Blog - Randolph Record

22 Jun

Post 45 rolls through busy week

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Ben Luck, Brett Smith, Clay Hill, Cohen Caviness, Grat Dalton, Jake Riddle, Lincoln Coble, Parker Kines, Randolph County Post 45, Tate Andrews

Randolph County Post 45's Jake Riddle throws a pitch during a game last week at McCrary Park. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO — Randolph County Post 45 played six times across a seven-day stretch and won each one of those games. That creates momentum for the American Legion baseball team as it enters the teeth of its Area 3 schedule. Post 45 improved to 11-3 entering this week. Braxton Walker drove in three runs and pitched the final two innings as Randolph County began the stretch with a 9-6 home victory against Chatham County Post 305. Post 45 notched…

21 Jun

Nine is enough: Post 81 figures out path to success with low numbers

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Bryson Marley, Cade McCallum, Chance Holdaway, Eastern Randolph, Liberty Post 81, Nate Cockman

Eastern Randolph rising juniors Cade McCallum, left, and Chance Holdaway have been key players for Liberty Post 81. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) RAMSEUR — The victories have started to add up for Liberty Post 81 even if the nightly roster numbers haven’t. But the American Legion baseball team is making the best of the recent situation, winning five games in a row through the weekend. “We’re just barely making it through,” Post 81 player Chance Holdaway said. “Sometimes everybody shows up. Sometimes only nine people show up. We just got to play with what we got.” Liberty has gone…

20 Jun

Ropin’ Roosters set up coop for summer baseball in Ramseur

Bob SuttonSportsCaleb Dunn, Canaan Sheppard, Craven Stadium, Jake Little, Old North State League, Providence Grove, Ramseur, Randolph Ropin' Roosters, Shane Worth, summer college baseball

Former Providence Grove pitcher Canaan Sheppard delivers a pitch for the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) RAMSEUR — The Randolph Ropin’ Roosters are a new summer collegiate baseball team making their home in Ramseur. There’s a local element with the rosters along with coach Shane Worth, who coaches the high school team at Providence Grove. “They called in November,” Worth said. “I’ve coached JUCO before and this level before. It’s a learning process.” The Old North State League team is comprised mostly of junior college players or Division III players. “It don’t seem any different. It’s college…

19 Jun

Walters captures two Chargers victories at Caraway Speedway

Randolph RecordSportsBrandon Mock, Caraway speedway, Jaxson Casper, Jerry Kidd, Mason Walters, Stock car racing

Mason Walters, second from right, won two races Saturday night at Caraway Speedway. (Caraway Speedway photo) SOPHIA — Mason Walters won both Chargers races during Saturday night’s action at Caraway Speedway. Walters edged points leader Matthew Smith in the first of the two 20-lap races. In the second race, Walters passed Cory Wilson with two laps remaining for the victory. Wilson was the runner-up after a third-place finish in the first race. ** In UCARs, Tito Clapp held off fast qualifier Jeremy Kidd in the 25-lap race. Clapp led on an inverted restart and never relinquished the front position. Jimmy…

18 Jun

City of Asheboro approves 2025-26 budget

Ryan HenkelGovernment, NewsAsheboro City Council, City of Asheboro, Donald Duncan

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro City Council approved its 2025-26 operating budget, which is balanced at about $75.7 million, at its June meeting. Of that, the general fund is balanced at approximately $50.5 million, which is approximately a $2 million increase from the prior year, mostly due to personnel expenses, city manager Donald Duncan said. “We’re going to do a base pay increase for every full-time employee of $2,000, except for fire and police, who are getting a $3,000 increase because that is where our biggest deficit is in trying to recruit and keep good talent,” Duncan said. Essentially half of…

18 Jun

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Brady Collins

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Brady Collins, prep baskteball, prep football, Prep golf, Providence Grove Patriots

Providence Grove, football, basketball, golf Collins excelled throughout the school year, capped by his All-Piedmont Athletic Conference status in boys’ golf as a senior. Collins had big impacts during his career in football and basketball as well. He also had been a member of the baseball program. A linebacker, Collins was among the state’s leading tacklers during the 2024 regular season in football. Collins was the PAC runner-up in golf. He was a multi-time all-conference selection in football and golf. He was picked for all-conference in basketball for 2023-24.

17 Jun

Trinity hires alums as new coaches

Randolph RecordSportsMichael Sink, prep baskteball, prep soccer, Trinity Bulldogs

Molly Welch TRINITY — Molly Welch will be the new girls’ basketball coach at Trinity following the tenure of coach Michael Sink. Welch, a 2008 Trinity graduate, is a former assistant coach for the program from 2009-11 under her mother, Renee Croker Hayes. The Bulldogs are coming off an 8-17 season under coach Michael Sink. The team’s last winning season came in 2016-17. Welch has been back at Trinity since 2023 in various positions, including girls’ golf coach. She coached girls’ basketball at the middle school level. The appointment of Welch was one of several announced for Trinity teams. Each…

16 Jun

Time with ZooKeepers can be period of transition for transfers

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, Rylen Stockton, summer college baseball, transfer portal

Rylen Stockton (ZooKeepers photo) ASHEBORO — When Rylen Stockton signed up to play this summer for the Asheboro ZooKeepers, he was a member of UNC Asheville’s baseball team. Yet a couple of weeks ago when it was his turn to go to the plate for the ZooKeepers, the introduction said he plays for Maryland. That’s part of the evolving nature of collegiate summer baseball. “I just committed to Maryland a few days ago,” Stockton said June 3. So after one season with UNC Asheville, the catcher from Sarasota, Florida, will be heading elsewhere in August when he reports for his…

16 Jun

Randolph County Agricultural Center construction reaches late stages

Bob SuttonNewsrandolph county, Randolph County Agricultural Center, Taylor Wright

The main sign is up as work continues in advance of the opening of the Randolph County Agricultural Center. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO — The opening of the Randolph County Agricultural Center is a few months away. Construction work is in the late stages on the 104 acres purchased by Randolph County in 2016. “Folks are definitely getting more curious about what’s out there,” Taylor Wright, the agricultural center’s coordinator, said last week. Wright said a fall completion should be in the works after initial projections had targeted an opening for this past January. The site is off…

15 Jun

Post 45 seeks good blend with returners, newcomers

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Jackson Hill, Liberty Post 81, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh

There’s a different mix in the Randolph County Post 45 dugout this year for American Legion baseball. (P.J. Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – There might be good pieces to the puzzle for Randolph County Post 45’s baseball team. It’s largely a new roster from a year ago, so manager Ronnie Pugh will see how it all comes together after seeing encouraging results during the first stretch of the season. There are players representing numerous high schools in the area and that’s the blend Post 45 will be counting on this summer. “We played against or with each other for…