ROCKINGHAM — Revisiting the fall sports season, our Top Sports Stories series continues with a celebratory win for the Richmond Senior High School boys’ soccer team.
Near the end of the regular season in late October, the Raiders and head coach Chris Larsen were looking to end a four-year drought and return to the state playoffs.
Needing to win as many matches as possible to do so, Richmond earned a pivotal 3-1 victory against Overhills High School on Oct. 22.
The win against a Mid-South Conference opponent came on senior night, which recognized the Raiders’ nine seniors. One of those seniors, Memphis Jacobs, scored two goals, including the game winner.
Reread the original article from the Raiders’ senior night win from Oct. 22, 2025, below:
ROCKINGHAM — The crafty work of the foot of an underclassman early in Wednesday’s soccer match led to celebration for the Richmond Senior High School boys’ soccer team.
Sophomore Allen Franco contributed to a fast start and helped Richmond earn a senior night victory over Overhills High School.
It was also the work of one of those seniors — Memphis Jacobs — that found the back of the net twice, including a late insurance goal.
The Raiders earned a 3-1 win against the Jaguars, benefitting from two goals in the opening seven minutes of the Mid-South Conference match.
Franco got the scoring started in the fifth minute when he blistered a shot from distance that bent its way past a goalkeeper who never saw it coming.
Two minutes later, Franco started a rush for the Raiders’ offense and threaded a pass to Jacobs through traffic, which resulted in an assist for him.
Wide open inside the 18-yard box, Jacobs slotted the shot low and inside the right post to make it 2-0 in the seventh minute.
It was a quiet first half for senior goalkeeper Camden Williams, who played the whole match in net.
The Raiders had several chances to score early in the second half, starting with a header attempt by senior DJ Gainey that was stopped. On the rebound, Jacobs’ follow up shot hit the side netting.
Senior Jason Medina put a shot on frame on a free kick from 25 yards in the 53rd minute, and sophomore Bryan Mendez Mendoza mirrored that attempt a couple minutes later on a rush.
Overhills scored the next goal of the match to make it a 2-1 lead for Richmond in the 59th minute. Following a foul in the box, a penalty kick goal beat Williams to his right as he went left.
Keeping the pressure on, junior Kevin Diaz Lopez had consecutive shots in the 66th minute. His initial blast hit the left post, and after collecting his own rebound, his second shot was just high.
Junior Patrick Smith joined the stat sheet in the 73rd minute when he assisted Jacobs on Richmond’s final goal.
Finessing his way through a series of defenders, Smith got deep in the box and sent a cross to the back left post. There to one-time the shot was Jacobs, who scored his second goal of the match from close range.
Switching gears, the Raiders ran out the seven remaining minutes of the match by bolstering its defense and maintaining possession.
The Raiders (7-11-2, 3-5-1 MSC) begin the final week of the regular season Monday with their final conference match at Pinecrest High School (9-4-1, 8-1 MSC).
That will be followed by the regular-season finale at non-conference Union Pines High School Tuesday. Both matches will start at 7 p.m.
