ROCKINGHAM — Week 6 of the fall sports season begins Monday and several Richmond Senior High School athletics programs are on the hunt to remain near the top of the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings.
Last week saw the Raider junior varsity and varsity football programs get the week off between their respective non-conference and conference schedules. But they return to the gridiron this week to open SAC play, which puts all of the varsity programs back in action.
Lady Raider volleyball hoping to start new streak
An unfortunate loss on the road at SAC opponent Scotland High School on Thursday ended the Lady Raiders’ five-game winning streak. Their second run of five wins in a row this season, Richmond (10-2, 4-2 SAC) and assistant coach Melissa Dennis will get two more chances to begin anew.
After playing three matches last week, the Lady Raiders will slow down a bit, traveling to non-conference Lee County High School (1-9) on Wednesday. Richmond will cap its two-match week by opening the second round of SAC play at Purnell Swett High School (2-11, 1-6 SAC) on Thursday.
Junior varsity will begin at Lee County at 4:30 p.m. and at Purnell Swett at 5 p.m. The varsity team will play immediately after. Richmond is currently tied with Jack Britt High School for third place in the conference standings with a 4-2 record.
Raider soccer looking to find the net with three matches
A slow start for the Raider soccer team and head coach Chris Larsen will be put to the test with three more matches this week. Having scored just seven goals in nine games, the Raiders are looking to find the twine more consistently, starting with SAC opponent Seventy-First High School (4-5, 0-5 SAC) at home on Monday at 6 p.m. (no junior varsity game).
The Raiders (1-7-1, 1-3 SAC) will then travel to Scotland (3-6-1, 1-4 SAC) on Wednesday for another conference match, before ending the week at non-conference Lee County (2-5) on Thursday. Junior varsity will begin at 5:15 p.m. followed by varsity at 7 p.m.
Lady Raider golf and tennis continue SAC schedules
Head coach Keith Parsons and the Lady Raider golf team will compete in their third match of the fall on Monday at Pinecrest Country Club in Lumberton. Hosted by Purnell Swett, Richmond will look to climb the ladder after two fourth-place starts to the season.
Senior Hailey Miller has posted matching scores of 91 in her first two rounds, with teammates Kenleigh Frye, Lauren Humann and Kirsten McDonald all improving their respective scores. Golfers will begin teeing off at 2 p.m. on Monday.
In tennis action, the Lady Raiders (1-6, 1-5 SAC) are looking for their second win of the fall. Richmond and head coach Neely Herndon will play three matches in as many days, squaring off against Hoke County and Lumberton high schools.
It’s the first time the Lady Raiders will face either SAC opponent this season, beginning with Hoke County (3-4, 3-4 SAC) at home on Tuesday, followed by another home match against Lumberton (0-6, 0-5 SAC) on Wednesday. The last match of the week will be on the road at Lumberton, with all matches beginning at 4 p.m.
Cross country teams to recognize seniors in lone home meet
The Raider and Lady Raider cross country teams will host their only home race of the fall on Tuesday at Hinson Lake in Rockingham. All of this year’s seniors will be recognized ahead of the race, which is set for 5 p.m.
Head coaches Reggie Miller and Jessica Covington will see their teams host SAC opponents Jack Britt, Lumberton and Purnell Swett. Both teams are looking to rebound after seeing Pinecrest win the boys’ and girls’ races last week.
Football returns with SAC opener against Purnell Swett
The varsity football team and head coach Bryan Till will open SAC play Friday at home against Purnell Swett (0-3). The No. 1-ranked Raiders wrapped up a perfect 4-0 slate against non-conference opponents two Fridays ago against Cardinal Gibbons High School, and will look to go undefeated in conference play for the second-straight season.
A season ago, the Raiders capped a perfect SAC schedule with a 41-0 shutout over the Rams in the regular-season finale. ROSports will publish a weekly preview ahead of Friday’s kickoff, which is set for 7:30 p.m. at Raider Stadium. Richmond is one of four undefeated teams in the conference (Jack Britt, Pinecrest and Scotland).
In JV action, head coach Patrick Hope and the JV Raiders will try and reset after suffering their first loss after winning 30 straight games. Richmond will travel to Purnell Swett on Thursday and look to extend its 19-game conference winning streak with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. in Pembroke.
Also playing Thursday will be the freshman football team and head coach Taivon Jones, who improved to 3-0 with a win over Pinecrest last week. The ninth-grade Raiders will rematch the Patriots, playing at home (4 p.m.).
