ROCKINGHAM - Week 5 of the Richmond Senior High School fall sports season begins Monday, and the the varsity football team, which upset Butler 30-19 Friday night, will get a much deserved break.
The Raider varsity (3-1) and junior varsity (3-0) football teams will enter their bye week, giving way to five other programs in action this week. Here’s ROSports’ weekly breakdown:
Lady Raider volleyball back at it with two-match schedule
Last Thursday, head coach Ashleigh Larsen and her team rolled over Lumberton High School on the road, gaining a much-needed Sandhills Athletic Conference win. With the silencing of the Lady Pirates in straight sets, it was the second time that week that Richmond blanked an SAC opponent (Hoke County High School last Tuesday).
Now 6-4 overall on the season, and 3-2 in SAC play, Richmond will face two conference opponents this week. On the road Tuesday, Larsen and company will first face Seventy-First High School (3-4, 2-3 SAC) at 6 p.m.
The final match of the week will be home on Thursday (6 p.m.) against Scotland High School (3-5, 3-2 SAC), which is the first of two regular season meetings between the two schools. A win against both SAC teams could propel the Lady Raiders in the standings.
Note: Several Lady Raider players are ranked at or near the top of SAC stat totals. Senior outside hitter Savannah Lampley is first in hitting percentage (.341) and is second in total kills (117), and tied for second in kills per set (3.2). Junior setter Carley Lambeth leads the SAC in assists with 282 and assists per set (7.2).
Larsen and Richmond soccer’s two-match week big for SAC standings
The Richmond boys soccer team has shown some flashes of being able to hang with some of the best teams in the state and the SAC this season, but a tough road early has led to a 4-4 start. The numbers may be a little deceiving, as head coach Chris Larsen’s squad has lost those four games by a combined six goals.
The good news for the Raiders is that they’re 2-1 in SAC play, and this week’s matches against Hoke County and Lumberton high schools are huge pieces to the puzzle to try and earn a conference title. Last week, Richmond stunned Jack Britt High School 3-0 in a crucial SAC win.
Larsen noted that any time his team plays Hoke, it will “always be a battle.” The Raiders host the Bucks Monday at 7 p.m., and will travel to the Pirates on Wednesday (7 p.m.). Sweeping competition this week would be huge for the Raiders.
Lady Raider tennis looking to add to 4-match SAC winning streak
Head coach Mike Way’s Lady Raider tennis team has gone on a tear the last two weeks to a second-place position in the SAC standings. Currently with a 5-1 SAC record, the only team ahead of Richmond is Pinecrest High School, which hasn’t lost a conference match to date.
Last week, Richmond used a wealth of players, including seniors Jayana Nicholson (No. 1) and Greyson Way (No. 2) to defeat Lumberton. The win over the Lady Pirates was big, and made Thursday’s match against Seventy-First High School a little less stressful because the Lady Falcons only had two players competing, resulting in several forfeit wins for Richmond.
This week, Richmond will be home twice, hosting rival Scotland Tuesday, and Purnell Swett Thursday. Both matches are set for a 4 p.m. start.
Parsons, Lady Raider golf hoping to grow off solid start to the season
The Lady Raider golf team, which usually plays on Mondays, will bump its match back a day this week at Gates Four Golf and Country Club in Fayetteville. Hosted by Jack Britt, the match will take a back seat to the Patriot Athletic Conference golf match, which is also at Gates Four this week, which will be played Monday.
Head coach Keith Parsons made his debut in his first season last Tuesday at Bayonet Golf Course, and his team, led by junior Hailey Miller finished in third place out of five qualifying teams. The match was shortened to just nine holes because of the heat, but it didn’t affect Miller, as she shot a 40 (+4).
The Lady Raiders will look to put a whole round together to try and close the gap, or even leapfrog, second-place finisher Jack Britt. Looking to improve Tuesday will be a trio of freshmen in Kenleigh Frye, Kirsten McDonald and Taylor Young. Senior Natalie Davis, who finished with a 44 (+8), will also be a player to watch. The tee time is set for 2 p.m.
Richmond cross country enters second meet after strong season opener
The Richmond boys and girls cross country teams raced to fast start of their seasons last week at Purnell Swett, as the Lady Raiders took first overall, while the Raiders placed second. For head coach Shellie Wimpey’s squad, Airel Brown (second, 25:31), Gracelyn Weatherford (fourth, 27:35) and Abby Calhoun (fifth, 27:56) all finished in the top five to secure the win.
On the boys’ side, head coach Reggie Miller had all five of his runners finish in the top 13: Joey Nicholson (fourth, 20:03), Gerardo Godinez (ninth, 20:54), Carson Jordan (11th, 21:55), Tyler Parker (12th, 22:17) and Josh Wallace (13th, 22:18). That string of times was good enough to place second overall.
Both teams will be in action for the second time this season, on the road at Lumberton Tuesday. The first race will go off at 5 p.m.
Raider football to use off week to prepare for Purnell Swett
Both Raider football teams will take their respective nights off after clutch wins against David W. Butler High School. Varsity head coach Bryan Till and junior varsity head coach Patrick Hope will use the extra week to prepare for SAC play, with Purnell Swett up first on the docket.
Both teams are looking to make a run through conference play to earn their respective conference crowns.
ROSports will publish a bye-week update article later in the week with updates.
