Bob Sutton - Randolph Record

03 Jan

Marsh finds Liberty destination as Asheboro baseball prospects set futures

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Davis Gore, Gage Miller, Prep baseball, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Tanner Marsh, Trevor Marsh

Asheboro shortstop Tanner Marsh makes a throw during the 2022 season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Asheboro’s baseball prospects make various choices ASHEBORO – Tanner Marsh said he had lots of guidance when determining his best path in baseball after he leaves Asheboro High School. That ultimately led the versatile player to signing with Liberty during the fall signing period. “All of my brothers are in college playing baseball and I had good advice,” Marsh said. He also had extensive playing time in the summer, largely with Randolph County Post 45. He said manager Ronnie Pugh and the staff helped him boost…

31 Dec

Championships help define 2022 for Randolph County sports

Bob SuttonSportsAldo Hernandez, Asheboro Zookeepers, Brooks Brannon, David Makupson, Grayson Roberts, McCrary Park, nchsaa, prep sports, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Tot Hill Farm Golf Club, Wheatmore soccer

Summer Bowman of Wheatmore reacts after scoring a goal against Clinton in the Class 2-A state championship game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Here’s a recap of notable Randolph County-related sports stories for 2022: ** Asheboro’s summer collegiate baseball team undergoes a rebranding that includes a name change. The new name is the Asheboro ZooKeepers in a switch from Asheboro Copperheads. ** Randleman’s girls’ basketball team goes through an undefeated regular season and completes a 25-1 season. The lone loss came in the Class 2-A West Region semifinals to Shelby. ** David Makupson of Trinity captures a state championship in Class 2-A…

28 Dec

2022 marked by issues involving jobs, politics, education in Randolph County

Bob SuttonNews2022 politics, 2022 review, economy, festivals, growth, jobs, randolph county, Year in Review

ASHEBORO — Looking for big news in Randolph County this year and it was bound to be mega-sized. As in revolving around the Greensboro-Randolph megasite. While the announcement that Toyota came late in 2021, the real work involving the megasite and all that will be involved with the battery manufacturing plant seemed to pick up real momentum in 2022. This will be Toyota’s newest facility in North America. Toyota has vowed to pour huge investment dollars into the megasite, a move that had the Randolph County Board of Commissioners on board with pushing for the project. For the months that…

25 Dec

Fields set for big high school holiday basketball tournaments

Bob SuttonSportsCalvin Brown, Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic, Prep Basketball

Asheboro’s Hakemme Butler goes up for a shot as Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Ethan Kinney, left, and Walker Wilkins look on. Both teams are in this week’s Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic, though at different sites. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) CLIMAX – The Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic is set for another go-around using two sites, but the field isn’t quite as big as last year. This week’s girls’ and boys’ basketball tournaments will have one slight difference in terms of number of teams. Providence Grove and Ledford are the sites. But the Providence Grove site has only seven girls’ and seven boys’ entrants, so that…

22 Dec

Prep Football Notes: More changes come in Mid-Piedmont Conference; Asheboro man coaches 13-win team

Bob SuttonSportsAndrew Carrouth, Asheboro Blue Comets, Calvin Brown, Eastern Randolph, Mid-Piedmont Conference, nchsaa, prep football

Mount Airy players cling to Eastern Randolph's Ervodd Cassady during the Class 1-A West Regional semifinal in November. Mount Airy went on to win the state championship. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) The coaching change at Asheboro isn’t the only change atop a football program in the Mid-Piedmont Conference. Calvin Brown is leaving Providence Grove to be Asheboro’s new coach, replacing Blake Brewer. Oak Grove has lost coach Mark Holcomb, who has taken the job at Bishop McGuinness. Holcomb, a former coach at North Davidson, had been at Oak Grove for all six seasons that the program existed. Oak Grove was 11-1…

20 Dec

Prep Notes: 41-point mark hit twice by area boys; UCA, Trinity wrestlers excel

Bob SuttonSportsAldo Hernandez, Ashton Troutman, Davonte Brooks, Dominic Payne, Elizabeth York, Grayson Roberts, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, prep wrestling, Spencer May, Xavier Santos

Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks goes up for a shot last week against Wheatmore. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) It was a big week for top scorers around Randolph County basketball last week. Dominic Payne of Trinity and Davonte Brooks of Eastern Randolph were in the same category at times. Payne poured in 41 points Friday in a 65-64 victory at Uwharrie Charter Academy. On the same night, Brooks posted 41 points in a 99-47 romp at Wheatmore. Teammate Timothy Brower had 28 points. Wheatmore’s Parker Kines had more than half of his team’s points in that game with 26. Payne scored…

14 Dec

Manufacturing jobs coming to Archdale

Bob SuttonNewsArchdale, Sumitomo Forestry America

ARCHDALE — Archdale should receive a boost on the jobs front, with Sumitomo Forestry America establishing a manufacturing facility in the city and other businesses also potentially adding to their workforces. The investment of $19.5 million should result in the creation of 129 jobs with Sumitomo Forestry based on an announcement from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office last week. That’s not the only potential boost that could impact the Archdale area. Officials at Thomas Built Buses in Archdale announced earlier this month that 150 new workers might be needed for the company. The uptick at Thomas Built Buses comes as the…

13 Dec

New Asheboro football coach: ‘A great opportunity’

Bob SuttonBusiness, SportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Asheboro football, Calvin Brown, prep football, Providence Grove athletics, Providence Grove football

Calvin Brown was introduced Monday as Asheboro High School's new football coach. He spent the past seven seasons in that role at Providence Grove. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Calvin Brown will try to get Asheboro’s football program back on a winning path. “We want to compete on Friday nights and I know that’s what Asheboro expects,” Brown said Monday. “We want to change the culture and bring back the winning atmosphere.” Brown is leaving Providence Grove, where he directed sustained success, to become coach of the Blue Comets. Among more than 40 applicants, Brown was a clear choice for the…

12 Dec

Prep Notes: Girls’ players Gentry, York hit special marks

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Autumn Gentry, Elizabeth York, Gracyn Hall, Prep Basketball, prep wrestling, Randleman athletics, Trinity athletics

Trinity’s Autumn Gentry takes a shot against East Davidson last week. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) TRINITY – There were special occasions last week for a couple of area girls’ basketball players. Senior Autumn Gentry became Trinity’s all-time leading scorer. She scored 14 points against visiting East Davidson to reach the record. The previous record of 1,252 was held by Jordan Parker. Randleman’s Elizabeth York, a senior guard, eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career. York had 24 points in a 57-41 victory against visiting Central Davidson in the game when she reached the milestone. Teammate Gracyn Hall, who passed the 1,000-point…

11 Dec

Asheboro hires Providence Grove’s Brown as next football coach

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Asheboro football, Blake Brewer, Calvin Brown, prep football, Providence Grove football

Here's Calvin Brown during Providence Grove's 2022 game at Asheboro (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Calvin Brown will try to get Asheboro’s football program back on a winning path. Brown is leaving Providence Grove, where he directed sustained success, to become coach of the Blue Comets. Brown’s Providence Grove teams were 42-34 in seven seasons. He guided the Patriots to their first postseason football victory in school history earlier this fall as part of an 8-4 record. Brown takes the position held by Blake Brewer, a former Asheboro quarterback whose three-season record was 2-25 as head coach. The Blue Comets…