ROCKINGHAM - The first of two mandated North Carolina High School Athletic Association “dead weeks” is in effect for the week of Sunday, July 1, through Sunday, July 8.
Ahead of the required rest period, which falls on the week of the Fourth of July holiday, several Richmond Senior High School athletics programs have been battling the summer heat in preparation for their respective upcoming 2018 and 2019 seasons. The second dead week is slated for Sunday, July 15, through Sunday, July 22.
Until teams are allowed to pick up with scheduled workouts and practices on Monday, July 10, here’s a recap of what student-athletes have been up to since school let out last month:
Raiders football continues to prepare through 7-on-7 competitions
Second-year head coach Bryan Till has stated that his program is “way ahead” of where it was at this time last year, as the Raiders prepare for the 2018 fall season. With the learning curve of a new head coach and system behind them, Till and the Raiders are forging ahead with what should be a promising season.
A year after finishing second in the Sandhills Athletic Conference, Richmond is looking to regain state championship glory, which hasn’t been done since 2008. With workouts starting on Monday, June 11, just days after school was let out for the summer, the Raiders have already attended a handful of football camps, as well as participated in and/or hosted four 7-on-7 competitions.
With the live-action scrimmages, Till has said there have been moments of satisfaction, but the overall goal of improvement and progression still exists. The Raiders went 5-1 at the “King of the Hill” 7-on-7 competition at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on June 14, and have hosted Cape Fear, Cheraw, Fairmont and Marlboro County high schools at home.
The offensive and defensive workouts have allowed Till and his coaching staff observe, assess and better prepare the roughly 70 varsity players for the upcoming campaign. Richmond will be busy next week, as it has three events planned on top of regularly scheduled workouts.
Monday, July 9 - Thursday, July 12: summer workouts - ninth grade and junior varsity (8 a.m. - 10 a.m.); varsity (9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.).
Tuesday, July 10: varsity 7-on-7 scrimmage vs. Chesterfield High School (10 a.m.)
Thursday, July 12: varsity 7-on-7 scrimmage vs. Chesterfield, Union Pines and West Bladen high schools (10 a.m.)
Saturday, July 14: Dannell Ellerbe USA Football FUNdamentals camp
Richmond soccer sees growth during 18th annual soccer camp
Last Monday through Thursday, the Richmond soccer program held its 18th annual development camp at the high school. Former head coach Bennie Howard participated in his last official event, as newly-announced head coach Chris Larsen is prepared to take the reins for the Raiders’ 2018 fall soccer season.
Both co-directors expressed their satisfaction with the camp’s participation numbers, and noted their delightment in seeing so many new and familiar faces. The camp not only serves as a fundraiser for the RSHS boys and girls soccer programs, but it’s also a way to assess rising talent and help build the program for the coming years.
With the boys’ soccer season slated for the fall semester, official team tryouts and practices will begin at the end of the month. The ROSports department will report on specific dates when they become available.
Richmond Rattlers summer baseball league acts as audition period for next season
Not directly affiliated with the Raiders baseball program, the Richmond Rattlers baseball team is roughly a third of the way through its Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League schedule. Currently, the Rattlers have a 4-2 overall record, and are coming off back-to-back two-game sweeps of SAC foes Pinecrest and Scotland.
Head coach Ricky Young has expressed the importance of the CCSSL, as it affords his rising varsity and junior varsity players the opportunity to “audition” for roles during the 2019 high school season. Among those who have impressed so far are rising senior pitchers Tyler Bass, Cameron Carraway and Hunter Parris. At the dish, a plethora of players are swinging the bat well, among them are rising seniors Nolan Allen, Carraway, Jake Ransom and Brett Young.
The Rattlers will play Monday at home against Pinecrest at 7 p.m. and look to keep their current four-game winning streak alive. Their dead period starts Tuesday, July 3, and will run until the next schedule game on Tuesday, July 10, at Union Pines High School.
Larsen and volleyball team workout amidst head coaching change
Just like her husband Chris, first-year head volleyball coach Ashleigh Larsen is in the process of molding the Lady Raiders to fit her system. Named to the job earlier in June, Larsen brings a wealth of collegiate playing and coaching experience to a Richmond team that will be without four key starters from a season ago, which saw a 25-game winning streak and a second-straight SAC title.
Despite having inconsistent numbers in summer workouts (due to vacations and prior commitments), Larsen is maintaining a regular schedule to help prepare her team for the upcoming season.
Returning starters for Richmond will be rising senior outside hitter Savannah Lampley, and rising juniors Layne Maultsby (libero) and Allexis Swiney (right side hitter). In the mix will also be rising senior Savannah Chappell, rising juniors Jadyn Johnson, Madison Jordan and Carley Lambeth, and rising sophomores Georgia Grace Anderson, Emy Cooley, and Kelly and Shelly Hoffman.
Workouts will continue after the dead period on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. in Richmond’s gymnasium.
Basketball workouts and jamborees continue culture shift for boys’ and girls’ programs
Both the Richmond boys’ and girls’ basketball programs are coming off of subpar seasons in 2017-2018. But both teams are also in the midst of culture changes, as Raiders head coach Donald Pettigrew finished his first season, and newly announced Lady Raiders head coach Teddy Moseley is gearing up for his first year running the program.
Like many other high school basketball teams in the region, the Raiders and Lady Raiders are having weekly practices and have participated in jamborees. The boys are making the shift from former head coach David Laton’s “system”, which was offensively-oriented, and Pettigrew is putting a stronger emphasis on playing defense. Moseley is inheriting a team that went 6-15 last season, and is working to get his players to “buy into” his vision.
The ROSports department will continue to update on the basketball programs and their summer events ahead of the start of the season after the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as all other Richmond athletics programs.
