ROCKINGHAM — Another week of high school sports begins on Monday, and several Richmond Senior High School teams will open Sandhills Athletic Conference play.
Volleyball looking to find footing in SAC
After going 1-1 last week, including picking up its first win of the season, the Lady Raider volleyball team will compete in two home matches this week.
Head coach Ashleigh Larsen and company will welcome in Southern Lee High School (4-0) on Tuesday, followed by Pinecrest High School (4-1) on Thursday. Southern Lee is a new conference opponent, while the Lady Patriots are a familiar foe.
Larsen noted that even though Richmond has gone 1-4 to start the season, she hopes that a tough non-conference slate has prepared the Lady Raiders for conference. Both matches will begin around 6 p.m.
The junior varsity volleyball team (2-3) will also host Southern Lee and Pinecrest, and looks to end a two-match skid. JV action will start at 5 p.m.
Raider soccer team eyes returning to win column
Two tough non-conference matches last week against East Mecklenburg and Sun Valley dropped the Raiders to a 1-3 start on the new campaign. This week, the Raiders will have one non-conference and one SAC game to try and get back to the .500 mark.
Richmond and head coach Chris Larsen will also play two home matches in the coming days, first against Cape Fear High School (0-1) on Monday. Then on Wednesday, the Raiders will kick off SAC competition with a contest against Southern Lee (3-1).
Larsen said the key to righting the ship is for his team to fix a few mistakes and get more chances on frame. Monday’s matchup will begin at 7 p.m. and Wednesday’s game will start at 6 p.m.
The JV Raider soccer team (4-0) will try to keep its perfect start intact, playing just one match this week. Head coach Bennie Howard and the JV Raiders will play Cape Fear at 5 p.m. on Monday.
Girls’ tennis team searching for first win
The Lady Raider tennis team will hit the road for two more SAC matches this week and try to register its first win of the new season. Last week, Richmond dropped matches to Southern Lee and Pinecrest.
Head coach Jessica Covington has been pleased with the Lady Raiders’ efforts so far, and anticipates for her players to continue to get better. Individually, senior Mariah Waddell and junior Addison Massey have earned one singles win each.
Up first will be Hoke County High School on Tuesday, followed by a road trip to Union Pines on Thursday. Both matches will begin at 4 p.m.
Richmond cross country teams set to begin season
Joining the mix of fall sports this week will be the Richmond boys’ and girls’ cross country teams. The two squads will head to Union Pines on Wednesday and begin running at 5 p.m.
Coaches Teddy Moseley and Donald Pettigrew take over the program this fall. For a full season preview, click here.
Football gears up for much-anticipated rematch against Cardinal Gibbons
A tough non-conference slate to start the season continues for the varsity football team on Friday, which will see the Raiders play at home for the first time this fall. Richmond improved to 2-0 with a come-from-behind win over David W. Butler High School on Saturday.
Coming to Raider Stadium will be Cardinal Gibbons High School (1-1), the team that eliminated the Raiders from the 4A East playoffs last year. It will also be the first fall football game in Rockingham in nearly two years.
Behind the play of dual-threat quarterback Kellan Hood, and a defense that has made big stops and scoring plays late in games, the Raiders will kickoff against the Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
The Richmond JV football team (0-2) will also host Cardinal Gibbons this week. The game was originally supposed to be on the road but was moved.
Last week, the JV Raiders and head coach Patrick Hope fell 14-13 to Butler. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
