Richmond varsity football coach Nick Persell knows his Spartans have targets on their backs after their Class 2 state semifinal run in 2021. “We’ve had enough success in the last two years – two or three years even – that people are recognizing us, and they certainly know who we are,” Persell said Aug. 12 on the team’s practice field. “And our conference obviously knows us really well, but even the new teams that we got out of conference this year on our schedule, … they know that we’ve been a good program and will continue to be so.” The Spartans have been 26-8 the past three seasons. After going 7-4 in 2019, they went 8-2 and reached the Class 3 District 8 title game and finished last season’s state semifinal run 11-2. During that run, every Richmond win was by 30 points or more. Because of their commanding wins, some Kansas City metro area teams don’t want to play them, senior Eli Steele said. “That’s why we (have) got to travel (to play) New Madrid,” Steele said. Steele was…