Asheboro Blue Comets - Randolph Record

28 Aug

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Elijah Woodle

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Elijah Woodle, Mid-Piedmont Conference, prep athletics, prep football

Asheboro, football Woodle, a senior receiver and defensive back, is bound to be a key part of the Blue Comets’ offense this year as one of the top returning playmakers. He made a pair of catches in the team’s season-opening victory at Albemarle. Last year, he racked up 10 touchdown receptions to go with a team-high 780 receiving yards. He made a team-best 47 catches. Woodle doesn’t limit his contributions to football for Asheboro. He also plays basketball and competes in track and field. As a junior, he was an All-Mid-Piedmont Conference selection in all three sports. Photo: Asheboro’s Elijah…

26 Aug

Prep Roundup: Eagles click in volleyball; Southwestern Randolph racks up strong start in soccer

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, prep soccer, Prep volleyball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s volleyball team has had plenty to celebrate across the first couple of weeks of the season. The Eagles have already reached the 10-win mark with a bunch of non-conference matches. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) Uwharrie Charter Academy has won nine of its first 10 volleyball matches of the season. The Eagles added three more triumphs last week with home sweeps of Phoenix Academy and Union Pines and a road conquest of Richmond County. UCA defeated Richmond County 25-19, 25-13, 25-19 as Emory Johnson posted 23 assists and Caroline Way provided nine kills and nine aces. **…

24 Aug

Prep football: Asheboro, Randleman, Eastern Randolph, Providence Grove win openers

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, DJ Scott, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, John Kirkpatrick, Johnathan Kelly, Mark Heilig, prep football, Providence Grove Patriots, Randleman Tigers

Defenses for Randleman and Eastern Randolph were in good form and Asheboro’s offense put up the most points of any Randolph County team in the first week of the high school football season. There were a couple of coaches in their first games with Randolph County teams, with a win and a loss in those outcomes. Friday night’s openers provided an array of outcomes and storylines. Here’s a look.: Asheboro 38, Albemarle 14: At Albemarle, DJ Scott gained 226 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns as the visiting Blue Comets won their opener for the second year in a row.…

22 Aug

Ready to kick off: Teams in Randolph County hope for more early success this year

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, prep football, Providence Grove Patriots, Randleman Tigers, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Trinity Bulldogs, Wheatmore Warriors

Coach Seth Baxter of Southwestern Randolph will have his team at home this week to begin the football season. (Neal Robbins / Randolph Record) Another season of high school football begins Friday night with Randolph County teams set for a variety of non-conference games. In each case, these are rematches from last year’s openers. In those games, Randolph County teams went a combined 5-2. Looking for more early success won’t come easy, though only three of the teams have road assignments. All games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Here’s an overview of the matchups: Randleman at Thomasville This could be…

19 Aug

Prep Roundup: Asheboro splits on soccer trip; UCA soars early in volleyball

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, prep soccer, Prep tennis, Prep volleyball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, UCA Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

Randolph County teams had encouraging moments among their results in the first week of competition for the new school year. Boys’ soccer ** Asheboro went to Wilmington and split a pair of games. First came a 6-2 loss to Wilmington Hoggard. Then the Blue Comets edged Wilmington Ashley 1-0 on Juan Uscanga’s goal off Cam Letterlough’s assists. ** Wheatmore had some high-scoring adventures to begin the season. A 4-3 loss to visiting East Davidson was followed by a drubbing of visiting North Stanly 10-1 behind three goals from Jaylen Aquillina and two goals from Carter Queen. **…

11 Aug

Prep Notes: New quests await top teams such as Southwestern Randolph volleyball, Asheboro soccer

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, prep soccer, Prep volleyball, Providence Grove athletics, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Trinity Bulldogs

Southwestern Randolph’s powerhouse volleyball team will try to keep it going for another season. The Cougars, who’ve had 25 or more victories the past three seasons, begin their schedule Aug. 14 at home against Oak Grove, which had a 22-5 record last year. Southwestern Randolph, under coach Darby Kennedy, went 25-5 in 2023. The Cougars are a combined 79-14 in a three-year span. That stretch began with the 2021 state championship in Class 2A. Fall sports teams, with the exception of football, can begin regular-season competition Aug. 12. Early soccer tests In boys’ soccer, Asheboro has racked up some of…

29 Jul

Former Jordan-Matthews, Asheboro coach Stutts passes away

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Jeff Stutts, Jordan-Matthews, obituary, Prep Basketball

Jeff Stutts died on July 20 at age 62. (Courtesy photo) By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal SILER CITY – Jordan-Matthews Hall of Famer Jeff Stutts, the former girls’ basketball coach who led the Jets to the 2012 2A state title, died July 20 at the age of 62. Stutts lost his battle to cancer, per an update posted on Facebook by the Jordan-Matthews Booster Club. Before being inducted into the Jordan-Matthews athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, Stutts taught at Jordan-Matthews from 1984-2013, serving as the head coach for girls’ basketball and track and track and field. He had…

19 Jul

College destinations set for area athletes

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, cheerleading, College baseball, college recruiting, Eastern Randolph athletics, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Prep baseball, prep football, prep soccer, Prep volleyball, prep wrestling, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

Alby Pulaski of Wheatmore won’t be going far to play volleyball at the next level. (Randolph Record) Players have selected from a variety of colleges to continue in sports Here are some signees and commitments from the Class of 2024 from around Randolph County: (This list in addition to those previously reported.) Baseball Wheatmore’s Ayden Byrd signed to play for Division II Montreat. ** Jacob Proctor of Trinity is going to Division III Pfeiffer. ** Eastern Randolph’s Samuel Asbill, a pitcher who also plays for Randolph County Post 45’s American Legion team, selected Guilford Tech. ** Outfielders Carter Brown and…

12 Jul

Asheboro’s Miller looks for next baseball stop

Bob SuttonSportsAppalachian League, asheboro baseball, Asheboro Blue Comets, Burlington Sock Puppets, College baseball, Gage Miller, summer college baseball

Gage Miller signs a baseball for a young Burlington Sock Puppets fan after a game. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) BURLINGTON – Gage Miller’s winding baseball path has taken him to the Burlington Sock Puppets this summer. The infielder from Asheboro is still trying to carve out a stable college career. “I love baseball every single day,” Miller said. “I’m trying to get back into that groove. I knew once I got in the groove, I’ll be fine.” Miller left Asheboro High School’s team to play his senior season for Pro5 Baseball Academy based in Holly Springs, where he was…

09 Jul

Asheboro’s Stanback to miss N.C. East-West All-Star Game

Bob SuttonSportsAppalachian State, Asheboro Blue Comets, Brian Nance, College Basketball, Jerquarius Stanback, North Carolina East-West All-Star Game, Prep Basketball

ASHEBORO – Jerquarius Stanback of Asheboro won’t play in next week’s North Carolina East-West All-Star Game because of an injury stemming from late in the basketball season. Stanback, an Appalachian State signee, is dealing with a wrist injury that might require surgery, Asheboro coach Brian Nance said. “He fell in that playoff game and just landed on it,” Nance said. “There’s something in the wrist.” Stanback was injured in a violent tumble during a first-round game of the Class 3A state playoffs vs. visiting Carson. He suffered a concussion and other ailments and missed Asheboro’s second-round loss to Asheville Reynolds.…