Football playoffs hit home for county teams

Providence Grove’s Andrew Thomas picks up yards during a football game at Jordan-Matthews earlier this season. (P.J. Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

The second round of the postseason will include a variety of games, including notable rematches

There will be five second-round games played in Randolph County in the football state playoffs Friday night.

Six teams in total from the county will be in action.

Randleman and Southwestern Randolph are in the East Region, while other teams from Randolph County are assigned to the West Region.

Here’s a look at the matchups:

Class 6A

Asheboro is seeking its first postseason victory since 2016.

The sixth-seeded Blue Comets (7-3) have a rematch with 11th-seeded Greensboro Dudley (7-4), which lost its first three games of the season, from a year ago.

Greensboro Dudley whipped No. 22 seed Kernersville Glenn 35-14 in the first round.

Last year, Asheboro made a return to postseason play and lost 55-0 at Greensboro Dudley in the first round.

The Blue Comets will be in their sixth consecutive game – and seventh overall – against an opponent from Guilford County. Greensboro Dudley’s first six victories this season came against Guilford County opponents, though the only common opponent is Northeast Guilford.

Greensboro Dudley edged the Rams 21-19 for its first victory, while Asheboro fell 38-35 to Northeast Guilford in a Triad Area Athletic Conference game.

Class 4A

Fifth-seeded Randleman (7-3) has a home game against North Pitt (6-5), which drubbed No. 21 seed Burlington Cummings 44-7 in the first round.

The Tigers are 5-0 in home games. Randleman’s seasons in each of the past two years ended with home playoff losses.

** Eighth-seeded Southwestern Randolph (7-3) didn’t defeat a team that finished the regular season with a winning record. The Cougars beat seven teams that went a combined 16-54 in the regular season and only one of them won a first-round game.

To extend its season, Southwestern Randolph will have to defeat ninth-seeded Eastern Wayne (7-3), which was a 21-14 winner against No. 24 seed Anson in the first round.

Class 3A

** Third-seeded Eastern Randolph (8-2), riding a five-game winning streak. will meet No. 19 seed Union Academy (5-6), which topped No. 14 Black Mountain Owen 24-14 in the first round.

The Wildcats have had double-figure win totals in the last five full seasons (aside from the 2021 spring season), so there’s still work to do to reach that level. Union Academy is trying to reach six victories for the first time since 2019.

** Fifth-seeded Providence Grove (8-2) has a Central Carolina 3-A Conference rematch with No. 12 seed West Davidson (8-3), which stopped No. 21 seed Madison 28-13 in the first round. This time, the game will be at Providence Grove.

The Patriots defeated West Davidson 23-22 on Oct. 3.

Providence Grove’s six-game winning streak is its longest in team history. The Patriots are aiming to win a playoff game for the second time in program history.

** Wheatmore (3-8), which was the only Randolph County team to play last week, goes to sixth-seeded Walkertown (8-1) in the second round.

No. 22 seed Wheatmore has won back-to-back games for the first time since September 2021. All of the Warriors’ victories this year have come in road games.