Bob Sutton - Randolph Record

09 May

Everhart makes big jumps for Blue Comets

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Class 3-A, Lance Everhart, Mid-Piedmont Conference, prep track and field

Lance Everhart of Asheboro is a versatile track and field athlete with big goals. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) Asheboro senior sets high bar in field events ASHEBORO – Lance Everhart has found plenty of worthwhile events in track and field, but he knows what he likes best. “High jump, most definitely,” the Asheboro senior said. He has jumped into the conversation on a statewide level as one of the top leapers. The next phase of the postseason comes with Saturday’s Class 3-A Midwest Regional at Robinson High School in Concord. Everhart has a personal-best mark of 6 feet, 6 inches –…

08 May

Hoogkamp leaves baseball post following Asheboro’s playoff loss (updated)

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brett Hoogkamp, Class 3-A, Mid-Piedmont Conference, Prep baseball

Asheboro baseball coach Brett Hoogkamp makes a mound visit during a game this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Asheboro baseball coach Brett Hoogkamp has stepped down, but he’s bound to be involved in area athletics again. Hoogkamp announced his intentions to resign shortly after the Blue Comets lost in the first round of the Class 3-A state playoffs Tuesday night. He finished his eighth season in the position. “It has been a good eight years,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it. Once I got into coaching, it was kind of a dream of mine (to be a head coach) and I got…

07 May

Sportsplex grand opening comes with partnership in Asheboro

Bob SuttonEvents, NewsAsheboro, Cone Health, David Smith, mayor, Zoo City Sportsplex

Asheboro mayor David Smith speaks during the grand opening of Zoo City Sportsplex. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Cone Health offers support in 25-year sponsorship ASHEBORO – The City of Asheboro has partnered with Cone Health to the tune of a $5 million arrangement associated with the Zoo City Sportsplex. Cone Health is the exclusive health care partner of the project, which was undertaken with city funding along with support from community groups. It’s a 25-year deal with sponsorship at $5 million. The Cone Health logo was unveiled on sportsplex signage during Saturday’s grand opening and ribbon cutting. The logo will be…

06 May

UCA teams seeded high for state playoffs in baseball, softball; Most area teams to start on road

Bob SuttonSportsclass 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, Prep baseball, Prep softball, state playoffs

Uwharrie Charter Academy softball and baseball teams have high seeds in the West Region for the state playoffs. The seeds, which were announced Monday by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, have both teams in line to play in regional finals in a couple of weeks. But there’s plenty of work to be done by then. The playoffs begin Tuesday, with potential second-round games Thursday or Friday. *** BASEBALL *** In Class 1-A, defending state champion UCA (20-5) is seeded No. 2, with a home game vs. No. 31 Bradford Prep (3-13). Eastern Randolph (9-16), which was a regional…

06 May

Coyote from Uwharrie National Forest tests positive for rabies

Bob SuttonNewscoyotes, Montgomery County, randolph county, U.S. Forest Service, Uwharrie National Forest

Attack creates concern in Uwharrie National Forest The U.S. Forest Service is warning visitors to be on alert following coyote attacks on a trail in the Uwharrie National Forest with the animal testing positive for rabies. Montgomery County Animal Services confirmed late last week that the coyote responsible for recent attacks had the rabies virus. “Recent months have witnessed a notable rise in confirmed and suspected cases of rabies in both wild and domestic animals, particularly in the western portions of our county,” according to Montgomery County Animal Services. Adam Rondeau of the U.S. Forest Service said Monday that Montgomery…

04 May

Dunbar relishes dual roles with Asheboro ZooKeepers baseball team

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Korey Dunbar, McCrary Park, Melissa Godwin, North Carolina Tar Heels, summer college baseball

Here’s Asheboro ZooKeepers general manager/coach Korey Dunbar outside the new ticket booth at McCrary Park. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) Coach adds front-office duties for college summer team ASHEBORO – Korey Dunbar saw the advantages of adding the title of general manager with the Asheboro ZooKeepers. He’ll combine that role with his duties as the team’s second-year coach for the Coastal Plain League team, which begins play later this month. Melissa Godwin stepped away from the general manager’s role after one year in the position. Last fall, Dunbar became interested in an expanded role. “We talked through some things,” he said. “It…

02 May

UCA Eagles dethrone Randleman in PAC Tournament for baseball

Bob SuttonSportsAlex Carver, Brett Smith, Carter Brown, PAC Tournament, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman Tigers, Trey Kennedy, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

RANDLEMAN – Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team went where it had never gone before Thursday night. Claiming the championship in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Brett Smith pitched a seven-hitter with nine strikeouts and the Eagles came up with clutch hits, with Carter Brown providing three run-producing singles and Alex Carver homering in visiting UCA’s 6-1 victory in the PAC Tournament championship game. “We hadn’t beaten them since we joined the conference,” Brown said. “We had that mindset that we’re going to play good and we should come out and win. We came with the confidence that we could beat them.”…

30 Apr

Grand opening for sportsplex signals next step for major project

Bob SuttonEvents, News, SportsCity of Asheboro, David Smith, Jonathan Sermon, mayor, Zoo City Sportsplex

Here’s a look at Zoo City Sportsplex, a massive multi-purpose park in Asheboro, from last June. The grand opening is this weekend. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) Largest park in Asheboro will offer various activities ASHEBORO – A years-long process of creating a multi-purpose athletic complex is close to the finishing stage. Zoo City Sportsplex has been part of a vision for many city officials, gradually coming to fruition with about six years of construction. “People have been so excited to see and use the sportsplex and they’ve waited patiently,” Asheboro mayor David Smith said. “It’s time to let everyone enjoy it.”…

25 Apr

Baseball tourneys coming to Asheboro; Southwestern Randolph has coaching change

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro, McCrary Park, Mid-Piedmont Conference, NCISAA, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Prep softball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars

ASHEBORO – High school postseason baseball – and some softball – will be happening in Asheboro even if there’s not an in-county team involved. Next week, Asheboro will be the host school for next week’s semifinal and final rounds in the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament for both baseball and softball. Those matchups will come after quarterfinal games, which will definitely involve Asheboro, are contested at the site of the higher seeds. The baseball semifinals and final will be at McCrary Park. In baseball and softball, the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament begins Monday with games at the highest seed. For baseball, Randleman…

23 Apr

Caraway Speedway alters slate for Late Models

Bob SuttonSportsCaraway speedway, Darren Hackett, Late Models division, Stock car racing

Low car counts cause changes in key division SOPHIA – Changes are coming to the Late Models division just a few weeks into the Caraway Speedway season. After the division was scratched from the racing card for the first slated race of April because of low entry numbers, track officials revised the plan for that class. “We are not giving up on the division,” speedway owner Darren Hackett said, making it clear the class won’t be eliminated. “We will however, rework the 2024 schedule to give more teams the chance to compete with us without having a schedule that conflicts…