Raiders seniors get their moment in comeback win over Beach
- Carter Dooner
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Richardton, N.D. — If there were ever a group of kids that deserved a win on their senior night, it would probably be the 2026 senior class from Richardton-Taylor.
From the players, all the way to the student managers, it’s a group that stuck with a program that’s seen their fair share of struggles through the last four years.
And on Friday night, in front of a packed Raider Gymnasium, they got their moment, picking up a 73-65 win over Beach on Friday, Feb. 13, at Richardton-Taylor High School.
“We've been through the highs and lows,” senior captain Kane Rivinius said. “For three to four years, it's been nothing but lows. This season, it's really been the fruit of our labors, every one of those guys on that senior team I’m so thankful for.”
On the court, the game unfolded much like the seniors’ journey through the program , Trailing for much of the second half and falling behind by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter, it looked as if Beach might spoil the night.
Colt Ambo drilled a trio of three pointers in the third and fourth quarters to give the Buccaneers a 62-54 lead with just over five minutes remaining.
In fitting fashion, it seemed like every senior got their hand in on the action for the Raiders down the stretch.
Matthew Aune and Braydin Hazen traded baskets to help give Richardton-Taylor a 63-62 lead with just over two minutes to go. Rigo Silva, the team’s leading scorer at the time, made his presence felt late as well.
“It was really just to fight," Silva said. “We wanted to win. Being down, it hurt us a little, but we knew what we had to do to get the job done. With it being senior night, we had to make a statement, we really just had to dog it out and get the win.”
Aune added two more layups to stretch the lead and put the game out of reach. He and Silva each finished with 16 points, while junior Kyler Krank added 18.
“I just think the physicality of the game, I don't think the boys were expecting that,” Richardton-Taylor head coach Kari Dohrmann said. “Just sticking with it, keeping our composure, that's one thing we've done all year when things get hairy. With it being senior night, those boys played their hearts out.”
Composure, intensity, and resilience were all characteristics built long before this season. The core group has been playing together since middle school, making Friday’s comeback anything but surprising.
“We've been with each other for so long,” Silva said. “Since like junior high. Our chemistry, the love we have for each other is so strong. We've been looking forward to this night for so long, ever since seventh grade and sixth grade. I'm just happy we won. All of us got closer together.”
With just one game remaining before playoffs, the Raiders sit at 11 wins – more than they totaled over the previous three seasons combined.
“The whole group grew so much and matured so much over the years,” Dohrmann said. “The growth that we've seen on the basketball court is important, but more importantly, they are all very good humans. They are all going to be successful in whatever they put their minds to. Every single one of them is going to be missed."
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