Bob Sutton - Randolph Record

20 Apr

Asheboro runs away in Randolph County track and field championships

Bob SuttonSportsAdam Cole, Asheboro Blue Comets, Brecken Snotherly, Jalaya Showers, Lance Everhart, prep track and field, randolph county, Zach Hazelwood

Numerous schools have stellar results for individuals ASHEBORO – Asheboro’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams were superior in the Randolph County Championships on Tuesday. But the Blue Comets had plenty of company from entrants from other schools when it came to special individual performances. On the girls’ side, Brecken Snotherly of Eastern Randolph won four events on the track and Randleman’s Gracie Beane was strong in field events. Asheboro’s Jalaya Showers, Wheatmore’s Ariel Martin and Trinity’s Kensley Fox also won multiple individual events. In boys’ races, Southwestern Randolph’s Adam Cole was the top sprinter, Asheboro’s Nicolas Chavez claimed…

18 Apr

Varner leaves post as Randleman girls’ coach

Bob SuttonSportsBrandon Varner, nchsaa, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics

Coach Brandon Varner had Randleman’s girls’ basketball team on a winning path. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN – Brandon Varner’s wildly successful five-season stretch as Randleman’s girls’ basketball coach has come to an end. “Just time to step away,” Varner said. “The biggest thing was the time I was putting into basketball. There’s really no breaks.” Under Varner, the Tigers went 103-20, with half those defeats coming in his first season when the team went 15-10. Varner, 40, will remain as athletics director at Randleman Middle School, where he also is on the football staff. “It was just getting to be…

17 Apr

Prep Baseball: Patriots pin streak-halting loss on Randleman

Bob SuttonSportsAndrew Canter, Hunter Atkins, Lemuel Coltrane, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Providence Grove athletics, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Seth Way

Logan Fox of Providence Grove had a role in tight baseball games with Randleman last week. (Randolph Record file photo) Providence Grove did what might have seemed like the unthinkable in Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball last week. The Patriots knocked off state power Randleman and ended a multi-year streak of domination. “Probably was unexpected,” Providence Grove coach Glen Hunt said. “Not a lot of people thought we could go in and win that game.” Providence Grove’s 3-2 victory halted Randleman’s 38-game winning streak against conference opponents that spread across parts of five seasons. And two days later, the Patriots nearly…

14 Apr

Finalists for next RCC president to visit

Bob SuttonNewspresident, Randolph Community College, RCC

ASHEBORO — Four finalists to fill the vacancy as Randolph Community College’s next president are expected to visit the campus next week. Based on the list of candidates released from the college, the next president will come from an out-of-state job, though one of them has ties to the Triad. Here’s the list: ** John Grosskopf, president of North Florida College (in Madison, Fla.). ** Dr. Jeremy Thomas, provost of Oklahoma City College. ** Dr. Shah Ardalan, president of Lone Star College-University Park (in Houston). ** Dr. George McNulty, president of Gogebic Community College (in Ironwood, Mich). In March,…

13 Apr

Former Wheatmore coach takes Trinity football job

Bob SuttonSportsBear Bradley, piedmont athletic conference, prep football, Trinity athletics

TRINITY – Bear Bradley is taking a job as a football head coach at a school in Randolph County. Even though it’s a different stop than in a previous role, he said it feels like a return to a comfort zone. Bradley has become the football coach at Trinity, leaving a similar position at Southern Guilford. “The more I got thinking about it, I think it was one of those things, I already had some of those relationships,” Bradley said. “To be back in Randolph County, and people you’ve known. There’s a family atmosphere and you’re welcomed.” Bradley spent four…

06 Apr

Mazzarone maintains rapid rate of strikeouts for Patriots

Bob SuttonSportsEmma Mazzarone, piedmont athletic conference, Prep softball, Providence Grove athletics, Virginia Tech

Emma Mazzarone of Providence Grove fires a pitch earlier this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Providence Grove senior pitcher holds dominating form CLIMAX – Emma Mazzarone doesn’t mind the workload that comes with being Providence Grove’s ace softball pitcher. She keeps on striking out batters at a staggering rate. “Before every game, I’ll try not to put a number in my head,” Mazzarone said of strikeout totals. “I try to pitch to certain batters to strike them out. And if they get a hit, more power to them. I’m really just focused on what I’m going to pitch to each and…

25 Mar

Randleman Tigers adopt new script, keep on winning in baseball

Bob SuttonSportsAdam Cole, Hunter Atkins, Jake Smith, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman baseball, Seth Way, Southwestern Randolph baseball

Randleman’s Hunter Atkins takes a swing during a game earlier this season at Eastern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The script looks a bit different, but Randleman’s baseball team has kept the winning formula. The two-time reigning Class 2-A state champions are cranking out victories on a regular basis. “We’ve had some tough games that we’ve battled through,” shortstop Hunter Atkins said. “We’ve just been competing. It’s just about competing when it comes down to it. Our team has the grit.” And Randleman owns an 8-2 overall record. The Tigers have made it halfway through their 12-game Piedmont Athletic…

14 Mar

Prep softball: Patriots go through process in new season

Bob SuttonSportsEmma Mazzarone, Macie Crutchfield, Prep softball, Providence Grove athletics, Providence Grove softball, Southwestern Randolph

Providence Grove’s Leela Von Der Hay tags out Southwestern Randolph’s Madison Varner. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) CLIMAX – Some growing pains are going to be part of the process for Providence Grove’s softball team this season. That’s fine with coach Tim Brown as long as the Patriots show progress. Providence Grove was undefeated in the regular season last year, but five starters are gone from that team. “Comparing everything to last year would be difficult for everybody,” senior pitcher Emma Mazzarone said. “It was a special team. This year could be special, too. You can’t compare to last year because it…

08 Mar

Archdale lands packaging company

Bob SuttonBusiness, NewsArchdale, business, economy, packaging

ARCHDALE — Archdale has another manufacturing operation coming that should boost jobs in the area. Axium Packaging, a manufacturer of packaging and containers, will create 118 jobs in Randolph County across a three-year period, according to last week’s announcement from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office. The company will invest $32 million to build a manufacturing facility in Archdale. “We’re really happy to see it,” Archdale mayor Lewis Dorsett said. “We’ve been working on getting that site ready for more than a year.” Headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, Axium is a manufacturer of packaging for personal care, household chemical, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, and…

07 Mar

College baseball: Thomas notches wins at UNCG; Gardner receives USA South honors

Bob SuttonSportsBrody Gardner, College baseball, Eastern Randolph, Luke Thomas, Providence Grove, Randleman, Randleman baseball, Ryan White

Luke Thomas at UNCG Several alums from Randolph County schools have produced notable opening stretches in their collegiate baseball careers. Providence Grove alum Luke Thomas was the winning pitcher in his collegiate debut, throwing 1 2/3 shutout innings when UNC Greensboro defeated Northeastern on Feb. 18 in the second game of the season. The Spartans scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The next day, Thomas took the loss when giving up four late-inning runs to Northeastern. In the season’s second week, Thomas had two outings against Notre Dame, throwing one hitless inning in the second game…