Richmond Senior lost 78-37 to Myers Park in the regular season but get a rematch with the Mustangs in Saturday’s N.C. 4A state championship game, with their top player Paul McNeil, who missed the first meeting

By Langston Wertz Jr. / The Charlotte Observer

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You you have Paul McNeil and he he Transfers to another school and then he Comes back you know a couple games into The season what was that like for you as A coach and how was it for your team as A whole oh man um the day off you know He Um came back you know he was playing Miles Park so it was it was a buzz you Know in the building you know that in Playing miles parking was so excited Back then It was uh It was just amazing to have him I think That's I made a great guy man in general Team got first love you know love is uh Teammates you know coaches of community He just he just everybody was so happy To have them back Coach what's the atmosphere in the city Of Rockingham with the success of you Going to the state playoffs and also you Have a HomeTown hero in Paul McNeil who Left and decided to come back and now Going to NC State talk about how the Town is sort of resonating and Supporting the team oh man the town man I remember being so so amazing man you Know it's a little you know it's a Little country town man but you know we Love our our Athletics and you know They've been so supportive of us man and You know you've seen in the crowds this Year you know the fans man been amazing

Like a basketball atmosphere you know I Told guys before you know this you know I know uh I think as a system when the Uh David County and that that basketball Atmosphere was crazy and I I always told My guys man we want to get like that and You know the work they put in and the Last six years man We're just trying to get our fan our fan Base up and and our fan base been so Amazing to us man and that's that's wild It's been wild like yesterday was crazy You know uh when they walked in the gym Yesterday that's going to sit down you Got to stand in Ovation you know this You know how how can you not get hyped For that Coach I want to make an assessment with Paul McNeill I've had a chance to watch Him many many years he's one of the Nicest young men that you'll ever meet And you know one of the knocks on him is At times he's a little bit too selfish He's averaging about 24 points a game But talk about like when you look at Paul McNeil he's one of these young men That doesn't go out and search his shots He allows the game to come to him and he Also allows his teammates to make big Plays I mean he just yeah you're right He just saw a separate man and you know But I'm telling you man he's he he got That you know it's a killer mindset you Know even yesterday man you see yeah

Yeah 18 in the first half man so you Know and we tell them all time to shoot More man but he always said coach I Don't want to take away from my guys so You don't you don't find him you know a Talent like that that that say stuff Like that you know and he gets so Excited when his guys score you know he Was just so happy for uh Jamarion wall Man and you know this that's what you Know he he I mean he does a team guy First uh I mean his freshman year I said Y'all need about 15 to 20 shots for you Again like coach nah I can't I can't do That you know but you know I mean I mean This kind of person is but he he is so Unselfish man and people don't realize That man but I'm telling man he's he got That kill him you know what I'm saying Mindset you know and and he pushes guys Make them better man you know he have Guys in the gym with him two or three Hours you know a day with a man so I Mean and I'm telling him he's just a Team guy first and and humble you know Someone This year you know and I said you know You have a big game so coach it's not About me it's about Julian you know Julian you know played uh at podcast Last year man he wanted him to get up he Wanted to score 30 that game man you Don't see that man I mean you don't see That whole lot you know I'm just so

Blessed to you know to have him man Coach Pettigrew uh so I get the Privilege of talking a little history For you right here a lot of observers Out there might not know that when Richmond last appeared in back-to-back State finals in 1996 and 1997 that you Were a starter on both of those teams And a lot of observers might not Remember that in the 97 game you almost Single-handedly rallied the Raiders to a Victory with two top of the key Three-pointers in the last minute or so And almost hit a third one and I put Your team in a position where it almost Closed the deal so the perspective that You have of having played in the Smith Center you were a great shooter working With someone like a Paul McNeil and the Rest of your team having Experience the depth perception there Shooting in a bigger venue like that Playing in a bigger venue UNC as opposed To Reynolds Coliseum Talk a little bit about that do you Prefer the bigger atmosphere what can You impart to your kids having played in That environment yourself oh man just Tell it man you know just try to you Know I'm saying I noticed we're going to Be kind of crazy man trying to keep keep Stuff the same you know and from the Mindset you know ready to play it's a Little bit I made the first few minutes

Gonna be be different man but you know We all know it's a big game it's a big Game man you know the timber lock in man Just keep doing what they're doing and Trust and trusting themselves the Process and the work they've been Putting in that's all man and and this You know saying and you know this and Come ready to play and enjoy it enjoy Enjoy the moment you know uh you know And to this day you know I finally Watched that my senior year uh say Chester game last year you know in 25 Years but you know that's I mean it Doesn't have opportunity to get back Here man and I told him I told him let's Enjoy it man and you know and and we'll Come right to play you know A bigger venue didn't really too much Either Um and I play it because we're not Playing I guess you know I I don't know I didn't realize it but it just so I Could regular old gym to me you know I I'm sure that it's gonna be the same for Them too All right coach last question uh I just Want to talk to you a little bit you Play Myers Park earlier this season Um you guys lost 78-37 Um is there special motivation coming in You know obviously this being the state Championship but also uh the Revenge Factor of getting to play this team for

The second time this season well man you Know and you know and I um we'll go back And we're about to break down for him Now I'm in the coaches from the first Game my first three minutes was amazing And you know it was coming out we were Knocking down shots You know and and got down to myself man But you know and I told the guys uh into The game you know I said man listen We're gonna see him again you know and You know and we just had a feeling you Know we're gonna be here and they're Gonna be there man so we just gotta you Know talk you know we're gonna be fine This guy play play our game man and I Know that I got better you know and we Don't got better so it's gonna be fun Man you know we're ready to play we're In for the challenge we're in for the Challenge for uh Saturday One last thing coach you guys average About 80 points a game so you guys like To use a lot of pressure defense and Push the ball up to court so I imagine You're not going to change anything as Far as your tempo of the game no we Don't well we're not we're good but We're going to be more more precise man And hopefully you know so we're not down Shots but if we don't let's try standing Around you know I coach saying we're Gonna miss shot stay in the room don't Don't don't yourself the first time we

Played man we were knocking down shots And guys holding the heads down man and I can tell it's part of the game you Still got to play you know on defensive End and you know the last few weeks man Defense we've been playing pretty good Man and zombie fusible man and you know Like I said that's a big challenge for Us man but you know we're gonna be ready For

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