ROCKINGHAM — It was just what Richmond Senior coach Bennie Howard thought his team needed.
Armando Garcia scored two second-half goals as the Raiders cruised past Southeastern Conference rival Scotland 4-0 Wednesday night at Raider Stadium. Cole Latta and Juan Onesto each recorded a tally for Richmond in the victory.
The win snapped a two-game conference losing streak for the Raiders and improves them to 8-2-2 on the season and 2-2-1 in league play. Scotland falls to 1-9 overall and 1-4 in the SEC.
“We stopped the bleeding, so to speak,” Howard said. “We got the W. The boys played well. When we had opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net, we did.”
Three Richmond goalkeepers combined for the shutout. Chris McDonald started and played 60 minutes before being replaced by Logan Deese, who saw the field for just over 10 minutes. Tyler Dove was substituted into the contest in the final nine-plus minutes of the game.
The loss typified Scotland’s season. The Fighting Scots had several chances to break into the scoring column in the final five minutes, but shots sailed wide, high or into the arms of Dove.
“We try but when we create chances, but we don’t score off of them,” Scotland coach Colin McDavid said. “It’s been an uphill battle. It’s tough but the boys are trying.”
Richmond will not return to the field until 7 p.m. Wednesday when it plays host to Hoke County. The Bucks and the Raiders battled to a 1-all tie in the conference opener for both teams on Sept. 12 in Raeford. Hoke and Richmond are currently tied for third in the conference.
“We have to get ready for Hoke to come to town,” Howard said. “We have to prepare for them.”
In the junior varsity contest, Richmond blanked Scotland 1-0. Rogelio Reyes scored the game’s only goal for the Raiders (6-2, 2-2).
Raiders edge Bucks in tennis
RAEFORD — Unlike its match against South View last week which came down to the final doubles match, the Richmond Senior girls tennis team came out on the winning end this time around.
The team of Abbi Carpenter and Haleigh Denham edged Hoke County’s Nicole Currie and Kanisha Smith to give the Raiders the 5-4 Southeastern Conference victory over Hoke County Wednesday afternoon. The win snapped Richmond’s seven-match losing streak and improved the team to 2-8 on the season and 2-5 in the SEC.
The Raiders led the contest 4-2 coming out of the singles matches despite having their No. 6 player, Peyton Hunt, retire because of an illness. This once again forced Richmond coach Paula York to juggle her lineup. She inserted Chelsea Covington to play with Summer Jacobs in the No. 3 doubles contest.
Tiara Harris and Taylor Jacobs beat Covington and Summer Jacobs, 9-7. In the No. 1 doubles match, Hoke’s Hunter Thaggard and Amanda Daniels defeated Caroline Kirkland and Katy Shelley 8-4.
“We’re were shorthanded again,” York said. “And we were losing all three doubles matches at one time.”
Kirkland defeated Thaggard in the top singles match 6-4, 6-1. Carpenter got past Currie 6-4, 4-6, 10-6, while Denham knocked off Smith 6-2, 6-4. Summer Jacobs cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Harris. Daniels stopped Shelley 6-3, 6-1, while Taylor Jacobs earned a 7-5, 3-0 retired win against Hunt.
The Raiders will return to the courts at 4 p.m. today against Lumberton in their final home match. Earlier this season, the Pirates claimed a 5-4 victory.
— Sports editor Shawn Stinson can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 14, or by email at sstinson@heartlandpublications.com.
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