ROCKINGHAM — It had been a while since the Richmond Senior High School football team had to play a full four quarters to earn a statement victory this season. And the Raiders did just that by playing like the No. 1 seeded team they are Friday against No. 8 Hough High School.
In front of a boisterous home section of stands, Richmond weathered an early storm to advance to the third round of the NCHSAA 4AA West bracket playoffs with a 36-27 win over the Huskies.
The victory made it the first time since the 2010 season the Raiders earned 12 wins in a season.
Fresh and healthy off their first round bye, the Raiders and Huskies traded scores for the majority of the game, something head coach Bryan Till expected in the playoffs. Leading by just two points with 1:23 left in the third quarter, the Raiders were looking to catch lighting in a bottle and break the score open.
Richmond (12-0) relied on two of its most veteran players, senior safety Xavion Lindsey and senior running back Jaheim Covington, to provide the spark and get the job done.
Following an interception by Richmond quarterback Caleb Hood, just his fifth in 12 games, the Huskies took over at Richmond’s 30-yard line when Julian Rawlins tipped the ball at the line and caught it himself.
On the next play from scrimmage, Hough quarterback Tad Hudson threw a pass intended for his receiver near the front right edge of the end zone, but instead, Lindsey backpedaled and made a leaping interception at his own three-yard line. It was Lindsey’s team-leading third pick of the season.
Backed up deep in their own zone, a false start put the Raiders at the one-yard line. On first-and-12, Hood handed the ball off to Covington who rounded the right edge. He was met by a duo of Hough defenders, but he spun out of them and then broke an open-field tackle attempt by defensive end Isaac Walker inside the 10-yard line.
From that point, there was nothing but open field ahead of Covington, who raced the distance to the house down the right sideline before diving into the end zone.
The 99-yard touchdown score put Covington’s name atop the program’s record book as the longest rushing touchdown in the team’s 47-year history. In Week 2 against Anson High School, current teammate Jaron Coleman dashed in from 95 yards, which at the time was the school record.
The two clutch plays by Lindsey and Covington, coming in a span of just 29 seconds of one another, gave the Raiders the final push they needed to end the Huskies’ season. That put the Raiders up 29-21 with 31 seconds left in the third.
“We hadn’t played a four quarters all season as a team,” Till said following his second playoff win as the Raiders’ head coach. “The closest one was the Cardinal Gibbons game. (Tonight) was an experience for our guys to continue to fight. I’m so proud of them and it says so much about how much they want to win and how much they’ll do for each other.
“Jaheim made two physical runs in the third quarter, and it was his desire to make them more than anything else,” he added of Covington. “I have to mention the pick Xavion had right before (his 99-yard run). We had an interception, then we get it back and Jaheim scores. It’s unbelievable to watch kids rise to the occasion.”
Hood and Hudson were nearly equal in the passing game, throwing 200 and 207 passing yards, respectively. Hudson would have three passing scores to Hood’s two, but it was the Raiders’ 302 rushing yards that saw them eclipse the 500-total yards of offense mark for the first time this season.
Covington’s 204 rushing yards on 11 carries (18.55 yards per attempt) was a season-high for the 5-9, 190-pound tailback. He had three rushes of over 20 yards and two carries that went for 40 or more yards. He also tallied a game-high three rushing scores, bringing his season total to 22.
Neither team would have much offensive success early, starting with a Hough punt on its first drive following a quarterback pressure from linebackers CJ Tillman and Joerail White and nose tackle JD Lampley.
The Raider defense kept the pressure on during the next series, seeing Tillman tip a pass and senior safety Dereck Barringer break up a ball on fourth down to give Richmond the ball back.
Offensive coordinator Brad Denson’s offense would finally break the scoreless tie with 2:55 left in the opening frame. A six-play, 57-yard drive saw runs by Hood (10 yards) and Covington (27 yards) set up a nine-yard completion to tight end Gavin Russell to the four-yard line.
On the next play, Covington lowered his shoulder and barreled over defensive back Jack Shryock for a four-yard score. Mack West’s extra point put the Raiders up 7-0.
The Huskies responded on their next drive, using a nine-yard pass from Hudson to Devin Chandler over the middle of the field to tie the game with just 48.9 ticks left in the quarter.
To open the second quarter, the Raiders’ defense had a strong series to combat star running back Evan Pryor and company. White sacked Hudson on first down, which was followed by him and Russell combining for another sack. On third down, Russell and teammate Omarion Mason connected with Hudson.
Often times the kicking game is overlooked, but Richmond’s Trevor Moss would show off his left foot on the Raiders’ next drive. A 36-yard keeper by Hood moved the ball to the Hough 21-yard line, and Richmond got it down to the 14-yard line before calling on Moss.
Lined up from 31 yards out, Kellan Hood took the snap and set it up for Moss, who blasted the kick just inside the left upright to give the Raiders a 10-7 lead with just under five minutes left in the half.
Hough (8-5) and Hudson were quick to answer again, this time on an 80-yard pass and run to Pryor just two plays after Moss’ field goal. Trailing by four points, 14-10, Hood and company would make quick work in the next 1:53 of the clock to flip the switch and take a 17-14 lead into the locker room.
Completions of 12 and 13 yards, respectively, to juniors Dalton Stroman and Tremel Jones put the Raiders near midfield. Kellen Hood took a run 13 yards on the next play and that set up a 13-yard passing play to junior wideout Jakolbe Baldwin.
At the 20-yard line, Hood dropped back and used his blocking to wait for Jones to find space, and he laced a 20-yard dart to the end zone where Jones made an acrobatic catch. West against tacked on the PAT.
To end the half, the Raider defense recorded two more of its six total sacks, one of which was a combination of Lampley and Jah’meek Harden. The defensive front gave Hudson fits all night, seeing several players, including Mason, record at least one sack.
Hough would regain the lead early in the third quarter when Hudson tossed his second score, again to Chandler. That would be the Huskies’ final lead of the game, 21-17, with 6:30 left in the third.
Again, Covington’s number was called, and this time he dazzled fans with a powerful run on first down at his own 41-yard line that saw him drag a defender a handful of yards, who had a grasp on his facemask. Following the penalty, the Raiders were at the Hough two-yard line, and Covington made easy work of crossing the goal line.
That score put the Raiders up 23-21, and led into the Lindsey and Covington show on the ensuing drives.
Hough had a chance to tie the game late following an eight-yard rushing score from Pryor, but the two-point attempt saw the snap go long and senior linebacker Dre Bethea fell on it to end the play.
For good measure, Hood dropped a perfect pass into the hands of Stroman for a 37-yard score with 7:04 left in regulation. With his catch, Stroman reeled in his team-leading ninth touchdown reception.
Five different Raider receivers had at least 27 receiving yards in the win: Stroman (54), Jones (37), Kellan Hood (32), Coleman (27) and Baldwin (27). Caleb Hood was the second leading rusher with 59 yards on the ground.
For Hough, Pryor finished the game with 255 total yards of offense.
“I don’t know how much we limited (Pryor). I think we made some more big plays when it counted,” Till said. “He had some big ones, runs and passes.
“We’ve got Myers Park next week and we want to enjoy this, but that doesn’t help us,” he closed. “The ultimate goal is a state championship, so this is great right here right now. But if we really want it, let’s go get it.”
The No. 1 Raiders will now shift their focus over the weekend to prepare for No. 4 Myers Park High School, the team that eliminated them in the 2018 playoffs. Richmond will host the Mustangs (12-0) and Alabama recruit quarterback Drake Maye next Friday at 7:30 p.m. in a battle of unbeatens.
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Xavion Lindsey and Trevor Moss
