One of the more impressive accomplishments the Raiders can boost is their never ending directory of North Carolina high school football legends. Flip Ellerbe, Mike Waddell, Mike Quick, etc.
This past Friday current Raider, junior tailback Norman Whitley, just might have entered his name in that directory as well as the Richmond record books.
“Well he broken about four, five records,” remarked Coach Ed Emory, who is in his fourth year as head coach of the Raiders. “So you got to rank him up there in the top with the Michael Waddells, and the Flip Ellerbes, and Marcus Rush and all those great backs they have had in the past.”
Those records, which the majority of them were broken this past Friday against Charlotte Vance, include all-purpose yards in a season (3,249), all-purpose touchdowns in a season (35), rushing yards in a season (2,573), rushing touchdowns in a season (28), and longest kickoff return (91 yards against Millbrook).
Additionally, Whitley shares the record for most all-purpose yards in a game (377 against Millbrook) and most all-purpose touchdowns in a game (5 against Anson) with Flip Ellerbe.
Although Whitley has surpassed many of Richmond’s legends in the record books, he doesn’t feel the same can be said when comparing legacies, at least until he leads the Raiders to a State Championship Title.
“I’m still listing myself at the bottom of that list,” stated Whitley. “When I get that ring then I can say I’m up there close to the top. Until I get that ring I’m still at the bottom.”
Whitley’s first journey as a starter for “that ring” continues this Friday against another Charlotte school, Myers Park.
Coach Emory will be the first to tell you not to be fooled by their seven seed. The Mustangs are a solid football team that just fell short of a Southwestern Conference Title and a double-digit-win season.
“Never, never, never underestimate your opponent,” exclaimed Coach Emory. “Right now we are just trying to find a way to beat Myers Park. They are averaging 30 points a game. Won nine, lost three and all three of them was just by a few points.”
That might be the case, but the Raiders are averaging over 36 points a game themselves, while also not allowing a single team to score more than 20 points in a game. Basically, it’s the Raiders game to lose; all they have to do is want the win.
“Like Coach says we have to have a lot of ‘want power’,” explained Whitley. “If we want it bad enough we’ll get it. It’s up to what the team wants to do. If they practice hard all week and bust their tails on Friday I think that we have a shot at the Championship.”
If Whitley can successfully lead Richmond to Chapel Hill – the location of the 4A Championship Finals – he will continue to run up his single season records and further cement his name in the Raiders history.