ROCKINGHAM — Three of the players who have headlined the Lady Raider soccer team’s defense the last several years were recognized for their efforts.
Following Richmond Senior High School’s first round match in the NCHSAA 4A East state playoffs, head coach Chris Larsen informed a trio of seniors they had made the 2025 All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team.
Samantha Barnes, Sa’Quanna Bostic and Ava Thompson were the three Lady Raiders chosen to represent Richmond on the 25-player roster.
Bostic earned her second All-Conference nod while securing the SAC’s “Goalkeeper of the Year” honor. She was voted by the coaches ahead of runner-up Hope Wortham (Union Pines High School).
The top award is Bostic’s second career individual accolade, having been named Co-Goalkeeper of the Year last spring.
Barnes, a center back, also notched her second career recognition, while Thompson, also a center back, was chosen for the first time.
“Any time we can have multiple players named to the All-Conference team, that’s a great thing for our program,” Larsen said. “We compete in a tough conference against teams with talented players, and I think it says a lot about our three players who we selected. I’m really proud of each of the girls and I’m excited they got to end their careers on a high note.
“Quanna has been our anchor and vocal leader for the last several years and she’s proven time and time again why she’s the best goalkeeper in the conference,” he added.
“Sam and Ava are two really good center backs who do a lot of the work that doesn’t get recorded on the stat sheet that keeps us in ball games. All three girls have been such a big part of our defensive success for several years. We will definitely miss their leadership.”
This season, Richmond collected an 8-12-3 overall record. Against SAC opponents, the Lady Raiders were 5-7 and finished fifth overall. The program also returned to the state playoffs for the second consecutive year.
Union Pines High School, which was the regular season conference champion, had a conference-high eight players selected. The Lady Vikings also had two individual accolades named — Lila Walker (Defensive Player of the Year) and James Horvath (Coach of the Year).
Pinecrest High School was second with five picks, Lee County High School had four players named and Southern Lee High School matched Richmond’s three picks. The Lady Cavaliers’ Elizabeth Harrington was named Offensive Player of the Year.
Hoke County and Scotland high schools each had one player named.
Sa’Quanna Bostic, senior goalkeeper
At the start of the season, her fourth at the varsity level, Bostic wanted to continue her dominant play between the posts. Using last year’s Co-Goalkeeper of the Year recognition as motivation, Bostic locked in and kept Richmond competitive.
Remaining a vocal leader in the back and maintaining her aggressive goalkeeping style, Bostic finished her senior season as the conference’s leader in saves with 158 stops. That marked the second straight season she led that category.
Recording a conference-high 1,308 minutes in goal, Bostic faced 8.77 shots per match, second only to Scotland goalkeeper Addison Anderson (12.07 shots per match). Not afraid to come off her line or make sliding stops on would-be goal scorers, Bostic ranked second in the conference with a 1.22 goals against average per match.
Facing some of the highest-scoring teams in the region, Bostic recorded five shutout victories this season, including three in a row during the team’s longest winning streak.
“Winning Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time, and this time on my own, is a powerful way to close out my high school career,” Bostic said. “Last year’s shared honor meant a lot, but claiming the title outright this year feels like I’ve truly cemented my legacy. Hats off to everyone who pushed me. They deserve all the credit. Their support is why I’ve been able to get this far.
“This sport means the world to me. I stayed hungry, studied the game and worked hard to improve every day. I stayed composed under pressure, led from the back and relied on the support of my coaches, teammates and family. This award reflects all the effort I’ve put in, and I’m far from finished. I know I earned this, and I deserve it.
“One of the best parts has been playing in the playoffs three out of my four seasons and gaining valuable experience each year with different teams,” Bostic continued. “Over these years, I also finally got the recognition I’ve worked for. Looking back, I didn’t always take the sport as seriously as I should have. I didn’t fully realize my own potential.
“Discovering that and working to unlock it has been a big part of my journey. I’ve also loved playing alongside so many different teammates. I’ll miss the games on the home field, the laughs before practice, heading out to the field every afternoon, the crazy bus rides, and most of all, Bennie (Howard).”
Samantha Barnes, senior center back
Starting her varsity soccer career at Scotland, Barnes quickly became a shutdown center back for the Lady Raiders during her junior season. She followed that up again this spring with more solid work in the middle of the defensive third.
Using her speed, Barnes neutralized scoring threats by opposing teams by winning possession of the ball or out-hustling opponents along the wings to clear it out.
Playing alongside Thompson in the middle of the field, Barnes helped limit opponents to just 1.86 goals per match and was a big part of helping Bostic record five shutout victories.
As part of a 9-0 win on senior night against her former team, Barnes scored her only career high school goal.
"It's an honor to finish my high school soccer career with another All-SAC selection,” Barnes commented. “It means a lot to me that my hard work has been recognized, and I couldn't have done it without such a supportive team and coaching staff. I'm so grateful for my time here at Richmond. I left it all on the field. I represented my school with pride and showed up every time it mattered.
"Playing Lady Raider soccer has taught me so much about teamwork, discipline and pushing myself beyond what I thought was possible,” she reflected. “These lessons have prepared me to tackle challenges in college and beyond, knowing that with dedication and the support of others, I can achieve my goals. The cleats might come off, but the passion stays. Now I get to take everything I’ve learned and build something new.”
Ava Thompson, senior center back
Also synonymous with the strong defensive line the last handful of seasons, Thompson wrapped up her three-year varsity career with an exclamation point.
Working well with Barnes and outside backs Nevaeh Harris and Jentry Denson, Thompson capitalized by using her strength and height to fend off opposing offenses. Quick to the ball, Thompson made it routine to clear out the defensive zone with long volleys into open space or head the ball out of the danger zone.
Although she didn’t find the back of the net this season, Thompson had chances as one of Richmond’s go-to players on free kicks. Her power and finesse often times put a shot on goal, which led to second-chance scoring opportunities.
“It feels great to make the All-Conference team,” Thompson shared. “It's the perfect way to finish my last season, and I'm so thankful for the recognition.
“I think it was our chemistry and how well we worked together on the back line is what made us so successful on defense,” she added. “We always tried to cover for each other and I think that helped us be successful overall.”
Click here to read more about the All-SAC softball team, which was also announced this week.
The Richmond Observer will publish an article on the All-SAC baseball team in the coming days.
