ROCKINGHAM — With the hustle and bustle of Richmond Senior High School’s homecoming week now passed, fall sports action will continue play this week without all the extra hype.
As the middle of the month approaches, some of Richmond’s teams will be gearing up for the playoffs, while others are still in the throes of Mid-South Conference play.
Volleyball waiting for playoff brackets
Ending its regular season last Thursday, the Richmond volleyball team is in the midst of a weeklong waiting period ahead of the release of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s playoff brackets.
The Lady Raiders (12-8, 5-5 MSC), who finished fourth in the conference standings, will find out their playoff seeding Thursday.
Richmond and head coach Ashleigh Larsen are projected to make the 7A state playoffs as part of the West bracket.
Current projections, which may change since several 7A schools still have regular-season matches this week, have No. 17 Richmond traveling to No. 16 W.H. Page Senior High School in the first round Saturday.
The Richmond Observer will do a playoff preview later this week once brackets are finalized.
Boys’ soccer ready for 2 MSC matches
One of the teams still making its way through its MSC regular-season schedule, the Raider soccer team will get its second round of conference action started Monday.
Playing home Monday, the Raiders (6-8-2, 2-2-1 MSC) will look for the season sweep against Pine Forest High School (3-11-2, 0-5 MSC). That will be followed with an away match Wednesday at Jack Britt (8-4-2, 3-2 MSC), a series Richmond hopes to even.
At the turn of the conference schedule, the Raiders are in fourth place in the MSC standings. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.
The junior varsity boys’ soccer team (8-6-1, 2-2-1 MSC) hosts Pine Forest Monday (5:15 p.m.) and will play at Jack Britt Wednesday (5 p.m.)
Girls’ tennis to compete in 7A team playoffs
The first Richmond sports program to leap into the new eight-classification playoff realignment will be the girls’ tennis team.
Finding out last Friday that they qualified for the 7A West dual team playoffs, the Lady Raiders will play their opening round match against Independence High School Monday.
The winner of that match will face Page High School in the second round Wednesday.
Cross country conference championship race Wednesday
The Richmond boys’ and girls’ cross country teams will return to Pinecrest High School for the third time this season for Wednesday’s MSC championship meet.
The Raiders and Lady Raiders will run a three-mile race to determine the final conference standings, while also trying to qualify for 7A regionals.
Runners will begin competition at 5 p.m.
Girls’ golf team to play final regular-season match
Also ending its regular season this week, the Richmond girls’ golf team is set to play an 18-hole match at Gates Four Golf and Country Club.
Golfers have the opportunity to record two more nine-hole scores in the match to try and better their chances at making the postseason.
Tuesday’s match will see golfers go off in a shotgun start beginning at 2 p.m.
Football hits the road to Hoke County
One of two teams left unbeaten in MSC play, the Richmond football team will travel for the first of two consecutive road games.
Week 9’s matchup for the Raiders (5-2, 2-0 MSC) is against familiar conference foe Hoke County High School (2-4, 1-1 MSC). Richmond has a current winning streak of 13 games against the Bucks.
Friday’s matchup will see the Raiders and head coach Brad Denson go for their fifth straight win. Kickoff from Raeford is set for 7:30 p.m.
The JV football team (5-1, 2-0 MSC) hosts Hoke County Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
