Prep football: Eastern Randolph takes down Randleman again; Cougars cruise past Trinity

RAMSEUR — Chance Holdaway and Kobe Walker each scored two touchdowns as Eastern Randolph defeated visiting Randleman 35-14 in a much-anticipated clash between former conference rivals Friday night.

Cade McCallum threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Wildcats (2-0). Walker gained 128 yards on 14 carries.

Eastern Randolph broke a 7-7 tie with a touchdown with 55 seconds left before halftime when Holdaway recovered McCallum’s fumble in the end zone. The Wildcats expanded the margin by scoring on their first second-half possession when McCallum threw 15 yards to Holdaway.

The advantage ballooned to 28-7 in the fourth quarter on Walker’s 7-yard run. McCallum hooked up with Cainin Glover for a 42-yard touchdown play.

Randleman committed three turnovers, including one on the opening possession that set up Walker’s 3-yard touchdown run for the game’s first points.

Eastern Randolph’s James Combs racked up 82 yards on the ground on nine attempts.

Randleman (1-1) was limited to 7 rushing yards. Yet Kayden Saunders’ 2-yard run helped the Tigers pull even after Randleman’s initial touchdown.

Backup quarterback Reid Herring threw a 25-yard pass to Nazir Staton for the other Randleman touchdown.

John Kirkpatrick was 12-for-21 for 139 passing yards for the Tigers.

Eastern Randolph has won five in a row in the series. The past three years, they met in regular-season finales with at least a portion of the Piedmont Athletic Conference title at stake, with Eastern Randolph winning each time. The past two seasons those were one-point victories.

Southwestern Randolph 49, Trinity 7: At Trinity, Brody Sheppard rushed for three touchdowns and Levi Dalke threw for three touchdowns to Davonte Dukes in the road victory.

Sheppard’s 103 rushing yards came on 17 first-half carries. Dukes racked up 123 receiving yards on four catches.

TJ Costello also ran for a touchdown for the Cougars (2-0), who scored 49 points against the Bulldogs for the second year in a row. Southwestern Randolph has won nine of the last 10 meetings.

Khadn Fuller led Trinity (0-2) with 83 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Providence Grove 23, Eden Morehead 0: At Climax, Andrew Thomas returned a punt for a touchdown and the host Patriots scored in a variety of ways as first-year coach Cody Moran picked up his first victory.

The Patriots (1-1) also scored on Connor Haithcock’s 28-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown. Jackson Lawver threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Holden Swift for Providence Grove’s other touchdown.

Thomas was the game’s top rusher with 86 yards on 11 carries.

Eden Morehead is 0-2.

Forbush 32, Wheatmore 19: At Trinity, the visiting Falcons scored on a third-quarter interception return and went on to the victory, spoiling the home opener for Wheatmore (0-2).

Forbush (1-1) pulled away with a 13-point third quarter to build a 25-7 lead. Wheatmore scored the next two touchdowns before a late touchdown for Forbush put the game away.