STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- For two years, Ma'Lik Richmond's name has been been discussed and debated in association with a rape that drew worldwide attention to this blue collar, Ohio River town. Thursday evening in front of about 4,000 football fans, Richmond heard his name announced over a loud speaker, and then something he had not heard in a long time: cheers.

Those waiting to see what kind of impact Richmond might have on the Steubenville High School football team -- and what the reaction might be -- didn't have long to wait in Harding Stadium. Richmond caught a 44-yard pass on the game's first play from scrimmage, out-leaping two defenders and making a fine reception in front of the home stands, which approved with a loud roar.

As if to drive home the point that Richmond is a valued member of the Big Red, his name was called again on the next play. He took a short pass from quarterback Mandela Lawrence-Burke and the 6-4, 235-pound Richmond bulled his way 18 yards to the 13, setting up the game's first touchdown.

Richmond, a senior who started at linebacker and wide receiver, had a significant impact in the season opener against Cleveland John F. Kennedy. Richmond caught a 35-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter that gave the Big Red a 37-12 lead.

Steubenville won, 49-12. Richmond finished with four catches for 95 yards.

His return to the team he played for until being arrested for rape before the 2012 season was widely debated in Steubenville and on the Internet. Fans inside the stadium Thursday appeared in a forgiving mode in interviews before and during the game. Outside the stadium before kickoff, there were no protests or signs of dissatisfaction with head coach Reno Saccoccia's decision to bring Richmond back to the team.

"It's not like I just pulled a decision out of my hat,'' Saccoccia said after the game. "A lot of sleepless nights went into the decision. I'm going to live with it until I die because I think it's the right thing to do.''

Richmond and former football teammate Trent Mays were found delinquent in juvenile court of rape in March 2013. They were charged with sexually assaulting a West Virginia girl who had passed out after a night of drinking.

Richmond, now 18, was sentenced to a minimum of a year in a youth facility. He was released in January and returned to school. Mays was sentenced to at least two years and remains in detention. Both also were classified as Tier II sex offenders and must register with a local county sheriff every six months until 2033.

In a stadium where the field is named after Saccoccia, defenders of his decision to reinstate Richmond were not in short supply. Many said they felt the coach and the town were unfairly besmirched by the case.

"I'm not saying it was an easy call one way or the other,'' said Jeff Bruzzese, a Steubenville grad. "What you'll find, especially after we have all been attacked, is everybody here will probably support the decision now. We are a tighter community than we ever were.''

Several people at the game who did not have direct ties to Steubenville expressed similar sentiments.

"Because I have children and grandchildren, I would want him (Richmond) to have a second chance because God gives all his children second chances,'' said Carla Davis of Wellsburg, W.Va.

Keith Bloom, a veteran football official at the game as a fan, said he did not have a problem with Richmond playing.

"The kid made a mistake. You can't throw him away,'' said Bloom, of Weirton, W.Va. "He's come back to school and did everything he was supposed to do, and he did everything the judge wanted him to do. That should be the end of the story. If we don't give this kid a chance to turn his life around, where are we headed as a society?''

Tom Thompson of nearby Toronto, Ohio, said Richmond deserved one more chance.

"But if he screws up again, he's gone,'' Thompson said.

JFK coach Christopher Hubbard, who has family in the Steubenville area, declined comment on Richmond.

Cleveland schools athletic director Leonard Jackson attended the game and said he met with Richmond before kickoff.

"I told him, 'Keep your head up. We all fall down, and the key is to get back up and learn from your mistakes and keep on moving,' " Jackson said.

Jackson said he recognized the difficulty of the decision to allow Richmond to play. He said Cleveland schools received some pressure not to play the game in protest.

"We are honoring our contract (to play the game),'' Jackson said. "Reno made that decision and the board of education supported it, and they have to live with that, not us. I would think a different way if it was me as head coach, because I would think about the victim. You have to think about the victim. You have to think about what goes on in her life.''

Steubenville plays nine home games this season, and one road game in Massillon in September. Steubenville is expected to be a strong playoff contender with the bulk of last year's state semifinal team returning. Saccoccia said he does not expect the spotlight on the rape case to dim.

"I don't look for it to go away. This will be here for the year, and we expect that, and we just have to live with it and be mentally tough,'' he said.

The victim's attorney, Bob Fitzsimmons, recently told the Wheeling Intelligencer that she graduated high school with honors and is preparing for college.

"Hopefully, this won't affect her going forward any more than it already has," he told the newspaper. "She's a wonderful kid and her family is just one of the closest families that I've ever been associated with."

With regard to Richmond and Mays, Fitzsimmons added, "Juvenile laws are designed to try to rehabilitate people. In fact, all of our criminal sentencing laws are designed with an earmark, in addition to punishment, for rehabilitation. But, with juveniles, the emphasis is a little bit more on the rehabilitation.''