Asheboro Blue Comets

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

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

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…
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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Diego Gutierrez

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Diego Gutierrez

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…
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Prep Boys: Blue Comets hit decades-long high

Prep Boys: Blue Comets hit decades-long high

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,…
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Area swimmers set for state meets

Area swimmers set for state meets

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…
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Prep Basketball: PAC boys’ race extends to final games

Prep Basketball: PAC boys’ race extends to final games

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…
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Hayes ready for challenge at Providence Grove

Hayes ready for challenge at Providence Grove

School’s new football coach is Trinity alum CLIMAX – David Hayes has been around high school football teams for more than a decade as an assistant coach. Now it’s something different. He’ll be a head coach. Providence Grove hired Hayes, who has close ties to a couple of other schools in Randolph County, as its next football coach. “I feel like I was ready to take an opportunity like this,” Hayes said. Hayes takes the vacancy left when Calvin Brown departed to become Asheboro’s coach. Most recently, Hayes has been an assistant coach and physical education teacher at Thomasville, which…
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Prep Basketball: Asheboro, Eastern Randolph boys remain on rolls

Prep Basketball: Asheboro, Eastern Randolph boys remain on rolls

Asheboro’s Tanner Marsh leads a fastbreak with teammate Jerquarius Stanback on his right during a game against North Davidson earlier this month. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) Asheboro won two more Mid-Piedmont Conference games last week in boys’ basketball to go with a non-conference victory against Uwharrie Charter Academy. The Blue Comets enter this week undefeated in league play. It began when Jerquarius Stanback had 19 points in a 66-54 triumph against visiting UCA. The next night, Asheboro won its first showdown with Ledford in the Mid-Piedmont Conference, prevailing 66-54 for a road triumph behind DJ Headen’s 20 points and Tanner Marsh’s…
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Prep Roundup: Cougars, Tigers head toward girls’ showdown

Prep Roundup: Cougars, Tigers head toward girls’ showdown

Kenzie Martin of Southwestern Randolph goes up for a shot during last week’s victory against Trinity. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Southwestern Randolph and Randleman are on course for a showdown in girls’ basketball Friday night in Randleman. The teams have split two meetings this season. Depending on results leading up to the game, Randleman could be in position to clinch at least a share of the PAC regular-season championship. Randleman won 55-41 on Dec. 16 at Southwestern Randolph. The teams met again in the championship game of the Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic at Providence Grove, with the Cougars pulling out a 49-48…
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Prep Roundup: Eastern Randolph boys keep rolling; Baxter hits milestone win with SWR

Prep Roundup: Eastern Randolph boys keep rolling; Baxter hits milestone win with SWR

Asheboro’s Elijah Woodley locks in defensively on North Davidson’s Payton Eccles during last week’s game at the Asheboro Recreation Center. In the background, Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback keeps tabs on Caiden Bean. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record).   With three players scoring 20 or more points, Eastern Randolph came away with a 95-77 road victory against Trinity in boys’ basketball last week. Pierce Leonard led the Wildcats with 29 points, Nicah Taylor scored 27 and Davonte Brooks had 20. Those offset Dominic Payne’s 37 points for Trinity. Teammate Dylan Hodges had 22. The Wildcats followed that by pounding visiting Providence Grove 93-60 to…
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Prep football: Brown works on compiling Asheboro staff while finishing duties at Providence Grove

Prep football: Brown works on compiling Asheboro staff while finishing duties at Providence Grove

CLIMAX – New Asheboro football coach Calvin Brown is still finishing his time at Providence Grove. While no longer the football coach of the Patriots, Brown is remaining at the school in other roles, including as athletics director, through Jan. 20. Then he makes the full transition to Asheboro. In more than a month’s time between his introduction as Asheboro’s coach and completely leaving Providence Grove, Brown said he hopes to have in place most of his new staff with the Blue Comets. “I’d like to have everything lined up,” he said. Brown, who spent seven seasons as Providence Grove’s…
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