Prep Basketball

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…
Read More
Titles decided in middle school finals

Titles decided in middle school finals

Jacquline McDaniel of Randleman Middle School launches a shot in the title game against Trinity Middle School’s Madison Hill, right, and overa Brennan Thomas. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) The Randolph County Middle School basketball championships were held Saturday at Eastern Randolph. The winners were the girls’ team from Randleman Middle School, which defeated Trinity Middle School, and the boys’ team from Southwestern Randolph, which topped regular-season champion Southeastern Middle School. Randleman’s girls ended up with an undefeated record.  
Read More
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Thomas Leal

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Thomas Leal

Southwestern Randolph, boys’ basketball  The Cougars might have hit their stride, and they’ve been receiving key contributions from a variety of players. Leal is one of them. This has come as Southwestern Randolph cranked up a late-season surge for the second season in a row. Leal, a senior guard, scored 15 points in last week’s 63-58 victory at Providence Grove. He was one of four Cougars in double figures, led by Sean Adkins with 18. The Cougars entered this week with a six-game winning streak, helping them move into second place in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Leal has been a…
Read More
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…
Read More
Randleman girls set high bar in PAC

Randleman girls set high bar in PAC

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…
Read More
At Trinity, they can call it ‘Tim’s Gym’

At Trinity, they can call it ‘Tim’s Gym’

Trinity’s Tim Kelly poses outside the gym named in his honor. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) School names gym after longtime, championship coach TRINITY – When Tim Kelly took the job as Trinity’s boys’ basketball coach, he didn’t intend for it to be a career-long passion. Now he’ll be connected to the Bulldogs forever. The school’s gym was named in his honor this week – Tim Kelly Gym. Kelly is in his 33rd season leading the team. This stint began as a means to appease his wife. “I came to this area because she wanted to move over here closer to her…
Read More
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…
Read More
A new way of doing it works fast for Eastern Randolph boys’ team

A new way of doing it works fast for Eastern Randolph boys’ team

Members of the Eastern Randolph boys' basketball team have come together for a special season. MEBANE – No longer in a rut, the Eastern Randolph boys’ basketball program is doing it on its own terms. That’s fast – and to the point. “We practice fast,” senior Davonte Brooks said. “We come to the games just like practice. All fast, all fast. We all knew from the get-go what we were getting into, from Day 1.” Turns out this means getting all sorts of victories under first-year coach Johnny Thomas. The Wildcats are a rapid-paced, action-filled group all the way to…
Read More
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…
Read More
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Tyshaun Goldson, Randleman, boys’ basketball

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Tyshaun Goldson, Randleman, boys’ basketball

Randleman’s Tyshaun Goldston puts up a shot against South Davidson in last month’s holiday tournament. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Goldston, a sophomore, had quite a week in a pair of victories for the Tigers. He rolled up 19 points and six rebounds when Randleman defeated visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy 68-42.  Then came Goldston’s 15 points, six rebounds, and three blocked shots in a 49-43 victory at Providence Grove. Goldston holds team-leading marks of 16.1 points, 7.7 rebounds per game, and 2.1 blocked shots per game. With an 11-5 record entering this week, the Tigers already eclipsed last season’s eight-win mark.
Read More