Asheboro Blue Comets - Randolph Record

24 Feb

Prep boys: Special season ends on downer for Blue Comets; Eastern Randolph advances

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brian Nance, Camden Walker, D.J. Headen, Davonte Brooks, Hakeeme Butler, nchsaa, Pierce Leonard, Prep Basketball, Trinity athletics

Hakeeme Butler tries to get Asheboro on the board in the first quarter of Thursday night’s loss to Greensboro Smith in the Class 3-A state playoffs. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Asheboro’s special season in boys’ basketball didn’t come to a fitting conclusion. That’s what made losing so hard to grasp for the Blue Comets. Ambushed from the start by Greensboro Smith, Asheboro couldn’t sustain any of its rallies long enough in a 73-46 loss in the second round of the Class 3-A state playoffs Thursday night at raucous Asheboro Recreation Center. “That’s the thing about this team, we all…

23 Feb

Photo gallery: First-round games in prep basketball state playoffs

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph athletics, nchsaa, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics

Eastern Randolph’s Julian Brooks takes a shot in the lane over Cherryville’s Darian Floyd, left, and Nate Bookout in the Class 1-A state playoffs Tuesday night. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Numerous Randolph County basketball teams were in action Tuesday night for the start of the state playoffs. Girls’ teams from Eastern Randolph, Randleman, Southwestern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter Academy were winners. Boys’ teams from Asheboro, Eastern Randolph and Trinity advanced. Second-round games are set for Thursday at the home courts of the higher-seeded teams. That means that both Eastern Randolph teams, along with Randleman’s girls and Asheboro’s boys will have home…

21 Feb

Prep basketball: Four Randolph County girls’ teams, three boys’ teams win openers in state playoffs

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph athletics, nchsaa, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics, Trinity athletics

Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback heads to the basket in a Class 3-A opening-round game against East Henderson in the state playoffs. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) Four of the six girls’ basketball teams and half of the six boys’ teams from Randolph County entered in the state playoffs won in the West Region’s first round Tuesday night. Winning teams advance to second-round games Thursday night. Higher-seeded teams will play at home. Girls Top-seeded Randleman took care of business with a 52-34 victory against No. 32 seed Bandys in Class 2-A. The Tigers (25-1), who received 15 points from Elizabeth York and 14 points…

20 Feb

Prep basketball: Teams set to embark on state playoffs

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph athletics, nchsaa, PAC Tournament, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics

Sean Adkins of Southwestern Randolph shoots over Wheatmore’s Kamdyn Wood in last week’s PAC Tournament. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Randleman’s girls and Eastern Randolph’s boys teams are the highest-seeded teams from Randolph County in the basketball state playoffs. The playoffs begin Tuesday night. All of the teams from the county are in the West Region. Second-round games will be Thursday night and third-round games Saturday, all slated on the courts of the higher seeds. Girls In Class 2-A, Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champion Randleman (24-1) is the West Region’s No. 1 seed with a home game against No. 32…

17 Feb

Asheboro turns to Eastern Randolph alum as volleyball coach

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph athletics, Kelly Smith, Kim Black, Mid-Piedmont Conference, Prep volleyball

ASHEBORO – Kelly Smith has been hired as the new volleyball coach at Asheboro. Smith will be the team’s third volleyball coach in three years. She replaces Kim Black, whose third stint as head coach of the program lasted just one year. Smith, an Eastern Randolph alum, was coach of her alma mater’s volleyball team in 2017 and 2018 before going to Southern Guilford for three years. She spent time as volleyball and girls’ basketball coach at Southern Guilford, though without a winning season. She has been away from varsity competition during this school year. “I felt like I wanted…

16 Feb

Prep Basketball: Eastern Randolph teams reach PAC finals; Asheboro boys suffer upset loss

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brecken Snotherly, Davonte Brooks, Dominic Payne, Dylan Hodges, Gracyn Hall, Hakeeme Butler, Jerquarius Stanback, Jordan Booker, Mid-Piedmont Conference, PAC Tournament, Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics

Asheboro’s Hakeeme Butler takes a shot against Oak Grove during the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament semifinals. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RAMSEUR – Both Eastern Randolph basketball teams will be in the championship games on their home court Friday night. The finals matchups for Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament were set after Wednesday night’s results. The 6 p.m. girls’ game pits Randleman (23-1) against Eastern Randolph (17-6) followed by the boys’ title game between Trinity (20-6) and Eastern Randolph (23-2) On the girls’ side, second-seeded Eastern Randolph defeated visiting Southwestern Randolph 75-49 behind Brecken Snotherly’s 37 points. The third-seeded Cougars (18-8) received 14 points…

15 Feb

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Diego Gutierrez

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, athlete of the week, Diego Gutierrez, nchsaa, prep wrestling

Asheboro, wrestling Gutierrez is making his senior season a special one as he heads to the state tournament. He’s coming off the Class 3-A Midwest Regional championship at 120 pounds. During the two-day meet at North Davidson, Gutierrez won all four matches. That included a 5-2 decision against Mark Truman of West Rowan in the title bout. He began the regional with a first-period pin of Peyton Hinson of South Rowan. Then came an 8-6 decision against North Iredell’s Andrew Cockerham and a 3-1 decision against Takota Tala of Parkwood in the semifinal. Gutierrez, who was a state qualifier at…

13 Feb

Prep Boys: Blue Comets hit decades-long high

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brian Nance, Davonte Brooks, Dominic Payne, Dylan Hodges, Jerquarius Stanback, Mid-Piedmont Conference, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, sean adkins, Tanner Marsh

Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback goes up for a shot last week against Ledford’s Whit Denny. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – There are lots of reasons that have made this a special season for the Asheboro boys’ basketball team. The goal will be to keep it going. The Blue Comets won the Mid-Piedmont Conference’s regular season, going through that portion of conference play without a loss for the first time since 1976. “We knew we would have some success in conference,” veteran coach Brian Nance said. “We had a good first half (of league play) and next thing you know, you’re 6-0,…

09 Feb

Area swimmers set for state meets

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Maci Columbia, Megan Becker, nchsaa, Prep swimming, Wheatmore athletics

Megan Becker of Asheboro, shown here last month, is one of the qualifiers for the Class 3-A state championships. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) GREENSBORO – Asheboro and Wheatmore had swimmers qualify for this week’s state meet after regional competitions late last week. Asheboro swimming coach Chuck Hinson said the Blue Comets had their largest number of regional qualifiers in program history as the team was entered in 20 individual events and six relays in the Class 3-A Central Regional on Friday at Greensboro Aquatic Center. Freshman Megan Becker was the runner-up in the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 57.67 seconds and…

06 Feb

Prep Basketball: PAC boys’ race extends to final games

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Ashton Troutman, Brecken Snotherly, Davonte Brooks, Dominic Payne, Dylan Hodges, Eastern Randolph athletics, Gracyn Hall, Hakeeme Butler, Mid-Piedmont Conference, piedmont athletic conference, Pierce Leonard, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Tyshaun Goldston

Southwestern Randolph’s Nathan Ellis goes up for a shot as Eastern Randolph players, left to right, Timothy Brower, Nicah Taylor, Davonte Brooks and Pierce Leonard look on. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The big upset from last week came with Southwestern Randolph ending the Eastern Randolph boys’ basketball team’s winning streak at 19 games. The Cougars won 75-66 at home, so that likely will keep the suspense in the Piedmont Athletic Conference going until the final night of the regular season. Nathan Ellis led the way with 21 points, while teammates Thomas Leal (14 points), Sean Adkins (12), Kearns…