nchsaa - Randolph Record

04 May

Lemons sours Trinity in eventful PAC Tournament final for Randleman’s baseball team

Bob SuttonSportsAustin Lemons, Drake Purvis, Hunter Atkins, nchsaa, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman baseball, Seth Way, Trinity athletics

Randleman’s Austin Lemons had a big night on the mound and at the plate in the PAC Tournament final. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN – There was so much going on with Randleman’s baseball team in the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament final. Everything from Drake Purvis making his much-anticipated season debut to the Tigers racking up their 20th victory of the year. Yet pretty much nothing could overshadow Austin Lemons. The senior who mostly waited in the wings behind a stacked roster from a year ago emerged as the pitching and hitting standout in Randleman’s 4-0 victory against visiting Trinity on…

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…

16 Mar

A day filled with memories: Scenes from the Class 1-A title game

Randolph RecordSportsclass 1-A, Devonte Brooks, Eastern Randolph, nchsaa, Prep Basketball, Reynolds Coliseum

Members of the Eastern Randolph team pose for a team photo after the championship game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RALEIGH – Saturday was a special day for Eastern Randolph as the Wildcats played in a state championship in basketball for the first time. The result was a loss to Wilson Prep in the Class 1-A boys’ final at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. Still, there were memorable moments as the team’s historic season came to a close. The season concluded with a 29-3 record and plenty of positive memories for the Piedmont Athletic Conference and Class 1-A West Region champions.

11 Mar

NOT QUITE ENOUGH: Eastern Randolph boys fall in 1-A state final

Randolph RecordSportsclass 1-A, Devonte Brooks, Eastern Randolph athletics, Johnny Thomas, nchsaa, Prep Basketball

Eastern Randolph coach Johnny Thomas consoles Devonte Brooks, left, as Will Stalker looks on after the Class 1-A state final. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RALEIGH – The greatest basketball season in the history of Eastern Randolph had a sour ending. The Wildcats needed one more comeback and couldn’t quite generate it, falling 84-73 to Wilson Prep in the Class 1-A state championship game for boys' basketball Saturday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum. “These boys have dedicated everything they possibly could to the sport of basketball the last four months,” Eastern Randolph coach Johnny Thomas said. “We have nothing to be sad over.”…

10 Mar

Ex-Globetrotters guide Eastern Randolph, Wilson Prep to Class 1-A state final

Randolph RecordSportsclass 1-A, Eastern Randolph, Eastern Randolph athletics, Johnny Thomas, nchsaa, Prep Basketball

Coach Johnny Thomas has his Eastern Randolph team in the Class 1-A state final. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) The coaches for the two teams in the Class 1-A state championship game for boys’ basketball own a common background. Johnny Thomas of Eastern Randolph and Anthony Atkinson Jr. of Wilson Prep both played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Eastern Randolph is going for the school’s first state championship in basketball when it plays Wilson Prep on Saturday afternoon. The state final is scheduled for noon at Reynolds Coliseum on the North Carolina State campus in Raleigh. The only previous appearance in a state…

05 Mar

Wildcats to play at noon Saturday in Raleigh in basketball title game

Bob SuttonSportsclass 1-A, Eastern Randolph athletics, Johnny Thomas, nchsaa, Prep Basketball, Wilson Prep

Eastern Randolph hopes to add state-championship hardware to the West Region prize claimed Saturday. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RAMSEUR – Eastern Randolph’s bid for its first state championship in boys’ basketball comes in the Class 1-A final at noon Saturday at Reynolds Coliseum on the North Carolina State campus in Raleigh. The Wildcats (29-2) meet East Region champion Wilson Prep (26-7) in the title game. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced game times and sites for the eight championship games – four for boys and four for girls – on Sunday afternoon. Eastern Randolph is coming off two comeback…

04 Mar

Huge comeback propels Eastern Randolph boys to state final

Randolph RecordSportsclass 1-A, Davonte Brooks, Eastern Randolph, Johnny Thomas, nchsaa, Pierce Leonard, Prep Basketball

Eastern Randolph team members and coach Johnny Thomas – with arms raised – celebrate the Class 1-A West Region title. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) MORGANTON – Eastern Randolph rallied from a 21-point halftime deficit to keep its season alive and advance to a state championship in boys’ basketball for the first time. The Wildcats pulled out a 62-59 victory against Bishop McGuinness in the Class 1-A West Region final Saturday afternoon at Freedom High School. “As the coach, even I’m at awe at what they just did,” first-year Eastern Randolph coach Johnny Thomas said of his players. Eastern Randolph (29-2) will…

02 Mar

Regional path sends Eastern Randolph boys on trek

Bob SuttonSportsBishop McGuinness, class 1-A, Eastern Randolph athletics, nchsaa, Prep Basketball, state playoffs

Eastern Randolph’s Nicah Taylor soars in the lane for a shot against South Stokes. (PJ. Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) RAMSEUR – Eastern Randolph will head to Morganton as part of the best season in history of the school’s boys’ basketball team. That’s where the Wildcats will take on Bishop McGuinness in the Class 1-A West Region final at 1 p.m. Saturday. The game will be at Freedom High School. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced the venues for the neutral-site regional finals Wednesday morning, a day after Tuesday night’s semifinals set the matchups across the state. Third-seeded Eastern Randolph (28-2)…

01 Mar

Prep basketball: Eastern Randolph boys keep season going, win regional semi on road

Randolph RecordSportsclass 1-A, Class 2-A, Devonte Brooks, Eastern Randolph athletics, Elizabeth York, Gracyn Hall, Johnny Thomas, nchsaa, Pierce Leonard, Prep Basketball, Randleman athletics, Timothy Brower

Coach Johnny Thomas makes a postgame video with his Eastern Randolph boys’ basketball team after winning the Class 1-A West Region semifinal at South Stokes. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) WALNUT COVE – Pierce Leonard scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Eastern Randolph rallied past South Stokes to continue its best postseason in program history. The Wildcats put together a strong second half to pull out the Class 1-A West Region semifinal, winning 74-71 on Tuesday night. “I told them, ‘I am proud of you. We’ve had a long season, but this is not it,’ ” first-year…

28 Feb

New-look Tigers keep lofty goals for baseball season

Bob SuttonSportsClass 2-A, Hunter Atkins, Jake Smith, nchsaa, piedmont athletic conference, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Seth Way

Randleman coach Jake Smith receives a water bath courtesy of Riley Edwards after the Tigers won the 2022 state championship in Burlington. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Randleman’s baseball team embarks on another season of high expectations RANDLEMAN – Randleman has been at the top of the Class 2-A baseball world in the state for the past two years. Going into this season, the Tigers are going to look different. The goals haven’t changed. “It’s exciting for the kids, a lot of them waiting their turn,” coach Jake Smith said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys who are excited about…