ROCKINGHAM — When Richmond Senior inside linebacker Gavin Russell left the practice field earlier this week, a determined look came over his face when speaking about the upcoming second-round matchup of the NCHSAA 4AA state playoffs against eight-seeded Hough.
“Even though we’re ranked No.1, you still can’t take no team for granted,” the upperclassmen said quietly. “For the seniors…this could be our last game, we can’t take this back.”
Richmond (11-0) coach Bryan Till says these are the moments he wants his team to cherish and has also noticed a steely determination when staring at his “pack of wolves,” who enter the matchup after locking up a second straight Sandhills Athletic Conference title.
“The intensity this week has been really good…just looking in the guys’ eyes and seeing that they’re hungry, and we just want to keep that,” said Till.
“I think you see a desire to keep playing football. They understand what’s at stake. They were all eliminated last year. I just told them, ‘We don’t want to feel that way again, guys.’”
Friday, the Raiders will have to cool off a hot Hough (8-4) team, out of the I-Meck 4A Conference, that’s won six of its last seven contests.
Till recognizes the Huskies as an athletic bunch that’s battled tested, having faced three of the top teams in the state: Vance, Mallard Creek and Myers Park.
All three teams are still alive in the 4AA West region.
Though they experienced losses to Myers Park and Mallard Creek by a wide margin, the third-year coach isn’t overlooking the Huskies run of late.
“Those games were a while back now, so they’ve had time to clean some things up,” he said. “A lot of improvement happens between now and then.”
“They’re extremely explosive on offense…Vance is one of the better defenses in Charlotte and they scored 42 points on them two weeks ago,” added Till.
Hough quarterback Darius Ocean has been a viable threat, passing for over 1,800 yards and 21 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
Meanwhile, running back Evan Pryor has over 1,000 yards rushing on a 6.9 per clip average. He and Ocean both had touchdown plays of over 50 yards in the 41-28 win over Vance.
Fresh off the bye week, the Russell sent a message to the younger players during practice, telling them to maximize each rep and take their individual roles seriously.
“We just got to stay disciplined, and can’t get our eyes off track,” said Russell. “…just run to the ball, because Hough’s got some good playmakers but we’re just a unit.”
Russell has been a key cog in that unit, racking up 12 tackles for loss and even a fumble return for a touchdown the last time out that helped the Raiders roll over rival Scotland.
Defensively, the stout front is anchored by a nose guard that Till refers to as “stud.”
At 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, Curtis Neal leads the Huskies with five sacks and the sophomore had seven tackles in the shutout first-round win over Olympic a week ago.
Julian Rawlins is a 6-foot-2 defensive end who can wreak havoc, seen by his four tackles for loss and 2 and 1/2 sacks against Vance. And middle linebacker Storm Monroe flies around the field, leading the team with 106 total tackles.
One factor that might prove to be the difference is the rabid Raider Nation. Hough has had difficulty on the road, posting just a 3-2 record as opposed to the 5-1 home advantage.
Till expects his fanbase to be in full throat as the program engages in another quest for its eighth state championship.
“Our fans, throughout the course of this year have realized…we really do need them. They are a big part of this team and I think you’ve seen them more and more involved each week,” said Till.
“Hopefully there’s some more folks…who can continue to come out, get involved, be vocal and keep everything going really positive for our kids because they really feed off that energy and our atmosphere here is unlike any other in high school football in North Carolina.”
GO GREEN
The Richmond County Chamber of Commerce is encouraging all local businesses to support the Raiders by using green decorations to adorn their respective buildings on Fridays.
LET IT BURN
Richmond Senior High is holding a bonfire near the school’s softball complex on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. to celebrate the ensuing postseason run.
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday’s game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Raider Stadium and is being dubbed a “blackout.”
