There are games on the schedule where teams can have a letdown following a big game. For the Richmond Raiders, it was their game against South View.

After losing 38-31 to No. 2 Butler the week before, it was going to be hard to tell how the Raiders would come out and play against the Tigers. The Raiders could come out flat and play without emotion or they could come out and roll past South View.

Richmond came out and did a little of both. The Raiders ended up winning the game 48-27, but it never appeared as if the Tigers were ever out of the game.

After Tedarrius Wiley connected with Quayshawn Dumas for a 14-yard touchdown in the waning moments of the first half, the Raiders took a 19-6 lead at halftime. The score could have and should have been much worse. Richmond intercepted South View quarterback Deshean Townsend three times in his first six passes and recovered a fumble by Tiger running back Trey Booker.

The Raiders by contrast have been doing a great job protecting the football and not turning the football over — until Friday night. Even though running backs Walter Ellerbe and Labarrian Jones each lost a fumble, there could have been a few more. Wiley and his running backs weren’t on the same page on a few option pitches and the ball fell to the ground several times only to be recovered by a Raider. If any of those fumbles would have been recovered by a South View player, the momentum could have shifted.

Even one of the best plays for Richmond offensively Friday night could have been a Raider turnover. Ellerbe caught a swing pass out of the backfield, picked up several yards before getting hit from behind and fumbling the football. Luckily for the Raiders, the ball flew right into the arms of wide receiver Jeff Brown who ran the ball inside the South View 30.

While any football coach hates giving up the football on turnovers, Richmond coach Paul Hoggard was at least pleased because Ellerbe’s and Jones’ fumbles were lost trying to get that one extra yard. Coaches love the effort, but would rather see the player go down a yard short and keep the ball for another down, rather than have his defense run out on the field.

In the previous game, the Raiders’ secondary was beaten several times by Christian LeMay, probably the best quarterback Richmond will face all season. This time, it was the run defense that was the Achilles Heel. The Raiders allowed Booker to rush for 292 yards on 28 carries. The good news was Booker was the only offensive weapon for South View.

Despite the up-and-down play of the Raiders Friday night, the most important thing was getting out of the “trap game” with a victory. Now the focus can turn to welcoming New Hanover for its Homecoming game. The Wildcats are 4-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to undefeated Southeast Raleigh.