Sports - Randolph Record

12 Aug

Post 45 cherishes season’s successes, improvements

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Carter Brown, Hunter Atkins, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Tyler Parks

Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh, center, makes a mound visit in extra innings in the Southeast Regional to check on pitcher Hunter Atkins, right. Catcher Caleb Dunn looks on. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Hunter Atkins built a reputation largely as a hitter during high school for Randleman’s baseball team. But that’s far from his only attribute, something that was on display at times during the American Legion season for Randolph County Post 45. In what became the season finale, Atkins threw six innings of relief against eventual regional champion Florence (S.C.) Post 1. It came while he labored…

11 Aug

ZooKeepers finish CPL baseball season with positives

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, McCrary Park, summer college baseball

By the end of many games, the scoreboard numbers didn’t add up well for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The good times for the Asheboro ZooKeepers mostly came late in the season for the collegiate summer baseball team. The ZooKeepers finished with a 20-24 record in the Coastal Plain League, winning just two of their last six games. Their 12-11 mark in the second half was the second-best record in the West Division. That was improvement from 2022, when Asheboro’s 14-33 overall record was the worst in the CPL. The leading batter for the ZooKeepers was second…

10 Aug

Widespread success reshapes Eastern Randolph’s reputation

Bob SuttonSportsDevonte Brooks, Eastern Randolph athletics, Foster Cates, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Prep Basketball, prep football

Among the thrills for Eastern Randolph during the past school year came following a road victory against South Stokes in the boys’ basketball state playoffs as coach Johnny Thomas and the team celebrate. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RAMSEUR – Eastern Randolph had a different kind of school year in 2022-23. For athletics director Foster Cates, the perception of athletics at the school might be changing. That’s because the Wildcats advanced to the Class 1-A state championship game in boys’ basketball. That had never happened before. “It has been such a football and baseball dominant school forever,” Cates said. “I wanted…

09 Aug

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Kahlin Graham

Randolph RecordBusiness, SportsEastern Randolph athletics, Eastern Randolph baseball, Kahlin Graham, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball

Eastern Randolph, baseball Graham played a variety of positions for the Wildcats, often in the infield as the third baseman. He also was listed as a pitcher. The Wildcats reached the Class 1-A West Region finals before falling to eventual state champion Uwharrie Charter Academy. Graham is set to continue playing baseball at Guilford College. ** During the summer, we recognize seniors from the past school year.

08 Aug

Providence Grove finds next girls’ coach

Bob SuttonSportsDylan Eppley, Johnathan Gainey, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Providence Grove athletics

CLIMAX – Providence Grove moved quickly this summer to hire a new girls’ basketball coach. Johnathan Gainey is the new coach, filling the vacancy caused by the departure of Dylan Eppley. Gainey previously coached girls’ teams at Winston-Salem Prep and Winston-Salem Reynolds. He also was the boys’ basketball coach at his alma mater, Kernersville Glenn. Eppley left Providence Grove after three seasons to become the boys’ basketball coach at Southern Alamance. “I felt like this was a move that I needed,” Eppley said of a chance to expand his professional experiences. Eppley’s Providence Grove teams had a 26-37 record, including…

07 Aug

Rose races to victory at Caraway Speedway

Randolph RecordSportsCaraway speedway, Cory Rose, Stock car racing

SOPHIA – Cory Rose won the 35-lap Challengers feature Saturday night at Caraway Speedway. Rose held the pole position after qualifying and then briefly lost the lead to Enoch McNeil following a restart. But once Rose got back in the groove, he cruised to the victory. McNeil finished second, followed by Daniel Schadt, Matthew Smith and Blake Shupe. In UCARs, the winner was Sammy Bullins in the 15-lap race. The runner-up was Justin Smith, followed by Ron Mock, Blair Patterson and Jason Garwood. Jon Morton won two different competitions. Morton became a 10-time winner in 2023 in Bootleggers competition, with…

06 Aug

Florence leaves Asheboro with Southeast Regional title

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Florence (S.C.) Post 1, McCrary Park, Southeast Regional

ASHEBORO – Florence (S.C.) Post 1 completed a sweep of the Southeast Regional in American Legion baseball, winning Sunday afternoon’s title game by 8-5 against Fuquay-Varina Post 116. Florence went 5-0 in the regional at McCrary Park, including Saturday night’s 5-4 decision in 11 innings against host Randolph County Post 45. Florence (30-5) needed just one victory Sunday, but an extra game wasn’t required as Post 1 topped Fuquay-Varina, the North Carolina state champion, for the second time in the regional. Post 1 goes on to the American Legion World Series later this week in Shelby. This marked Florence’s third…

05 Aug

Post 45’s season ends with 11-inning loss in Southeast Regional

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Hunter Atkins, McCrary Park, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Tanner Marsh, Tyler Parks

ASHEBORO – It took most of Saturday night before Randolph County Post 45 was dismissed from the Southeast Regional. The host team battled for 11 innings with Florence (S.C.) Post 1 before suffering a 5-4 loss at McCrary Park. “We’ve been playing all night,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said. “This was a classic. Our guys sucked it up and played.” Florence (29-5) is unbeaten in the double-elimination regional and will play Fuquay-Varina Post 116 (30-6) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. If Fuquay-Varina wins, another winner-take-all game will follow. Post 45 ended the season with a 25-8 record, going 2-2 in…

04 Aug

Post 45 blasts off, keeps season going in Southeast Regional

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Connor Adams, Hunter Atkins, Josh Meadows, McCrary Park, Pierce Leonard, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Southeast Regional, Tanner Marsh, Tyler Parks

Hunter Atkins, above, and several of his Randolph County Post 45 teammates had strong offensive games in Friday's Southeast Regional game. (Randolph Record file photo) ASHEBORO – Hunter Atkins drove in three runs and six of his Randolph County Post 45 teammates racked up two runs batted in a 17-1 whipping of Owensboro (Ky.) Post 9 in Friday afternoon’s elimination game of the Southeast Regional at McCrary Park. The American Legion baseball game ended after five innings. Post 45 (25-7) scored in every inning, including seven runs in the top of the fifth. For the second year in a row,…

03 Aug

Lemons pitches gem as Randolph County Post 45 stays alive in Southeast Regional

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Austin Lemons, Hunter Atkins, Josh Meadows, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Tanner Marsh

Austin Lemons throws a pitch earlier this season (Randolph Record file photo) ASHEBORO – Austin Lemons made sure Randolph County Post 45’s season has a little more life. Lemons threw a four-hitter as Post 45 defeated Belleview (Fla.) Post 284 by 3-0 in Thursday afternoon’s elimination game of the Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball. Lemons, a former Randleman High School pitcher headed for UNC Greensboro, walked three batters and struck out seven. The game lasted only 79 minutes at McCrary Park. The outcome puts Post 45 (24-7) in another must-win matchup at 12:30 p.m. Friday against the loser of…