ROCKINGHAM — Zipping all over the field Friday night, a member of the Richmond Raider football team has been selected as the Official Richmond County Male Student-Athlete of the Week.
This week, The Richmond Observer’s weekly feature series, presented by Mabry’s Drug & Home Care, recognizes senior wide receiver Keonta Pegues.
A dual threat on offense and special teams, Pegues used his speed and playmaking abilities to launch the Raiders to their fifth straight win. Richmond defeated Hoke County High School to stay undefeated in Mid-South Conference play.
A three-year varsity veteran, Pegues earned his third career recognition. He’s received it twice for indoor track and field, once as a sophomore and once as a junior.
Athletic Profile: Keonta Pegues
Year: Senior
Fall sport: Football
Positions: Wide Receiver/Returner
Varsity experience: 3 Seasons
“CLASSROOM CREDITS” WITH KEONTA PEGUES
With the new nine-week grading period underway, Pegues isn’t just catching footballs — he’s also catching a lot of high marks in his classes.
Just like his teammates and fellow Student-Athletes of the Week this season Evan Hodges, Preston Fann and Shamir Jones, Pegues is busy balancing his work on the gridiron with his dual enrollment classes at Richmond and Richmond Community College.
Currently, Pegues is taking two college courses at RichmondCC — Spanish 112 and Math 171. His two electives at the high school are Junior Leadership Honors and Weight Training Honors with the football team.
Pegues finished the first nine weeks with a 100% in Junior Leadership and a 99% in Weight Training. He’s also passing his two college classes, looking to build on his 4.42 weighted grade point average.
With his current GPA, Pegues is ranked 15th out of more than 400 students in the graduating class of 2026.
“CAREER NIGHT” WITH KEONTA PEGUES
Visiting Hoke County last Friday, the Raiders took care of business 48-17 thanks in part to a 34-point second half.
Pegues finished the game with a game-leading six receptions for a single-game career-high 141 receiving yards. He surpassed his previous best from last year’s game at Lee County High School (129 yards) and recorded his third career six-catch game (tied career-high).
Pegues added one touchdown in the first half, which helped the Raiders take a 14-3 lead into halftime.
Early in the second quarter, Pegues sprinted down the right sideline and got past the defense to haul in a wide-open pass from Hodges. Catching it in stride, Pegues hustled all the way to the end zone for the 67-yard catch-and-run score.
Also helping set up the offense with good field position, Pegues returned three punts for 42 yards (14.0 yards per return). Finishing with 16 return yards on kickoffs, Pegues ended the game with a career-high 199 all-purpose yards.
In eight games this season, Pegues is second on the team in receptions (24), receiving yards (460), receiving yards per game (57.5) and receiving touchdowns (5).
He leads the Raiders in all-purpose yards (740), adding 162 yards and 107 yards on kickoff and punt returns, respectively. Pegues has also completed the only pass he’s thrown this season, which went for a touchdown.
The Raiders (6-2, 3-0 MSC) travel to Overhills High School (3-5, 1-2 MSC) Friday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
“RAPID RESPONSE” VIDEO WITH KEONTA PEGUES
The Richmond Observer will publish two more Official Richmond County Student-Athletes of the Week next week.
