ROCKINGHAM - As the Richmond Observer did following the close of the 2017 calendar year with its top new stories, the ROSports department will be releasing its top 10 sports stories from the 2017-2018 school year.
Top 10 Sports Stories of the 2017-2018 School Year
Richmond Senior High School’s athletics department had a successful year in nearly a dozen different programs. The Richmond Observer will release its top 10 sports stories one at a time, counting down from 10 to one. Each story will contain a brief synopsis of events, and then include the original publication for our readers’ enjoyment.
In a year that saw Richmond take part in the inaugural season of the Sandhills Athletic Conference, the varsity volleyball team went on an historic winning streak, and the football team completed its first year under head coach Bryan Till. The past school year has been filled with exciting moments on and off the playing surface for Richmond’s student-athletes, as conference tournaments were won and multiple athletes signed letters of intent to continue their careers at the collegiate level.
Also, the illustrious 30-year coaching career of Bennie Howard came to a close, while three new head coaches were announced by athletic director Ricky Young over the past few weeks (soccer, volleyball and girls basketball).
The ROSports department has analyzed each program’s individual season, and has chosen its top stories based on the prominence of each game/match in terms of importance to the season’s outcome, player performance and overall excitement and intensity. The No. 10 story will be published in the Tuesday, June 12, edition.
Richmond Volleyball to Begin Workouts Tuesday, June 12
Introduced as the new varsity volleyball coach during the first week of June, Ashleigh Larsen is looking to build on the unprecedented 2017 season put forth by the Lady Raiders on the court.
After starting the year 25-0, and winning the SAC regular season and conference tournament crown, the Lady Raiders were shocked in the opening round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A state playoffs by Lake Norman High School.
With that incident in the rearview mirror, and Larsen moving up the ranks to the varsity level after spending the last six years coaching junior varsity, she announced that official volleyball summer workouts for any rising ninth to 12th grader will start Tuesday, June 12, at 9 a.m. in RSHS’ gym. Tuesday’s workout will run through 10:45 a.m.
Noting that she’s “excited” to see all of her prospective players participate in workouts, Larsen added that any interested player “must have a current physical on file, as well as an athletic packet filled out.”
Those reporting to the first workout will receive a packet with the remaining summer workout schedule. Questions regarding the volleyball program’s summer schedule can be directed toward Larsen.
