ROCKINGHAM — All of the tough losses early on in the season, including an 0-4 start against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents, have prepared the Richmond Senior High School varsity boys’ basketball team for its run through the state playoffs.
That’s a philosophy that second-year head coach Donald Pettigrew has preached all season, as the Raiders have been on both sides of the winning and losing spectrum. Now, he hopes, it all pays off.
“We are so excited that we got a home playoff game,” Pettigrew said. “That’s big for the first round. The importance is trying to get home court advantage early and getting the crowd’s support. I’m hoping the community will support the guys like they have all season.
“I’ve told the guys that It’s a new season right now,” he added of the playoffs. “Our goal is to keep winning, keep surviving and keep moving on.”
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association released its boys’ and girls’ playoff brackets on Saturday, but saw complications in the 1A and 4A boys’ matchups. In the initial bracket, Richmond was placed in the East as a No. 19 seed, and given a first-round road game against Rolesville High School.
But following further review by the NCHSAA, the 4A bracket saw some major changes, including a positive bump for the Raiders. Pettigrew saw his Raiders moved from East to West, and received a No. 15 seed.
The top 16 teams on either side of the bracket get home games in the first round, so Richmond is set to play No. 18 Hickory Ridge High School.
It makes it the second time this season the Raiders (16-11) and Ragin’ Bulls (13-12) will play one another. Richmond defeated Hickory Ridge 58-57 on Dec. 29 in third round of the Ashbrook Holiday Hoopfest in Gastonia.
Richmond’s postseason chances seemed slim after starting the season 1-5 overall, and looked even bleaker when it failed to win any of its first four conference games. But a smooth turnaround that saw an eight-game SAC winning streak and a trip to the SAC tournament championship game last Friday has the Raiders in a good spot to make a run in the playoffs.
The Ragin’ Bulls, who are coached by Robert Machado, finished in fourth place in the Southwestern Conference. The top four teams in each conference are automatically awarded a playoff berth, and Hickory Ridge’s 7-7 mark was just good enough to squeeze it past fifth-place Rocky River High School (6-8).
In the final game of the Holiday Hoopfest, the Raiders used double-digit scoring performances from juniors Quamir Sivels (12 points) and Jarvis Tillman (10 points) to edge the Ragin’ Bulls. Hickory Ridge’s Michael Bagnasco led all scorers with 18 points, while Jordan Marsh tacked on 13 points of his own.
“We have improved a lot since Christmas,” Pettigrew said of the Raiders. “We were up by 15 points at half, and (Hickory Ridge) came out fighting. They play in a tough conference, and are used to playing tough, athletic competition like us.
“It’s going to be another tough game,” he concluded. “Hickory Ridge has a couple of guys who can shoot the ball, and we need to do a better job closing out than we did last time. It’s never easy playing teams twice, but we’re going to come out ready to play.”
Hickory Ridge has lost four of its last six games heading into the playoffs, including a semifinal round exit to conference winner Independence High School in the Southwestern Conference tournament last week.
Richmond did not make the playoffs last year in Pettigrew’s first season, but this year’s bid makes it the sixth time in the last seven seasons the Raiders have had a home playoff game in the first round. David W. Butler High School bounced the Raiders in the second round two seasons ago.
The Raiders and Ragin’ Bulls will tip-off inside Raider Gymnasium on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.
