ROCKINGHAM — This weekend’s edition of Richmond Raider football will feature Saturday night lights in the historic and newly renovated American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte.
As a part of the Carolina Panthers’ “Big Friday High School Football Series,” the No. 2 Raiders of the East will face off against No. 4 David W. Butler High School of the West in a special Saturday night game to kick off the event.
Other games in the series include Charlotte Catholic vs. Providence on Sept. 10, followed by Chambers vs. Hough on Sept. 24.
Carolina Panthers Charities will also provide a $2,500 grant to the school with the best student section at each game.
“I hope for this to be a great experience for our players and coaches to play in a great playoff type atmosphere,” head coach Bryan Till said. “Many of our guys haven't had this type of experience, so it will help us along with playing a great opponent.”
No strangers to one another, the Raiders and Bulldogs have a non-conference rivalry that dates back over a decade. During Till’s tenure, Richmond is 2-1 against Butler, winning the last two meetings in 2018 and 2019.
The two teams have also played at Memorial Stadium once before, during the 2010 season, seeing Butler win 21-7. The Bulldogs went 8-2 last year before losing in the 4A West Regional Final.
“The biggest benefit is that it is a great opponent,” Till noted of the relationship between the Raiders and Bulldogs.
“Coach (Brian) Hales and his staff do a great job and make us prepare for a lot of different formations and plays early in our season so we have those things to build on throughout the year. There is a ton of mutual respect between our programs.”
In Week 1, the Raiders held on late to defeat No. 17 (West) Mount Tabor 56-41, and the Bulldogs shut out Oceanside Collegiate Academy (S.C.) 34-0. The early-season meeting between unbeatens carries potential playoff implications.
Now that the Raiders have had almost a week to watch film and scout the Bulldogs, including an extra day of rest, they’re zeroing in on being able to sustain the type of energetic start they had against Mount Tabor.
Till explained that physical conditioning is a key this week after seeing several starters cramp up throughout the course of last week’s game. Prior to the majority of the Raiders’ cramping, the offense scored 42 points in the first half, something Richmond wants to emulate this week.
“Our excitement and execution in the first half was great, and I was especially pleased with special teams on the night,” Till recalled.
“Obviously the biggest glaring factor is the cramps. We have to be more cognizant of our nutrition and conditioning throughout the week so that our bodies are prepared to play.”
More this season than in the past, several players are playing both ways, including senior linemen J.D. Lampley, Braxton Butler and Jaiden Covington. For them, and others, continuing to make adjustments at practice will allow them to be even more dominant for all four quarters.
“I think the way we are practicing is helping these guys,” Till explained. “They are adjusting very well as of now.”
Butler put up 367 yards of total offense against Oceanside in Week 1, including 210 yards on the ground and 157 yards in the air. Three different players scored one rushing touchdown, similar to Richmond scoring three rushing scores by three players over Mount Tabor.
Leading the offense is senior mobile quarterback Xavion Brower, who Till said “everything runs through him.” Brower was 13-of-18 for 145 passing yards and connected with Carter Meadows for a touchdown.
On the ground, Brower collected 87 yards on 8 carries and was responsible for 232 all-purpose yards.
At wide receiver, Meadows, Tyrian Moore and Eli Sylvester will be targets the Richmond secondary will prepare for.
“(Brower) has the ability to make reads in the run and pass, and he is a very good runner, too, so this helps them,” Till said. “(Moore) and Travon Tensley are very dynamic playmakers at the wide receiver position.
“Tensley also plays running back along with Tyquan Rankin, who is a bull,” he added. “Meadows at tight end can block and catch, so they become very multiple. Butler’s offense is about as multiple as any team can possibly be.”
Moore ran for 23 yards on the ground and scored a rushing TD in Week 1, and added a team-high five receptions for 64 yards.
Rankin had two carries for nine yards, Meadows caught two passes for 30 yards and a score and Sylvester added two grabs for 17 yards.
The Bulldogs’ defense runs a 4-3 scheme with multiple coverages. Till said “Butler's defensive personnel may be the best top-to-bottom we see all year.
“They have zero weaknesses on that side of the ball and are well coached. Their defense is very athletic and very balanced.”
Junior defensive back Jaylen Jones had a 25-yard fumble recovery in Butler’s first game. No other defensive statistics were available at the time of publication.
The Raiders bring some offensive and defensive firepower to the game as well, starting with senior quarterback Kellan Hood.
Against Mount Tabor, Hood had two passing scores on 7-of-10 passing and 139 yards through the air. Hood added a rushing touchdown and a team-high 129 yards on the ground on 13 carries.
Senior wideout Cason Douglas had a breakout game, catching two passes and crossing into the end zone for a score. He added an 86-yard kickoff return to highlight the special teams play.
Using a trio of tailbacks, Richmond will rely on the legs of senior Nasir Crumpton (five carries, 40 yards, one score), junior Brandon Askins (nine rushes, 46 yards) and junior Taye Spencer (13 touches, 72 yards, one TD).
On defense, senior linebacker Mikey Baldwin enters Week 2 after collecting a team-high nine tackles against Mount Tabor. Junior safety Emerson Wall added seven tackles, and senior Ke’Sean Ingram and sophomore Jacoby Martin each had six.
Lampley bruised his way into the Spartans’ backfield for a team-best three tackles for loss, and recorded four quarterback hurries. Baldwin, Wall and Jerry Cogg each had one TFL.
Ingram and senior cornerback Jaleak Gates will look to create turnovers, having both scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown against Mount Tabor. Senior linebacker Gabe Altman recorded Richmond’s lone interception to start the season.
“Not making mistakes and possessing the ball,” Till noted as what will be the difference makers on Saturday. “They have a great kicker, so the field position battle will be tough. We may have to make long drives against a great defense and we have to be content to pick up position yardage and first downs against them.
“That patience and ‘will’ to do what is necessary to win will be hugely important,” he closed.
Kickoff between the Raiders and Bulldogs is scheduled for 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, click here, or tickets can be bought at the gate for $7.
Below is parking information for Saturday’s game, along with information regarding Memorial Stadium’s clear bag policy:
