ROCKINGHAM — Although there have been a number of changes within the Richmond Senior football program, the Raiders are still viewed as one of the top teams in the state.

Richmond came in at No. 7 on CarolinaPreps.com’s 4A Top-25 Preseason Power Rankings released early Friday morning. This was the second straight year that Richmond was voted the seventh-best team of the preseason.

First-year head coach Bryan Till won’t spend much time reading into it, however.

“It’s a tribute to how good this program has been historically,” Till said. “It’s not indicative of anything we’ve done. I think it’s something to live up to but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t mean anything at all.

“It’s like a pat on the back,” he continued. “We appreciate it…but nothing’s been done on the field.”

Five of the 11 teams that Richmond is scheduled to play this season made an appearance on the list, with reigning state champion Wake Forest taking the No. 1 spot on the list. Scotland (No. 2), Butler (No. 6), Pinecrest (No. 18) and Seventy-First (No. 20) were the other four teams recognized by CarolinaPreps.com.

The Raiders will get a chance at Wake Forest in Week 2 (Aug. 25), as they hope to take down a team that steamrolled its way to a 29-0 victory in the state championship game last December. Richmond’s remaining players will be eager to avenge last season’s heartbreaking loss to Butler when they host the Bulldogs in Week 4 (Sept. 8).

Scotland, Pinecrest and Seventy-First are all members of the newly-formed Sandhills Athletic Conference along with Richmond, meaning there won’t be any space for the Raiders to have a “down week.”

“These guys are good and you can see that everyone else thinks so, too,” Till said. “Wake Forest has the hardware to prove it, Scotland played in the regional championship (last year), Butler has won titles…we’re going to be tested. We just better be ready to play.”

With the state’s final mandatory dead period coming to an end, the Raiders are preparing to hit the field Monday morning for their last week of summer workouts. The season officially begins Monday, July 31.

Richmond will put the No. 7 ranking to test Friday, Aug. 18, when its travels to Reagan for the season opener. Until then, Till says he’s focused on holding his team to a certain standard so it can be prepared for a long season.

“At the end of the day, it’s the rankings at the end of the year that really matter,” he said.

CarolinaPreps.com’s 2017 4A Top-25 Preseason Power Football Rankings

1. Wake Forest (Wake Forest)

2. Scotland (Laurinburg)

3. Mallard Creek (Charlotte)

4. Vance (Charlotte)

5. West Mecklenburg (Charlotte)

6. Butler (Matthews)

7. Richmond (Rockingham)

8. Sanderson (Raleigh)

9. Myers Park (Charlotte)

10. West Forsyth (Clemmons)

11. East Forsyth (Kernersville)

12. Middle Creek (Apex)

13. Hough (Cornelius)

14. Laney (Wilmington)

15. Page (Greensboro)

16. Harding (Charlotte)

17. Heritage (Wake Forest)

18. Pinecrest (Southern Pines)

19. Hoggard (Wilmington)

20. Seventy-First (Fayetteville)

21. Southeast Raleigh (Raleigh)

22. Garner (Garner)

23. East Mecklenburg (Charlotte)

24. Davie County (Mocksville)

25. Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg)

Reach sports editor Leon Hargrove Jr. at 910-817-2673 and follow the sports section on Twitter @RCDailySports.

Daily Journal file photo
The CarolinaPreps.com 2017 4A Top-25 Preseason Power Football Rankings placed Richmond Senior at No. 7 behind Wake Forest, Scotland, Mallard Creek, Vance, West Mecklenburg and Butler. This is the second consecutive year the Raiders have been recognized as the seventh-best team prior to the season.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_screamweb-2.jpgDaily Journal file photo
The CarolinaPreps.com 2017 4A Top-25 Preseason Power Football Rankings placed Richmond Senior at No. 7 behind Wake Forest, Scotland, Mallard Creek, Vance, West Mecklenburg and Butler. This is the second consecutive year the Raiders have been recognized as the seventh-best team prior to the season.
Scotland takes No. 2 spot behind Wake Forest

By Leon Hargrove Jr.

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