the field position was tough.
“Our defense was resilient, they continued to fight through some things and I’m proud of our kids for still continuing to believe,” he continued. “They continued to work and even on the penalty late, the kids were going to try and make that stop.”
The Pride scored on their first possession of the game after a Richmond punt, ending in a 20-yard field goal by Tyler Graham. Leesville Road held a 3-0 lead with 3:23 left in the opening quarter.
Answering the call on the ensuing kickoff, senior all-purpose player Cason Douglas sparked the Raiders with a kickoff return for a touchdown. After initially dropping the ball at the 15-yard line, Douglas regrouped and raced straight up the middle of the field.
Picking up several blocks, Douglas moved to the right edge and went 85 yards to the end zone for the score. Senior kicker Alex Medina split the uprights on the point after attempt and Richmond went up 7-3 just 14 seconds after Leesville Road’s field goal.
Senior kick returner Cason Douglas (2) runs back 85 yards for a score in the first quarter. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Midway through the second quarter, senior defensive end J.D. Lampley deflected a John Mark Shaw pass attempt on second down. Two plays later on 4th-and-3 at the Richmond 43-yard line, the Pride pulled off a successful fake punt to move the chains.
Three plays later, running back D.J. Scott found the end zone from 5 yards out. Jordan Brown added the extra point and the Pride regained the lead, 10-7, with 5:49 to play before the half.
Following punts by both teams on their next respective drives, a fumble on first down by the Raiders turned the ball over at the Richmond 19-yard line.
Three stops on consecutive plays by the Raider defense forced another field goal attempt, which was good by Graham from 37 yards. The 13-7 lead for the visiting team would hold until halftime.
“(Leesville Road) was able to move the ball and make some key plays,” Till explained. “The fourth down fake punt, we were playing defense but not lined up correctly. That was a small error that gave them their first touchdown.
“There were some small plays here or there that can make or break you. We got down the field (in the third quarter) and gave up the interception. If we score there, we’re looking at being up 21-19. It can come down to one or two plays, and hats off to Leesville.”
Junior cornerback Brandon Askins opened the third quarter with a pass break up on third down to force a Leesville Road punt, the first of two by the Pride to start the second half.
Richmond also punted on its first drive, and an interception by Nasir Winston on the next series led to another score for the Pride.
Starting inside the red zone, Shaw found Winston for a 12-yard passing score. The extra point attempt was no good due to a high snap.
The Raider offense started clicking on the next drive, seeing senior quarterback Kellan Hood connect with Douglas on the first two plays for 17 yards.
A big rush by junior running back Taye Spencer picked up 20 yards, and a couple plays later, another 20-yard run by Spencer moved the ball to the Leesville Road 13-yard line.
Junior running back Taye Spencer (21) breaks loose for a 20-yard gain. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
But two plays later, an interception by Josiah Gary turned the ball over to the Pride and stopped the Richmond offense.
The Raider defense was able to stop Leesville Road from scoring following the turnover, using tackles from senior linebacker Gabe Altman and Lampley to force a punt.
Taking over at their own 30-yard line, the Raiders started a 9-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a Hood rushing touchdown. Douglas started the series with a catch for a 14-yard gain, and Hood followed with a 16-yard run.
Spencer caught a pass three plays later for a 26-yard pick up to move inside the 5-yard line. Hood took the ball on the next two plays, before crashing into the end zone from 3 yards for the score.
Medina’s PAT was good and Richmond trailed 19-14 with 5:10 left in the fourth quarter.
Senior quarterback Kellan Hood (7) stiff arms Josiah Gary as he crosses into the end zone. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Looking to give the offense another chance, the Raider defense committed two penalties on the final drive of the game that allowed Leesville Road to run out the clock.
Despite the loss, Till commended the entire team, especially his senior players, for the effort given in 12 games this season.
“These kids have been through the wringer the last two and a half years, and have given so unselfishly to this program,” Till said of his players. “They’ve worked, been challenged and excelled over and over.
“I’m extremely proud of their ability to find a way to continue to do what we ask them to do. The kids never quit believing and it makes it really easy for us as coaches to believe in them.”
Leesville Road collected 227 yards of total offense (132 rushing, 95 passing) and Richmond put up 180 yards of offense (123 rushing, 57 passing).
Hood went 6-of-11 passing for 57 yards and added 52 yards on 10 carries and a score. Spencer was the team’s leading rusher with 56 yards on 9 touches, and had 26 receiving yards on one grab.
Douglas had a team-high four catches for 33 yards and had the 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, his second of the season (Mount Tabor).
Shaw threw 11-for-18 with 95 yards, and Scott had a game-high 113 rushing yards on 22 carries.
Richmond’s season came to an end with a 10-2 overall record, and Leesville Road (9-2) advanced to the third round to face No. 25 Knightdale High School (6-5).
The Richmond Observer will publish a full season recap and an All-Conference article once the 2021 team is announced.
Below are interviews with seniors Gabe Altman, Kellan Hood and J.D. Lampley, who shared thoughts on the tough loss and what it meant to them to have been Richmond Raider football players.
Gabe Altman, senior linebacker
“They were a good offense with some good players. We battled with field position and were on the field a lot, but we did the best we could. Holding them to two field goals, we saw that as a win. Props to our offense for rallying a little bit at the end.
“It’s indescribable to be a Raider football player until you experience it. The program has taught me so much in my four years. It’s amazing to say I played football for Richmond.”
Kellan Hood, senior quarterback
“We just had to adjust on some different blocks, and our linemen sealed it in. That allowed us to hit the holes better. The end game was that the turnovers are what ultimately cost us.
“It means a lot to be a Raider and I’m going to miss it. There’s no place like it, the atmosphere is crazy and it’s been an amazing four years.”
J.D. Lampley, senior defensive end
“The whole game, whenever we were down, we made sure that we weren’t getting down on ourselves. We tried to bounce back and make plays to give the offense a chance to score.
“I’d rather be here and spend time with my teammates and lose, than transfer somewhere else to try and win.”
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Friday’s playoff game over the weekend. For updates on all Richmond County sports, follow us on Twitter @ROSports_.
