JV program marks third straight 10-0 effort behind Boyer’s 6 TDs
By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
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LAURINBURG — Eventually, the Richmond Senior High School Junior Varsity Raiders are going to lose.
With a third straight perfect season on the line, though, it wasn’t about to happen Thursday night against arch rival Scotland. Jayvon Boyer made sure of that.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Sophomore tailback Jayvon Butler broke through multiple defenders on this run to reach the end zone for the third time Thursday night against Scotland.
Boyer, the electric sophomore tailback, scored five rushing touchdowns — including three first-half scores — and a sixth on a fourth-quarter kickoff return to boost the Raiders past the host Fighting Scots, 48-20, in a game in which the road team boasted more fans in the stands than the home team.
The win capped a perfect 10-0 season and the program’s third consecutive undefeated season. Coach Jason Norton told the team in the post game huddle not to rest on their laurels — that many of them would be called upon to contribute to the varsity squad in the upcoming playoffs, or add to the program next year.
“You gotta work hard,” said Norton, who emphasized classroom work ethic to the student-athletes as much as a weight room regimen. “All of these things go together. It ain’t just football.”
This season — even all its accomplishments and accolades — “is only the beginning,” Norton said.
Not much got past the Raiders Thursday night inside Pate Stadium. Shortly after kickoff, the result was hardly in doubt. On the Raiders first play from scrimmage, Boyer scampered 60 yards down the sideline and notched Richmond’s first six points of the evening only 25 seconds into game. Alex Alvorado’s kick was good — he missed only once all night — gave Richmond a 7-0 lead.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Try as they might, the Fighting Scots couldn’t find any consistency in their ground game.
Scotland started its next possession on its own 1-yard line. Going 99 yards against the Raiders’ bend-but-don’t-break defense was a daunting task — a challenge the Fighting Scots were largely unsuccessful in meeting. Scotland muffed its own punt and tried again. Boyer took care of the ball, breaking loose midway through the first quarter for his second touchdown of the game. After an Alvorado kick, the Raiders held a 14-0 lead and already it seemed a much larger gap.
Richmond led 21-0 after the first quarter of play — Demontre Bennett’s 70-yard dash to the end zone helped — and 28-7 at halftime. Scotland’s Christian Gibson broke up the shutout with three minutes and four seconds to go before intermission. Grant Cirrocca’s kick was good to cut the Raiders lead to 21-7.
That was the closest the home team would get. Boyer struck again less than two minutes later, busting off a huge scoring touchdown run for a 27-7 advantage. Alvorado was 4-for-4 in extra point attempts in the first half.
Scotland quarterback Sergio Gibson finished his team’s first possession of the second half with a touchdown run up the middle. Again, Cirrocca was good on the kick. Boyer didn’t seem to like the idea that the Fighting Scots were within two scores and returned the kickoff for another six points — his fifth touchdown of the game. The Raiders led by a comfortable 27-point margin with 3:22 remaining in the third quarter.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Leon Zeigler was part of a three-pronged running attack against Scotland Thursday night at Pate Stadium, along with Jayvon Boyer and Demontre Bennett.
By this time of the year, defenses knew Boyer was going to get the ball. Scotland coach Paul Adams said there wasn’t much his team could do.
“Athletically, we just didn’t match up,” Adams said.
Adams noted — justifiably so — that many of his players were ninth-graders. In a game of numbers, Richmond dressed nearly 60 players; Scotland had about half that. Adams said half the starting defense were freshmen, as were two offensive linemen and a wide receiver.
Adams said Scotland was evaluating whether or not to keep its ninth grade team.
“It’s tough,” he said. “You got some people playing both ways” with the only break coming at halftime.
On the other side of the field, Norton relished the moment — if only for 20 hours, as Richmond’s varsity squad is set to host Scotland at Raider Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The varsity team has its own perfect season on the line against their rival.
“It’s been fun,” Norton said. ”
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