ROCKINGHAM — Rebounding after a tough outing earlier in the week, the Richmond Senior High School boys’ tennis team boosted its four seniors with a doubleheader win on Thursday.
The Raiders and head coach Jessica Covington recognized Noah Aiken, Douglas McDonald, Bradford Pittman and Alex Yates ahead of the match on senior night.
Pittman was a four-year starter for Richmond, Yates played for three years, McDonald had two seasons under his belt and Aiken was a newcomer this spring.
“It was an awesome afternoon, especially the gathering before the match to honor our seniors.” Covington said. “They have all played awesome this season and they are a great group of guys. We’ll miss them a lot.”
Taking care of business after a couple of slow matches against Scotland, Richmond bounced the Rams in the first match 6-3 and followed with an 8-1 win in the second match.
The Raiders used a pair of forfeits by the Rams in the No. 6 singles matches, which saw the wins credited to freshman Will Whitley.
Playing a different format than usual, the Raiders and Rams played back-to-back singles matches before entering doubles play.
Richmond’s top two players, No. 1 Pittman and No. 2 sophomore Ty Murray both earned two singles wins. Pittman handed Erik Brooks losses by scores of 8-0 and 8-2, while Murray also cruised past Josiah Brooks 8-3 and 8-2.
“It hasn’t hit me quite yet, but after last year, it was good to be back out here and play,” Pittman said. “This wasn’t a normal year, especially because we played two matches each day, but I’m glad to have gotten to spend time with the guys.
“Having the challenge of playing against some of the other teams’ top tennis players was fun, too,” he added. “Today was a lot of fun and it was cool to see all of the seniors get to play.”
Yates and McDonald, Richmond’s No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, respectively, also earned two singles wins against the Rams. Yates made quick work against Gabriel Scott with wins of 8-1 and 8-0, while McDonald held off Christian Locklear with a pair of 8-6 victories.
No. 3 sophomore Matthew Burns lost his two singles matches, falling to Cale Harris 2-8 before rallying to make it more competitive in a 6-8 loss. Aiken did not play due to injury.
“It was great to be out here with my friends on senior night, and being a Raider tennis player was a lot of fun,” Yates said. “I have a lot of memories after my three years.
“My first year was the first time I’d ever picked up a racquet, and guys like Kevin Campos, Mason Bailey and Adam Morrison really helped me grow,” he added. “Bradford also really helped me, and I’ve tried to do that with some of the younger guys on the team.”
In doubles play, the No. 1 pairing of Pittman and Murray faced Erik Brooks and Josiah Brooks twice, splitting the two matches. The Rams took the first match 8-5, but the duo of Raiders battled back to earn an 8-6 win.
Whitley and Yates played in the first No. 2 doubles contest, falling to Harris and Scott 5-8. Covington switched things up and sent Yates and Burns out for the second go-around, and the two earned an 8-6 win.
The Raiders also collected forfeit wins in both of the No. 3 doubles matches, sealing the doubleheader win.
“All of the guys played well, and everyone got a win in either singles or doubles today. That was really good to see,” Covington said. “It’s been good to get back to playing this week after taking last week off, which hurt us.
“We definitely have a shot at making regionals, it just depends on what happens with Jack Britt and Scotland,” Covington closed. “I’d love for the boys to get that experience, and if they do, we’ll hit it hard and give it our best effort.”
The NCHSAA’s reporting deadline for regionals is April 30, with the regional tournaments held on May 7 and 8. The Richmond Observer will report on whether or not the Raiders’ make the postseason.
