Sports - Randolph Record

03 May

Southwestern Randolph Cougars capture PAC Tournament in softball

Randolph RecordSportsMacie Crutchfield, Mollie Bulla, PAC Tournament, piedmont athletic conference, Prep softball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Uwharrie Charter Academy

ASHEBORO – Southwestern Randolph pitcher Macie Crutchfield struck out 12 batters and the Cougars won a softball rubber match with host Uwharrie Charter Academy – and this outcome came with a bigger reward. The Cougars claimed the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament championship with a 4-1 victory Thursday night. Southwestern Randolph took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and added a run in the sixth inning. Crutchfield drove in two runs, and Alyssa Harris and Hayleigh Thompson had run-scoring doubles. UCA (17-3-1) won the regular-season title by one game, topping the Cougars 4-3 a week earlier to break a first-place…

02 May

UCA Eagles dethrone Randleman in PAC Tournament for baseball

Bob SuttonSportsAlex Carver, Brett Smith, Carter Brown, PAC Tournament, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman Tigers, Trey Kennedy, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

RANDLEMAN – Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team went where it had never gone before Thursday night. Claiming the championship in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Brett Smith pitched a seven-hitter with nine strikeouts and the Eagles came up with clutch hits, with Carter Brown providing three run-producing singles and Alex Carver homering in visiting UCA’s 6-1 victory in the PAC Tournament championship game. “We hadn’t beaten them since we joined the conference,” Brown said. “We had that mindset that we’re going to play good and we should come out and win. We came with the confidence that we could beat them.”…

01 May

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ayanna Mears

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Ayanna Mears, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Prep softball

Eastern Randolph, softball Mears has been an important part of the Wildcats’ lineup as the team has put together another winning record. Mears, a senior shortstop, has been among the leading hitters for Eastern Randolph. She’s in her fourth season with the team. Eastern Randolph won five of its last six games in the regular season heading into this week’s Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament. Mears, who’s also a past member of the volleyball and basketball programs at Eastern Randolph, has committed to play softball at North Carolina A&T.

30 Apr

Grand opening for sportsplex signals next step for major project

Bob SuttonEvents, News, SportsCity of Asheboro, David Smith, Jonathan Sermon, mayor, Zoo City Sportsplex

Here’s a look at Zoo City Sportsplex, a massive multi-purpose park in Asheboro, from last June. The grand opening is this weekend. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) Largest park in Asheboro will offer various activities ASHEBORO – A years-long process of creating a multi-purpose athletic complex is close to the finishing stage. Zoo City Sportsplex has been part of a vision for many city officials, gradually coming to fruition with about six years of construction. “People have been so excited to see and use the sportsplex and they’ve waited patiently,” Asheboro mayor David Smith said. “It’s time to let everyone enjoy it.”…

29 Apr

UCA wrestler Alston proves strong in nationals

Randolph RecordSportsBraxton Walker, Brayden Hall, Dominic Hittepole, Gavin Hardister, Jose Flores, Joseph Trahan, Lawson Coltrane, Lorenzo Alston, prep wrestling, Spencer May

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Lorenzo Alston, here holding down Avery County’s Mason Bentley in the state tournament in February, reached the semifinals in a national tournament. (Randolph Record file photo) Mixed results come for Randolph County entrants VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Sophomore Lorenzo Alston of Uwharrie Charter Academy turned in one of the best finishes of any wrestler from North Carolina in the National High School Coaches Association’s national tournament in April. Alston placed fourth in the sophomore division at 145 pounds at Virginia Beach Sports Center. Alston reached the semifinals before losing 11-3 to Kross Cassidy of Fairfax, Va. He…

28 Apr

Top drivers split Challengers races at Caraway Speedway

Randolph RecordSportsBrody Duggins, Caraway speedway, Daniel Hughes, Sophia, Stock car racing

Brody Duggins, center with checkered flag, is surrounded by supporters and crew after winning a feature in the Challengers division at Caraway Speedway. (Courtesy photo) SOPHIA – Brody Duggins improved one spot in the second Challengers feature from the earlier race and that was enough to claim a victory Saturday night at Caraway Speedway. Duggins placed second behind top qualifier Daniel Schadt, who prevailed by less than one second in the first 20-lap feature. In the second race, Schadt was finished after a lap when Bryson Pickard spun out and took out Schadt as well. Duggins gained the lead by…

26 Apr

Prep Roundup: UCA dethrones Cougars in softball; Plus, baseball, soccer, tennis results

Randolph RecordSportsEllie Garrison, Mid-Piedmont Conference, Mollie Bulla, piedmont athletic conference, prep athletics, Prep baseball, prep soccer, Prep softball, Prep tennis

ASHEBORO – Uwharrie Charter Academy scored two seven-inning runs to edge host Southwestern Randolph 4-3 in a game to determine the Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season softball champion Thursday night. At 11-1 in PAC play, the Eagles finished a game ahead of defending champion Southwestern Randolph. It’s the school’s first PAC softball title. Aubrie Kauffman’s two-run bloop single provided the tying and go-ahead runs. UCA pitcher Mollie Bulla struck out 10 batters. Kenzie Hill and Jayla Hurley both scored two runs. Macie Crutchfield struck out eight for Southwestern Randolph. Earlier in the week, Bulla and Katelyn West blanked visiting Wheatmore 7-0.…

25 Apr

Baseball tourneys coming to Asheboro; Southwestern Randolph has coaching change

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro, McCrary Park, Mid-Piedmont Conference, NCISAA, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Prep softball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars

ASHEBORO – High school postseason baseball – and some softball – will be happening in Asheboro even if there’s not an in-county team involved. Next week, Asheboro will be the host school for next week’s semifinal and final rounds in the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament for both baseball and softball. Those matchups will come after quarterfinal games, which will definitely involve Asheboro, are contested at the site of the higher seeds. The baseball semifinals and final will be at McCrary Park. In baseball and softball, the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament begins Monday with games at the highest seed. For baseball, Randleman…

24 Apr

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Carlisle Dozier

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, athlete of the week, Carlisle Dozier, Mid-Piedmont Conference, prep soccer

Asheboro, girls’ soccer Dozier has provided an ideal final layer of defense for the Blue Comets. The senior goalkeeper has averaged nearly 10 saves per game this season. Her six saves helped the Blue Comets defeat Ledford last week. She also was credited with a late-game tip save to preserve a shutout of Central Davidson earlier this month. In March, she made 23 saves in a game. Dozier was a Mid-Piedmont Conference all-league selection last year. With a 9-3-1 record entering this week, the Blue Comets had already matched last season’s win total.

23 Apr

Caraway Speedway alters slate for Late Models

Bob SuttonSportsCaraway speedway, Darren Hackett, Late Models division, Stock car racing

Low car counts cause changes in key division SOPHIA – Changes are coming to the Late Models division just a few weeks into the Caraway Speedway season. After the division was scratched from the racing card for the first slated race of April because of low entry numbers, track officials revised the plan for that class. “We are not giving up on the division,” speedway owner Darren Hackett said, making it clear the class won’t be eliminated. “We will however, rework the 2024 schedule to give more teams the chance to compete with us without having a schedule that conflicts…