Blog

PREP ROUNDUP: UCA wins PAC Tournament in volleyball; Providence Grove runners claim titles

PREP ROUNDUP: UCA wins PAC Tournament in volleyball; Providence Grove runners claim titles

Third-seeded Uwharrie Charter Academy upset top-seeded Southwestern Randolph to win the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament for volleyball Wednesday night. The Eagles won 24-26, 16-25, 25-23, 25-13,15-13 against the host school. UCA swept Trinity and Randleman earlier in the week to reach the final. Southwestern Randolph, which swept Wheatmore in the semifinals after a first-round bye, had been undefeated in PAC play. The Cougars received 29 kills and nine digs from Payton Shiflet, 22 digs from Coley Shiflet and 19 digs from Carleigh Whitson. Raegan LeRoy added 39 assists and 17 digs. UCA (17-5) heads to the Class 2-A state playoffs…
Read More
Uwharrie Charter Academy tops SWR for volleyball title

Uwharrie Charter Academy tops SWR for volleyball title

ASHEBORO — Uwharrie Charter Academy rallied from two sets down to beat in-county rival Southwestern Randolph and capture the Piedmont Athletic Conference Touranment for volleyball Wednesday night. SWR took the first set 26-24 and the second set 25-16. Facing a win-or-go-home third set, UCA charged back to capture the third set 25-13. The Eagles took the fourth set 25-13 and the deciding fifth set 15-13. Southwestern Randolph finished 12-0 in regular-season conference play and will play host to the first round of the state playoffs Saturday in SWR's Castelloe Gym. For the Cougars, Payton Shiflet had 29 kills and nine…
Read More
County schools to spend some COVID relief funds on employee bonuses

County schools to spend some COVID relief funds on employee bonuses

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Public School System will pay every employee a $5,000 bonus, according to a resolution adopted by the school board on Monday. The resolution says the bonuses will be paid from funds received by the system from the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds from the federal government. Randolph County Schools has received nearly $50 million in ESSER funding which was included in the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide premium pay to employees and substitutes to address COVID-related disruptions and staff shortages. According to the school board, substitutes who work…
Read More
Patriots primed for crucial busy slate

Patriots primed for crucial busy slate

Providence Grove's Zane Cheek scores a touchdown in the first quarter against Trinity in a 49-14 victory Monday night in Cilmax. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL   Providence Grove treads through hectic week of games CLIMAX – A schedule packed with critical games is coming fast for Providence Grove’s football team. The importance of each of those continues to be magnified for the Patriots, who’ll play for the third time in eight days Friday night when Southwestern Randolph visits. “I told our guys that as long as I’ve done it, I’ve never done anything like this,” coach Calvin Brown said Monday…
Read More
Early voting tops 100 after opening days

Early voting tops 100 after opening days

ASHEBORO – A total of 115 voters cast ballots during one-stop early voting last week for municipal elections in Randolph County. Early voting began Oct. 14 at the Randolph County Board of Elections office on North Fayetteville Street in Asheboro. The first-week total involved the total for the first two days. Early voting continues through 3 p.m. Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 2, when voters must cast ballots at their designated polling places. Municipal elections are on the ballot this cycle, including Asheboro City School Board.
Read More
School COVID numbers decline

School COVID numbers decline

ASHEBORO — Positive cases and quarantines in schools are on the decline in Randolph County and around the country. In the Asheboro City Schools, 13 positive cases were reported last week resulting in 43 people quarantined. In Randolph County Schools, there were 73 positive cases and 361 people quarantined. Just 10 of the 361 people quarantined were from a school exposure. Asheboro City Schools reported a 33% reduction in positive cases in the first three weeks of October compared to the first three weeks of September. Randolph County reported a 46% reduction in positive cases during the same period. Last…
Read More
PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Cougars’ comeback leads to record night

PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Cougars’ comeback leads to record night

Southwestern Randolph’s Eli Gravely makes a catch over Randleman’s Jozey Akines. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL Southwestern Randolph hits seven wins as Cole collects school TD mark RANDLEMAN -- It took a record-breaking performance for Southwestern Randolph to win its latest football game. And that could mean more records for the Cougars this season. Southwestern Randolph overcame host Randleman for a 28-23 victory Friday night. Junior receiver Adam Cole scored two touchdowns to set the single-season school record for touchdowns. The Cougars (7-1, 2-1 Piedmont Athletic Conference) have matched the school record for wins. They’ll try to break that in Friday…
Read More
Quite a Fair growth spurt

Quite a Fair growth spurt

Andrew Vial of Liberty brought the largest watermelon in North Carolina State Fair history (The North State Journal) Liberty man sets mark with large watermelons ASHEBORO — Andrew Vial calls growing big watermelons a hobby. Yet for the Liberty man, it’s truly a passion. He took another watermelon to a big stage and collected another special distinction. His 341-pound watermelon was the largest ever at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. “You just don’t get melons like that every day,” Vial said. Vial, who calls his remodeling carpentry work his full-time job, said he logs 50 to 60 hours…
Read More
Eastern Randolph makes shift to 1-A classification

Eastern Randolph makes shift to 1-A classification

Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks runs the ball against Southwestern Randolph during a Piedmont Athletic Conference football game Oct. 1 in Ramseur. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL RAMSEUR – For a school with so much athletic success through the years, it might be strange to view Eastern Randolph as the little guy. But that’s how the Wildcats are listed when it comes to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Eastern Randolph is a Class 1-A school, reflecting the group with the smallest enrollment. “For 1-A, we’re not bad,” football coach Burton Cates said. In football, the Wildcats are undefeated this season…
Read More
New Miss Randolph County crowned

New Miss Randolph County crowned

(L-R) Heather Young, Alyssa Millikan, Lauryn Mallard, and Karie Grace Shields. (Photos courtesy of the Miss Randolph County Pageant Committee.) UNC-Greensboro student wins first competition in two years RANDLEMAN – A UNC-Greensboro student and a Uwharrie Charter student will represent Randolph County at the Miss North Carolina scholarship competition in 2022. Lauryn Mallard, a native of Advance, captured the crown of Miss Randolph County Saturday night at the Randleman Elementary School auditorium. High schooler Alyssa Millikan will serve as Miss Randolph County’s Outstanding Teen. Mallard performed a lyrical dance in the talent portion of the competition and chose “St. Jude’s…
Read More