Bob Sutton - Randolph Record

22 Aug

Wheatmore has returning QB, growing confidence

Bob SuttonSportsJonathan Kelly, Philip Yarbrough, prep football, Riley Strickland, Wheatmore athletics

Wheatmore’s Riley Strickland prepares to throw a pass during a game last year. (Randolph Record file photo) TRINITY – Wheatmore’s football team has something no other Randolph County team has. A returning starting quarterback. “That’s actually pretty cool,” said Wheatmore’s Riley Strickland, who holds that distinction. “I still have two years.” Strickland and the Warriors began the first of those with Friday night’s 33-7 victory at West Davidson. That outcome served as a sign of the development for Wheatmore, which won seven games the past three seasons combined. “My biggest takeaway from Friday night is we’re better than last…

18 Aug

New eras, altered schedules greet teams for start of football season in Randolph County

Bob SuttonSportsBear Bradley, David Hayes, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, prep football, Providence Grove football, Randleman football, Southwestern Randolph football, Trinity football, Wheatmore athletics

Returning Randleman defenders, here converging on a Southwestern Randolph player last year, include, from left to right, Thomas Dobias, Gregory Price, Bryson Atkins and Tanner Gneiting. (Randolph record file photo) The high school football season starts Friday night. Here are a few items of note involving Randolph County teams: ** Asheboro, Providence Grove and Trinity play under first-year coaches. Asheboro’s Calvin Brown came from Providence Grove to take the coaching role. Asheboro’s non-conference slate has been slightly rearranged, though four of the five non-conference opponents are from within Randolph County. The change from the past couple of years comes…

17 Aug

Brown encouraged as first football season with Asheboro Blue Comets nears

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Logan Laughlin, prep football, Providence Grove athletics, Wes Luther

First-year Asheboro coach Calvin Brown, shown here during a practice earlier this month, is encouraged by improvement from the Blue Comets. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Another phase of Asheboro football takes form with the beginning of the season under first-year coach Calvin Brown. There’s a new set of optimism for the Blue Comets, who’ve won a total of two games the past three seasons. The season begins with Friday night’s home game against Albemarle. “There’s a lot of excitement in Asheboro,” said Brown, who arrived after seven seasons as Providence Grove’s coach. “We’re not going to start winning…

15 Aug

Norwood eyes big impact in final season for Eastern Randolph Wildcats

Bob SuttonSportsBurton Cates, Eastern Randolph athletics, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Jani Norwood, North Carolina Tar Heels, prep football

Eastern Randolph’s Jani Norwood is set for his senior season. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) North Carolina football commit excels as Eastern Randolph lineman RAMSEUR – Jani Norwood’s goal is to take care of business on the football field for Eastern Randolph in the coming months. The focus became clear after he made a college commitment in the spring. The offensive lineman chose North Carolina for his college destination. “I wanted to do it before the start of my senior season,” Norwood said. “UNC felt like the most home to me.” Eastern Randolph, the two-time defending Piedmont Athletic Conference champion, opens the…

14 Aug

Area Sports Briefs: Kidd, teammate place 12th in CGA event; Fall sports begin at high schools

Bob SuttonSportsAmateur golf, nchsaa, prep sports, Steve Kidd, summer college baseball

Kidd, partner play well in senior four-ball PINEHURST – Steve Kidd of Liberty and Linley Tate of Greensboro combined to tie for 12th place in the North Carolina Senior Four-Ball Championship last week at Pinewild Country Club. The winning team was Gastonia’s Larry Cloninger and Belmont’s Mark Hodges at 17-under-par 199. The Kidd/Tate combo checked in at 9-under. Brian Skeen of Trinity and Craig Stroup of Thomasville tied for 21st place at 5-under. There were 79 teams entered in the Carolinas Golf Association event. ** Asheboro’s Sam Davidson didn’t make it to the round of 16 in the North Carolina…

13 Aug

Roberts walks away after historic UCA career on mats

Bob SuttonSportsChris Waddell, class 1-A, Grayson Roberts, prep wrestling, State wrestling, Uwharrie Charter Academy

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Grayson Roberts reacts after winning a Class 1-A individual state title at 160 pounds in February 2022 to cap his junior season. (Randolph Record file photo) ASHEBORO – Grayson Roberts tends to downplay some of his accomplishments from high school wrestling. But the recent Uwharrie Charter Academy graduate doesn’t dismiss the impact the sport had on his life. “I love the sport. It definitely changed my life,” Roberts said. “Speaking on my younger self, I was a little bit of a wild child.” Roberts is the only four-time state place finisher in UCA history. He placed…

12 Aug

Post 45 cherishes season’s successes, improvements

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Carter Brown, Hunter Atkins, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Tyler Parks

Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh, center, makes a mound visit in extra innings in the Southeast Regional to check on pitcher Hunter Atkins, right. Catcher Caleb Dunn looks on. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Hunter Atkins built a reputation largely as a hitter during high school for Randleman’s baseball team. But that’s far from his only attribute, something that was on display at times during the American Legion season for Randolph County Post 45. In what became the season finale, Atkins threw six innings of relief against eventual regional champion Florence (S.C.) Post 1. It came while he labored…

11 Aug

ZooKeepers finish CPL baseball season with positives

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, McCrary Park, summer college baseball

By the end of many games, the scoreboard numbers didn’t add up well for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The good times for the Asheboro ZooKeepers mostly came late in the season for the collegiate summer baseball team. The ZooKeepers finished with a 20-24 record in the Coastal Plain League, winning just two of their last six games. Their 12-11 mark in the second half was the second-best record in the West Division. That was improvement from 2022, when Asheboro’s 14-33 overall record was the worst in the CPL. The leading batter for the ZooKeepers was second…

10 Aug

Widespread success reshapes Eastern Randolph’s reputation

Bob SuttonSportsDevonte Brooks, Eastern Randolph athletics, Foster Cates, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Prep Basketball, prep football

Among the thrills for Eastern Randolph during the past school year came following a road victory against South Stokes in the boys’ basketball state playoffs as coach Johnny Thomas and the team celebrate. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RAMSEUR – Eastern Randolph had a different kind of school year in 2022-23. For athletics director Foster Cates, the perception of athletics at the school might be changing. That’s because the Wildcats advanced to the Class 1-A state championship game in boys’ basketball. That had never happened before. “It has been such a football and baseball dominant school forever,” Cates said. “I wanted…

08 Aug

Providence Grove finds next girls’ coach

Bob SuttonSportsDylan Eppley, Johnathan Gainey, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Providence Grove athletics

CLIMAX – Providence Grove moved quickly this summer to hire a new girls’ basketball coach. Johnathan Gainey is the new coach, filling the vacancy caused by the departure of Dylan Eppley. Gainey previously coached girls’ teams at Winston-Salem Prep and Winston-Salem Reynolds. He also was the boys’ basketball coach at his alma mater, Kernersville Glenn. Eppley left Providence Grove after three seasons to become the boys’ basketball coach at Southern Alamance. “I felt like this was a move that I needed,” Eppley said of a chance to expand his professional experiences. Eppley’s Providence Grove teams had a 26-37 record, including…