First-year Asheboro coach Calvin Brown, shown here during a practice earlier this month, is encouraged by improvement from the Blue Comets. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – Another phase of Asheboro football takes form with the beginning of the season under first-year coach Calvin Brown.
There’s a new set of optimism for the Blue Comets, who’ve won a total of two games the past three seasons. The season begins with Friday night’s home game against Albemarle.
“There’s a lot of excitement in Asheboro,” said Brown, who arrived after seven seasons as Providence Grove’s coach. “We’re not going to start winning games because (I) showed up. We’re not miracle workers.”
Brown brought along a familiar staff and hopes to see what he views as an athletic roster of players churn out victories.
“Things are going better than I expected,” he said. “We’ve gotten a lot better from spring ball all the way until now.”
The Blue Comets will need to set the tone defensively, particularly early in the season, Brown said. It’s taking longer for the offense to develop much consistency.
Asheboro gave up 45.3 points per game last year.
“We’re very athletic,” Brown said. “I’m hoping, especially early on, we can use that speed defensively.”
The quarterback will be Logan Laughlin, a junior who transferred this summer from Randleman. He emerged ahead of Elijah Woodle.
“Very gifted, very talented,” Brown said of Laughlin, who was a back-up with Randleman last year.
Brown said he likes the potential impact from receivers who’ve come up from the junior varsity. Senior running backs Kai Matthews, TJ Mark and Jaylon Moore should offer the core of the rushing attack.
Staff matters
The now-former Providence Grove staff members who’ve joined Brown are defensive coordinator Glen Hunt, who was also the Patriots’ baseball coach, offensive coordinator Grant Hardy, offensive line coach Jacob Parrish and defensive backs coach Jeremy Taylor.
“A big thing for a head football coach is coaching your assistant coaches to do your things and that’s one thing I haven’t had to do,” Brown said. “(Asheboro was) committed to those guys so they could come as soon as they could be freed up. I wasn’t going anywhere without those guys.”
Also coming from Providence Grove is Wes Luther, who was the boys’ basketball coach and wasn’t on the football staff. He’ll coach tight ends.
Asheboro’s other assistant coaches are defensive line coach Jerry Spencer, who was at Eden Morehead the past two years and a former head coach at East Montgomery, and running backs coach Charlie Jones, whose retirement after being Bishop McGuinness’ head coach was short-lived. Nick Goard, who was on the Asheboro staff the past three years, was retained as an assistant coach working with the defense.
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Prep football — Week 1
Friday night’s games
Albemarle at Asheboro
Thomasville at Randleman
Eastern Alamance at Eastern Randolph
Providence Grove at East Davidson
Southwestern Randolph at Western Guilford
Trinity at Starmount
Wheatmore at West Davidson
