ROCKINGHAM — Bryan Till has only been a member of Richmond County for a little over two years. But the Raider head football coach has big plans for the program, as well as the local community’s well-being, that extend far into the future.
In an emotionally-charged presentation Monday, Till delivered his second “State of the Program” address to players, families, school board members and local elected officials inside Richmond’s cafeteria. He covered many areas of the program, including finances, fundraising, the future vision, as well as what it will take to achieve the team’s goals.
Some of those in attendance were current Richmond County Schools interim superintendent Dr. Jeff Maples, human resources director Julian Carter, and school board members Wiley Mabe and Ronald Tillman. Also present were Richmond County commissioners Kenneth Robinette, Don Bryant and Rick Watkins, and former senator Gene McLaurin.
One thing they all share, including the hundreds of others packed inside the cafeteria, is the success of the Raiders on and off the field for the foreseeable future.
“It’s so important for our guys and our community to be together,” Till said on the importance of the event. “Our kids don’t always see the community members, and I wanted them to see how many people who are in county and school leadership roles who support them.
“For our program to have the impact we want it to have, our kids have to identify with those positions and work to make this county better,” he added.
In the heart of his address, Till used one word to describe the current state of the Raider program. He used the adjective “pivotal,” and expressed how he would like to see it become a verb as the team gears up for its 2019 season.
Till challenged his players and the community by asking if “we are willing to invest in something greater than the status quo.” He also proposed how the work of “one community” can make these aspirations come true.
Several times Till referenced how metro-area schools in Charlotte and Raleigh don’t have the unique bond that the Raiders have with Richmond County as the only high school. Through that cohesive relationship, he expressed his hope for a “unity of purpose” between his players and local citizens moving forward.
Something else Till has been keen on since taking over the program in 2017 has been the program’s impact on the local economy. With new industries popping up, and the revitalization of “The Rock” race track, Till believes it’s the “right time for Richmond County to grow.”
Having all of his players stand to be recognized, Till promised that as future hopeful leaders of the community, his players “will make an impact” both on and off the field. He added that he wants to continue to see the Raider football program morph itself into a “cornerstone in the community.”
With the 2019 season soon looking to get underway with spring practices, the new moniker for the Raiders is “fearless,” with the Raider diamond being used as the “r.” Coupled with the “make your link strong” philosophy established last season, Till noted the program’s ongoing mission to is build championship men. From that, he added, the state championships will follow.
Some of those developing championship men were introduced as the 2019 Raider Leadership Council members. The 12-player group is made up of six returning members, as well as six fresh faces.
The returners are rising seniors Noah Altman, Brian Bowden, Jaheim Covington and Joerail White, and rising juniors Caleb Hood and CJ Tillman. New this year are five rising seniors in Dereck Barringer, D’Marcus Harrington, Austin Hart, Javon Little and Gavin Russell, as well as rising junior Jakolbe Baldwin.
“It was a little different this year because the guys chose who was on the council,” Till explained. “They looked at who we needed to lead next year, as well as guys who are already leading.”
Raider Leadership Council: Javon Little, Jakolbe Baldwin, Caleb Hood, Noah Altman, Joerail White, CJ Tillman, Dereck Barringer, Brian Bowden, Jaheim Covington, Gavin Russell and Austin Hart. Not pictured: D’Marcus Harrington.
Other areas of the program Till touched on were the academic and skill development sides of things, noting the importance of ACT test preparation, classroom performance, weight training and the fostering of a family atmosphere. He added that none of these things are given, and that each player must “earn” his individual and team successes.
Till also recapped the milestones of 2018, including the program’s first conference title win in 10 years. He spotlighted several players’ off-field achievements, including Preston Coker’s “Artist of the Month” award and Kyle Goodwin serving as the vice president for the North Carolina Beta Club.
Other achievements included six seniors signing to play college football, a 3.19 overall team GPA, 96 players joining the “100 percent club” for summer workouts, the revival of the Raider diamond at the 50-yard line and the team’s involvement with local elementary schools throughout the season.
Till also broke down several financial aspects of the program, first explaining the team has $77,000 remaining in grant money to continue field and facility upgrades. The original grant was $200,000, with work going toward new goal posts, painting the stadium, new shrubs and drainage work in 2018.
The remaining funds will be used for stadium lights and improvements on the track’s surface, Till explained.
Till made it no secret that funding a football program the size of Richmond is no simple task, and expressed his desire to create a “county-wide football committee.” This group, he explained, would help establish new fundraising initiatives, while continuing to bounce new ideas around to make the program more secure in the future.
As head coach, Till added he’d like to see “an investment in community programs,” whether they be middle school or AAU teams. He’d like to see the program’s “skeleton” continue to trickle down to the lower levels so that a “system of excellence” can be in place when players reach the high school level.
“We want to have the passion to be not the best in the state, but the best in the country,” Till said with affirmation. “We don’t get anywhere by dreaming small. We don’t fear anybody — to be the best, we can’t fear anybody.”
One idea Till tossed out would be the construction of an indoor practice facility with a turf field. He referenced Colquitt County, Ga., a county and school comparable in size to Richmond County, that has a similar facility. Till added it would not only help the football program, but teams like baseball, softball and soccer which can be affected by weather.
Other add-ons that Till would like to see become a part of the program this season are new number stencils, a drone for filming practice, new iPads for sideline film review and an iPad TV cart for efficient in-game adjustments.
Till also shared the football program brought in $10,343.70 in ad sales this past season, and noted gate receipts were the “biggest portion” of the program’s profit. From that, he encouraged the audience to fill the seats more and more next season.
“The big thing is we want to be a cornerstone in this community,” Till concluded. “We want to be a positive example of a football program statewide. And we want to produce young men who are positive influences in this county. That to me is the big thing.”
