nchsaa - Randolph Record

23 Jun

Baseball coach Smith adds Randleman’s AD title

Bob SuttonSportsJake Smith, nchsaa, piedmont athletic conference, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Randleman High School

Jake Smith has led Randleman to back-to-back state championships in baseball and is taking on additional duties. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) State-champion baseball coach expands role at school RANDLEMAN – Randleman baseball coach Jake Smith has a new job, but he’s not going anywhere because of it. Smith, who has directed the Tigers to the past two Class 2-A state championships, is adding the athletics director title to his duties. “I’m going to try my hand at that a little bit,” Smith said. “It’s something I’m excited about.” He takes over for Ryan Dobias, who’s stepping aside from that role…

04 Jun

Tigers cherish title repeat in state finals

Bob SuttonNews, SportsBrooks Brannon, Burlington Athletic Stadium, Class 2-A, nchsaa, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Ryan White

Randleman baseball players celebrate after the final out of the Class 2-A state finals. (PJ Ward-Brown/North State Journal) Randleman finishes remarkable postseason run BURLINGTON – It was even better this time for Randleman baseball players. They should know. With the core of the team intact, the Tigers repeated as Class 2-A state champions with another emphatic result. “Senior year, a good way to go out,” center fielder Braylen Hayes said. Randleman capped a sterling season with Saturday afternoon’s 12-5 victory against Whiteville in Game 2 of the championship series at Burlington Athletic Stadium. “My last game is winning another state…

04 Jun

Tears of joy for Warriors: Wheatmore girls capture state title

Randolph RecordNews, SportsClass 2-A, Ellie Garrison, nchsaa, state record, Wheatmore athletics, Wheatmore soccer

Members of the Wheatmore girls' soccer team celebrate the school's first state championship Friday night in Cary. (PJ Ward-Brown/North State Journal) CARY – The Wheatmore girls’ soccer team fit right in at the state finals. The Warriors, who were the first Randolph County team to play in a state championship game in soccer, completed an unblemished season with Friday night’s 4-1 victory against Clinton to secure the Class 2-A title. “We definitely deserved it,” Wheatmore forward Summer Bowman said. The Warriors ended up with a 25-0-0 record. “You go 25-0, you set the bar so high for anybody,” coach Ricky…

04 Jun

Randleman begins state finals with no-hitter, another record

Bob SuttonSportsBrooks Brannon, Burlington Athletic Stadium, Class 2-A, Drake Purvis, nchsaa, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball

Here's Drake Purvis of Randleman after his no-hitter against Whiteville to begin the Class 2-A state finals. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) BURLINGTON – Randleman’s baseball team wants to repeat its Class 2-A state championship this weekend and the Tigers were in a reminiscing mood based on Game 1 of the title series. How does another no-hitter sound? That’s two in a row in the state finals on the same field, dating to last June. Drake Purvis’ masterful 12-strikeout performance boosted the Tigers in a 10-0 victory against Whiteville on Friday night at Burlington Athletic Stadium. There was yet another state record…

03 Jun

History runs deep for Class 2-A title contenders Randleman, Whiteville

Bob SuttonSportsClass 2-A, high school athletics, nchsaa, Randleman, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Tigers, Whiteville

Powerhouse teams Randleman and Whiteville will meet in the best-of-3 state finals for Class 2-A at Burlington Athletic Stadium. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) This Randleman-Whiteville championship matchup, beginning at 8 p.m. Friday at Burlington Athletic Stadium, is ripe with historical overtones. Randleman is in the finals for the sixth time in a 11-season span in which the postseason was conducted. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out most of the 2020 season, including the playoffs. The Tigers won the 2011 title and then lost in the 2012 finals to Whiteville, were beaten by South Granville in 2015 and fell to North Lincoln in…

02 Jun

With lofty standard, Tigers just roll with it into state finals

Bob SuttonSportsbaseball, Class 2-A, high school athletics, nchsaa, Prep baseball, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball

Coach Jake Smith has directed Randleman back to another spot in the state finals. A familiar foe awaits. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN — All those lopsided results for Randleman’s baseball team on the way to the Class 2-A state finals don’t mean it has been easy this year for the Tigers. “We can’t take any team lightly,” first baseman Gus Shelton said. “We are expected to win and that is pressure on us, if you want to call it pressure. I don’t think anybody has changed anything. We’re just taking it game-by-game.” It will take two more victories to repeat…

02 Jun

Wheatmore girls hit big stage with spot in state final

Bob SuttonSportsClass 2-A, nchsaa, prep soccer, Wheatmore

Wheatmore’s Kara Comer, left, and Summer Bowman hug Ellie Garrison after her penalty-kick goal against Wilkes Central in the Class 2-A West Region final Tuesday night at Wilkes Central in Wilkesboro. Wheatmore (PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL) It’s hard to imagine there’s more to accomplish for the Wheatmore girls’ soccer team. Yet the biggest prize is still out there for the Warriors. They hold a 24-0 record and the state record for goals (191) in a season. There’s one more chance to add to those accomplishments. They take on Clinton (25-2) in Friday night’s Class 2-A state championship game at WakeMed…

27 May

Randleman takes path back to state finals

Bob SuttonSportsClass 2-A, nchsaa, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, state playoffs

Randleman team members gather for a photo after winning the Class 2-A West Region series Friday in Salisbury. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) MOORESVILLE and SALISBURY – This one just took a little longer, but it had familiar themes for Randleman’s baseball team. The latest result is what mattered to the Tigers, who’ll return to the Class 2-A state finals in an attempt to repeat as champions. Even with a bit of unusual circumstances, the Tigers were unfazed. “Our guys did great,” coach Jake smith said. “They work so hard. It’s hard to explain. Unless you see it every day and…

27 May

Randleman’s postseason run hits pause

Bob SuttonSportsClass 2-A, nchsaa, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, state playoffs

Randleman pitcher Drake Purvis delivers a pitch in the West Region finals Thursday night against Community School of Davidson in Mooresville. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) MOORESVILLE – Randleman’s baseball team finally encountered something in this Class 2-A state playoffs that it couldn’t conquer. “Can’t do anything about Mother Nature,” coach Jake Smith said while walking out of Moor Park on Thursday night. Yet the Tigers still did good work before Game 2 of the best-of-3 West Region final was suspended after four innings. They lead Community School of Davidson 5-0. Randleman carried a 30-1 record into the game, needing one…

23 May

Allred jumps to second in state meet

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph athletics, nchsaa, prep track and field, Randleman athletics, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, State meet

Southwestern Randolph's Josie Allred clears the bar in the high jump in the Class 2-A state meet Friday at North Carolina A&T. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) GREENSBORO – Senior Josie Allred of Southwestern Randolph was the runner-up in the Class 2-A high jump for girls in Friday’s state championships at North Carolina A&T. Allred cleared the bar at 5 feet, 2 inches – the same height as winner Katarina Kepley of West Davidson along with East Carteret’s Latecyia Johnson and SouthWest Edgecombe’s Jer’Lisha Pridgen. Based on number of attempts, Kepley was the champion. Johnson and Pridgen shared third place.…