Brandon Varner - Randolph Record

18 Mar

Varner to return to coach Randleman’s girls’ basketball team

Bob SuttonSportsBrandon Varner, nchsaa, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Randleman Tigers

After a two-year absence, Brandon Varner will return to a coaching role with the Randleman girls’ basketball team. (Randolph Record file photo) RANDLEMAN — Brandon Varner is returning to the role as girls’ basketball coach at Randleman, appreciating a strong commitment from school officials to the program. “It was their passion about girls’ basketball and they really wanted me to lead that team,” Varner said. “From the get-go (principal Corey Phillips) was pretty passionate about that girls’ basketball team.” Varner stepped away following five seasons directing the Tigers in the spring of 2023. He’ll be the third coach in three…

19 Jun

New coach Scott Tyson sees Randleman girls’ basketball job as ideal

Bob SuttonSportsBrandon Varner, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics, Scott Tyson, Steve Rightmyer

Scott Tyson (Courtesy photo) RANDLEMAN – When the Randleman girls’ basketball coaching position became open, Scott Tyson saw that as an ideal situation. So he’s back in a coaching capacity after he was hired as the third coach in three years for the Tigers. “It’s really the tradition that Coach (Brandon) Varner started and Coach (Steve) Rightmyer continued last year,” Tyson said. Tyson coached the girls’ team at Southern Guilford in 2022-23 before taking the past school year off from a coaching role. He said he’s happy to be back. While in high school, Tyson spent three years at Western…

19 Apr

Randleman seeks new girls’ basketball coach

Bob SuttonSportsAudra Petty, Brandon Varner, Gracie Beane, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics, Steve Rightmyer

Steve Rightmyer had the Randleman girls’ basketball team going in the right direction for much of his one season as coach. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Rightmyer’s one season produced another title RANDLEMAN – Randleman will be trying to keep a high winning percentage in girls’ basketball next season after another coaching change. Steve Rightmyer stepped away from the position after one season, though the Tigers maintained their perch atop the Piedmont Athletic Conference. He referred to the time commitment as being overwhelming in his situation. “It was a lot,” Rightmyer said. “I knew it would be.” Randleman went 20-7 last season,…

01 Jan

Plenty of special sports moments to savor in 2023

Bob SuttonSports2023, Brandon Varner, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Johnny Thomas, Prep baseball, Prep Basketball, prep football, Prep volleyball, prep wrestling, Randleman Tigers, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

It was another special season for Southwestern Randolph’s volleyball team and coach Darby Kennedy. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) Here’s a look at some of the top sports-related story topics in Randolph County in 2023: ** The gym at Trinity High School was named in honor of longtime boys’ basketball coach Tim Kelly. ** Uwharrie Charter Academy’s wrestling team won the Class 1-A dual team state championship by defeating Avery County in Greensboro. ** Eastern Randolph’s Brecken Snotherly set a school record for points in a girls’ basketball game by posting 51 against Trinity. Snotherly had a stellar senior season before going…

18 Apr

Varner leaves post as Randleman girls’ coach

Bob SuttonSportsBrandon Varner, nchsaa, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics

Coach Brandon Varner had Randleman’s girls’ basketball team on a winning path. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN – Brandon Varner’s wildly successful five-season stretch as Randleman’s girls’ basketball coach has come to an end. “Just time to step away,” Varner said. “The biggest thing was the time I was putting into basketball. There’s really no breaks.” Under Varner, the Tigers went 103-20, with half those defeats coming in his first season when the team went 15-10. Varner, 40, will remain as athletics director at Randleman Middle School, where he also is on the football staff. “It was just getting to be…

18 Feb

Randleman girls respond, claim PAC Tournament in overtime

Bob SuttonSportsBrandon Varner, Brecken Snotherly, Eastern Randolph athletics, Elizabeth York, Gracyn Hall, Jordan Booker, PAC Tournament, Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics

Members of the Randleman girls’ basketball team gather with the hardware after defeating host Eastern Randolph in overtime. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Rally from Eastern Randolph creates drama RAMSEUR – Randleman’s recovery from a few late-game glitches made the Tigers’ championship that much more impressive Friday night in the girls’ basketball final of the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament. One thing the Tigers weren’t lacking was that internal belief that they would find a way to successfully defend their title. “Coach (Brandon) Varner told us ‘You’ve worked so hard for this,’ ” senior center Graycn Hall said. “We’re going to show how…

28 Jan

Randleman girls set high bar in PAC

Bob SuttonSportsBrandon Varner, Brecken Snotherly, Eastern Randolph athletics, Elizabeth York, Gracyn Hall, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics, Southwestern Randolph

Randleman’s Elizabeth York looks to go up for a shot against Eastern Randolph’s Logan Beaver. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN – Staying atop the Piedmont Athletic Conference has been a challenge for the Randleman girls’ basketball team. The Tigers have passed the test and that’s one of the rewarding aspects of another stellar season. “Right now, everybody is bringing their ‘A’ game against us, but that’s OK,” coach Brandon Varner said. Randleman withstood threats from Eastern Randolph and Southwestern Randolph during the past week. But it has turned out to be another title season for the Tigers, who are 9-0 in…

30 Mar

Randleman coach picked for special honor

Randolph RecordSportsBrandon Varner, Coach of the year, Randleman

Coach Brandon Varner of the Randleman girls’ basketball team was selected as Coach of the Year for girls’ basketball in District 8 by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. Varner led Randleman to an undefeated regular season and into the Class 2-A regional semifinals of the state tournament. The Tigers finished with a 25-1 record. Players chose for the All-District girls’ teams include teammates Gracyn Hall (first team) and Elizabeth York (third team) of Randleman, Alexis Maness (third team) of Southwestern Randolph and Autumn Gentry (third team) of Trinity. On the boys’ side, the All-District team has Zane Caudle of…