ROCKINGHAM — An exciting week at Richmond Senior High School will culminate in the football team’s homecoming game Friday.
While students and staff have been participating in Spirit Week, the Raiders and head coach Brad Denson have been in the spirit of wanting to win their fourth straight game and remain undefeated in Mid-South Conference play.
Last week’s MSC opener was almost too easy for the Raiders, who won by 45 points and played their reserve players for much of the second half.
Wanting and welcoming a bit more of a challenge this week, Richmond will host Jack Britt High School.
The renewed series will see the Raiders play the Buccaneers in conference play for the first time since 2019, and it will be the first contest between the two programs since the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
Entering Friday’s latest edition, Richmond has won its last three meetings with Jack Britt and taken six of the last seven matchups dating back to 2013.
With campus abuzz with a smorgasbord of Spirit Week activities, Denson and the team know how easily the fun can become a distraction in preparing for Friday night. However, a disciplined week of practice hasn’t shown any signs of losing focus.
“Homecoming is always a fun week, but at the same time, it's a hard week,” Denson shared. “For us to limit the distractions, we just preach focus and discipline. Those are two things that we do every week though, so we hope it just translates over.”
During Richmond’s pep rally Friday morning, all 23 senior players will participate in the homecoming court. This year it’s being held at the football stadium.
“Friday morning is a good time,” Denson said. “All of the guys get dressed in the locker room and to just be down there with them and share that time is special. It’s wild to me to see how nervous they get.
“The fact that they can go out each week and play in front of a crowd and it not bother them at all, and then to come to homecoming, and they are shaking nervous. Another reason this year will be special for me is that I have my own daughter who is part of the court. To be up close to that and see her there means the world to me.”
In addition to the excitement of homecoming, extra emphasis is being put on Friday’s home game. The Raiders had a home-heavy schedule to start the season and their game with Jack Britt is the first of only two home games during the second half of the season.
“We always value our home games and do all we can to make sure we protect our own turf,” Denson explained. “Jack Britt will present us with just another bump in the road of our goal in winning the Mid-South Conference championship in its inaugural year.
“Again, we are going to prepare as we always do, one week and one day at a time. We are really hammering the focus and discipline in order to overcome all of the obstacles that can arise. Our guys are looking forward to playing in front of a lot of people who have moved away and are just back visiting for the weekend.”
Come time for kickoff, the Raiders (4-2, 1-0 MSC) will face a Jack Britt team coached by head coach Brian Randolph. The Buccaneers (3-3, 0-1 MSC) have lost their last two games, including last week’s conference opener by eight points to Pinecrest High School.
Another shared opponent between the two programs is Hoggard High School, which Jack Britt also lost to 44-40 in Week 2.
Taking what he’s seen on film, and what he knows about this week’s opponent, Denson said the Raiders aren’t going to be too quick to discount the Buccaneers and their abilities on the field.
“Jack Britt is very talented,” Denson said. “They have some playmakers and they have some size. They are for sure an opponent who is no stranger to Richmond County.
“Watching some of their previous games, they are really good and it’s not your typical homecoming game opponent. But that's how the schedule fell. We will be prepared and our guys will be ready to go come Friday night.”
A high-scoring Jack Britt offense, captained by senior quarterback Gavin Stokes, has averaged 36.5 points per game through six games. In their three wins, the Buccaneers have averaged 43.3 points per game, compared to 29.7 points in their three losses.
Richmond’s defense has held opponents to 24.3 points per game, and limited Pine Forest High School to just 8.0 points to open conference.
A balanced offense has resulted in 14 passing scores by Stokes and 16 total rushing touchdowns from six players, including a team-high nine touchdowns by senior running back Eric Payne.
Friday’s matchup will see a pair of 1,000-plus yard quarterbacks sling the football on either side of the line of scrimmage. Senior quarterback Evan Hodges will look to continue his breakout season, as he’s thrown 82-of-123 (67%) for 1,370 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Stokes trails Hodges in each of those categories, save for being tied for touchdowns thrown. He’s completed 70-of-122 passes (57%) for 1,016 yards. The top receiving target is senior Javonte Brooks (29 catches, 466 yards, four touchdowns).
Payne is Jack Britt’s leading rusher, averaging over 114 yards on the ground per game. He’s racked up 689 yards on 103 carries. Also a threat in the passing game, Payne has caught eight passes, including two for touchdowns.
When asked about Jack Britt’s offense, Denson said the Buccaneers are a little bit different in the way they present themselves from other opponents Richmond has seen this season.
“They will try to formation us to death and see if they can outflank us,” he explained. “If we can prove that we can align to these different looks, then it just becomes football. They will run it and they will throw it, so we have to play our keys.
“A big key for us will be in the trenches. We want to see if we can dominate that part and force them to become one-dimensional.”
Denson said Jack Britt’s playmakers start at the top with Stokes and work through Payne and senior tailback Emorrian Towns, then onto Brooks. A big offensive line is also on the docket Friday, but it’s nothing the Raiders have seen already this season.
“They have some really large offensive linemen up front, but this is nothing new for us to go against, especially with what we saw in the non-conference,” Denson noted. “That’s another reason why we play the schedule we play.
“Huge keys for us to slow down their offense is to recognize their formations, get the strength called correctly, get aligned and then just go play football from there.”
To help aid the defense, Richmond’s offense has scored at a healthy clip this season, averaging 34.7 points per game. Coming off a season-high 53 points scored against Pine Forest, the Raiders have netted 41.8 points on average in their four wins.
Leaning on Hodges’ arm to thread the ball to three 300-plus yard receivers — seniors Amer Morrison (398 yards), Jayden Hamilton (330 yards) and Keonta Pegues (314 yards) — Richmond got back to its ground game roots last week with five total rushing scores.
Across from Richmond’s offensive line will be a Jack Britt defense that is allowing 29.6 points per game. Denson also noted how formulated the Buccaneers’ defense appears on film.
“It looks as though they almost develop a game plan for each opponent and each one is different,” he said. “We try to really break down the film with the opponent who is most like us in scheme and formation. With that, we will get multiple coverages and possibly multiple fronts.
“We prepare each week for what we think we will get and also for what we think they could do to throw us a curveball. After watching film, it looks as though they lost their mike linebacker last week to an injury and you never want to see that for any player. Prayers for him going forward, but how they replace him, I’m not sure.”
Of players the Raiders are keeping an eye on, Denson pointed to senior defensive back/linebacker Jaleel Parker, a Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas selection.
Along the defensive line, which Denson said has “size and athletic ability,” senior Xavier Johnson is a 260-pound defensive end who “moves really well.”
Identifying the front and coverage, as well as taking care of the football, are weekly keys to offensive success, Denson added.
“Homecoming is normally a really good crowd and I don't expect anything different this week,” Denson closed. “Raider Nation, please show up, show up early, be loud and support these guys who have worked extremely hard to get to this point. And you might even see something that hasn’t happened at Richmond in quite some time.
“Remember, this and one more game on Halloween night are the only guaranteed home games that we have left. Go Raiders!”
The homecoming court will be introduced Friday starting at 7 p.m., followed by kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time on GoFan, or at the gate for $10 (cash only).
