Cougars, Blue Comets hit early soccer strides, but won’t meet this year

Asheboro boys’ soccer players react following a goal by Win Smith (No. 6) earlier this year at Randleman. Other Blue Comets are, left to right, Diego Bustamante, Ozmar Martinez, Gerarrdo Medina Chi and Cam Letterlough. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – The boys’ soccer teams from Southwestern Randolph and Asheboro have excelled across the first month of the season.

They’re hoping for even better fortunes ahead.

Southwestern Randolph won its first eight games of the season. Asheboro has been off to a 7-2 start.

“You got to have a lot of moving parts to be healthy and ready for the occasion,” Southwestern Randolph coach Jimmy Walker said.

The Cougars began the season just a few months after the death of player Pedro Ortiz-Perez. Walker said that has proven as a motivator for the team.

Asheboro has taken on a strong schedule, so coach Nicholas Arroyo figures that will pay off throughout the rest of the season.

“We try to play the hardest teams we can,” Arroyo said.

That has given the Blue Comets some good tests against different styles before jumping into Mid-Piedmont Conference play.

“We’re trying to come into those very well tested,” Arroyo said. “So if there are any flaws, we want to detect them before we get to conference.”

Asheboro has standout forward Cam Letterlough back after a two-year absence, giving a jolt to the offense.

Last year’s surprising early exit from the Class 3A state playoffs has put the Blue Comets on alert.

“That’s a driving force,” Arroyo said.

Southwestern Randolph had a breakthrough season in 2023. That set a foundation entering this season, when the Cougars have outscored their first eight opponents by 43-9.

“We’re just building on the talent we had last year,” Walker said.

For Southwestern Randolph, more answers will come if it becomes involved in close games. There has been only one outing with late-game pressure so far.

“How will we face adversity?” Walker said. “So far we’ve played well enough that we haven’t been in that situation.”

The key for the Cougars to maintain their winning rate will be on the defensive end.

“We’ll go as far as our back four let us go,” Walker said.

The defenders are Daniel Arellano, Noah Freeman, Jaxon Lee and Diego Matias-Hernandez in front of goalkeeper Jonathan Perez Dominguez.

Asheboro and Southwestern Randolph won’t meet this season after agreeing prior to the season to nix the matchup. Initial schedules had the Cougars meeting Asheboro on Sept. 20 at Southwestern Randolph.

The teams tied 1-1 last year. Asheboro had won lopsided results the two previous years (9-0 in 2021, 8-0 in 2022).

Aside from the revamped 2020 season (held in spring 2021 because of the pandemic), the teams had met at least once in every year since at least 2010. They were in the same conference during some of those seasons.

In the decade prior to the pandemic, it was nearly an even series. Southwestern Randolph held an 11-10 edge in those outcomes.

Asheboro now has a non-conference game late in the week vs. North Moore. Southwestern has remaining non-league games in October vs. Central Davidson and at Wesleyan Christian Academy.

Recent results …

Southwestern Randolph benefited from Fernando Hernandez’s three goals in wiping out host East Davidson 8-0 last week.

That was the Cougars’ only game last week, staying undefeated in advance of beginning Piedmont Athletic Conference play.

** Asheboro’s 6-0 home plastering of Burlington Williams came with three goals from Diego Bustamante.

In defeating visiting Southeast Alamance 4-2, the Blue Comets received two goals apiece from Bustamante and Letterlough.

** Providence Grove had a 10-1 romp at North Stanly, with Sam Peters and Saul Cortes both scoring two goals.

** Cadyn Pugh had the Trinity goal in a 1-1 non-league draw at Southern Guilford. The Bulldogs wrapped up their non-conference schedule with a 6-1-3 record, tying 1-1 with visiting North Rowan earlier in the week.

** Randleman’s 1-1 tie at Salisbury and 4-2 victory at Oak Grove. The Tigers, who won 18 games last year, took a 3-6-2 record into PAC play after winning the conference in 2023.