ROCKINGHAM —For the first time during his three-year tenure, Richmond Senior High football coach Bryan Till is opening the gates of Raiders Stadium for a primetime preseason preview of the 2019-20 roster.
Thursday, the Raiders will begin their second practice session with full pads, but unlike the usual crack-of-dawn start times, this showcase is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and gives everyone an early look at the current state of the team.
“The cool thing is, it’s in the evening,” said Till. “A lot of people can’t make it out to practices in the morning…it’s a good time for them to come and see what we’re about going into the season.”
During the early summer months, a brand new, energy-efficient LED lighting system was installed around the team’s field, which Till thinks is less taxing on school administration while adding a unique “ambiance” that patrons will enjoy.
He added that not only fans will benefit from the practice, but the players will also get an opportunity to adjust to the lights as well as other factors impacting play this season.
Till’s staff has been known to use Hudl sideline technology to record games so they can help players make real-time corrections on the fly using portable tablets. A new wrinkle this year will be the addition of two 40-inch high-definition television screens at field level.
“Hopefully, that information will be a little clearer and we can make those adjustments faster,” Till said of the technological enhancements.
Another reason for the nighttime opener is to give the athletes a first look at the NCHSAA rule change in the offseason that swapped out a 25-second play clock in favor of a 40-second timer. This change will be on display during the last portion of practice that features a full scrimmage with the varsity offense and defense facing off in game-like situations and tempos. The period will also feature a state-approved officiating crew who will man the action.
In the first 20 minutes, warmups and individual drills set the stage for the special teams portion at 7:30 p.m. Following the kick and punt return sessions, junior varsity players will take on the varsity in a light scrimmage. Till says they’ll also go through down-and-distance situations throughout the evening.
“They should be able to see how our schemes are and watch our guys get after it a little bit,” said Till. “And really, we all love football…you get a chance to kind of get you a Jones before the real stuff starts.”