Forward Noah Gil seals the victory with this second-half penalty kick. Scan the QR code for a photo gallery from the game, and postgame interviews with Gil, forward Memphis Jacobs and Coach Chris Larsen.
LAURINBURG — With the Richmond Senior High School Soccer Team being a long-shot to make the state playoffs, the Raiders hope to continue building for tomorrow after downing rival Scotland 2-1 Wednesday.
A pair of well-placed kicks put Richmond back in the win column Wednesday as the Raiders improved to 5-13-2 and 4-6-1 in the Sandhills Athletic Conference, but it may not be enough to get the Raiders across the finish line when it comes to the postseason.
“It’s good to get back in the win column. Scotland played with a lot of heart, and it shows. It was a passionate game. It was a physical game. Luckily, we were able to get out of here with a win, and unscathed from injuries,” Richmond coach Chris Larsen said.
A physical game is a bit of an understatement with multiple Scotland players red-carded due in part to physical play. Scotland’s physicality seemed to bite them in two key moments last Friday. The first came in the first half, when an over pursuit of Richmond forward Memphis Jacobs – giving Jacobs an open shot from the corner of the box. Essentially one-on-one with the keeper, Jacobs put the ball just under the right-corner crossbar.
“What made us successful was getting the ball wide, then slamming it back to the middle,” Jacobs said.
Thanks to a strong performance from senior Richmond keeper Adrian Padron, who held Scotland scoreless until late in the second half, the Raiders maintain momentum for much of the game. After going into halftime ahead 1-0, the Raiders came out in the second looking to show a bit of aggression themselves. Richmond forward Noah Gil drove hard into deep into Scot territory, prompting Scotland’s second crucial error of the evening after a defender showed a bit too much aggression while trying to halt Gil, prompting a penalty kick only feet from the net.
“We had a good build up play. I saw an opportunity to drive it to the box, and I ended up getting a foul. When I stepped up to the spot, I just knew I had to slide in the corner. Luckily, I got the goal,” Gil said.
Scotland made a late push in the final minutes, after Richmond got a little too aggressive near the net. Scotland senior defender Myles Norton found the net, blemishing Padron’s shutout, but also giving Norton his first career goal in the penultimate game of his high school career.
“It was sentimental for me. It was emotional for me. I don’t want to talk about what happened (with the red cards). My thing is I just want (calls) on both sides. I don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Scotland coach Jordan Stone said. “I appreciate the rivalry. I’m homegrown (from Richmond). I appreciate the fight in my boys. I loved it. The fact Myles got the second goal of his career. To see him get one on senior night, it was special … I like to see that fight. As long as they give it their all, and leave it on the field, I’m happy,”
Although out of the postseason, Larsen said the Raiders still have some fight left in them for their final game of the season Tuesday, when they host Hoke County (9-9-2, 3-7-1). A win Tuesday would lockdown fifth place in the SAC, and that might just be enough to qualify Richmond for the postseason. However, the last time the Bucks and Raiders squared off it was Hoke County who walked away with a 2-1 victory.
“Every win gives us a better shot (at the playoffs). We made a push a little late, so I don’t know if we’re going to make it in this year … Regardless, you want to end the year on a positive note. We got a win against Scotland, and they’re always good competition. We have another good one (against Hoke County), and we got to close out the year Tuesday with [Hoke County]. That was a physical, emotional game at Hoke and we’re expecting the same thing Tuesday at Richmond. We just want to make sure we end on a positive note, if it’s the last one or the one to bump us in,” Larsen said.