Providence Grove athletics - Randolph Record

05 May

Cruising Cougars collect PAC Tournament title in softball

Randolph RecordSportsCaressa King, Carleigh Whitson, Class 2-A, Emma Mazzarone, Macie Crutchfield, piedmont athletic conference, Prep softball, Providence Grove athletics, Southwestern Randolph Cougars

Southwestern Randolph team members celebrate after the PAC Tournament championship game against visiting Providence Grove. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Macie Crutchfield threw a three-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts as Southwestern Randolph completed its domination of the Piedmont Athletic Conference with Thursday night’s 7-0 victory against visiting Providence Grove in the league tournament championship game. Carleigh Whitson had two hits and two runs batted in to help the Cougars to their first conference tournament title in eight years. Caressa King, who had a triple, drove in one run and scored a run, while Madelyn Smith and Madison Varner both knocked…

03 May

Tigers take different route, end up in PAC final

Bob SuttonSportsChesney Welch, Jake Smith, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Providence Grove athletics, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Seth Way

One strike away from a tournament exit, Randleman overcomes Providence Grove RANDLEMAN – Randleman’s baseball team hadn’t been in many of these situations in recent years. Trailing by two runs and down to their final strike, the Tigers’ stranglehold on the Piedmont Athletic Conference was in jeopardy Tuesday night. Providence Grove was on the cusp of pulling off an upset in the PAC Tournament semifinal. “I haven’t been in that many situations like that.” Randleman junior Seth Way said. “Do what you have to do to win the game.” So he did. Down 0-2 in the count with runners on…

17 Apr

Prep Baseball: Patriots pin streak-halting loss on Randleman

Bob SuttonSportsAndrew Canter, Hunter Atkins, Lemuel Coltrane, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Providence Grove athletics, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Seth Way

Logan Fox of Providence Grove had a role in tight baseball games with Randleman last week. (Randolph Record file photo) Providence Grove did what might have seemed like the unthinkable in Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball last week. The Patriots knocked off state power Randleman and ended a multi-year streak of domination. “Probably was unexpected,” Providence Grove coach Glen Hunt said. “Not a lot of people thought we could go in and win that game.” Providence Grove’s 3-2 victory halted Randleman’s 38-game winning streak against conference opponents that spread across parts of five seasons. And two days later, the Patriots nearly…

06 Apr

Mazzarone maintains rapid rate of strikeouts for Patriots

Bob SuttonSportsEmma Mazzarone, piedmont athletic conference, Prep softball, Providence Grove athletics, Virginia Tech

Emma Mazzarone of Providence Grove fires a pitch earlier this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Providence Grove senior pitcher holds dominating form CLIMAX – Emma Mazzarone doesn’t mind the workload that comes with being Providence Grove’s ace softball pitcher. She keeps on striking out batters at a staggering rate. “Before every game, I’ll try not to put a number in my head,” Mazzarone said of strikeout totals. “I try to pitch to certain batters to strike them out. And if they get a hit, more power to them. I’m really just focused on what I’m going to pitch to each and…

14 Mar

Prep softball: Patriots go through process in new season

Bob SuttonSportsEmma Mazzarone, Macie Crutchfield, Prep softball, Providence Grove athletics, Providence Grove softball, Southwestern Randolph

Providence Grove’s Leela Von Der Hay tags out Southwestern Randolph’s Madison Varner. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) CLIMAX – Some growing pains are going to be part of the process for Providence Grove’s softball team this season. That’s fine with coach Tim Brown as long as the Patriots show progress. Providence Grove was undefeated in the regular season last year, but five starters are gone from that team. “Comparing everything to last year would be difficult for everybody,” senior pitcher Emma Mazzarone said. “It was a special team. This year could be special, too. You can’t compare to last year because it…

10 Feb

Eastern Randolph boys find way to outright PAC title

Bob SuttonSportsChase Whitaker, Connor Carter, Davonte Brooks, Eastern Randolph athletics, Johnny Thomas, piedmont athletic conference, Pierce Leonard, Prep Basketball, Providence Grove athletics

Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks ties the game with a dunk late in the third quarter at Providence Grove. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Wildcats withstand Providence Grove for rare basketball prize CLIMAX – Eastern Randolph had to make changes to figure out how to topple Providence Grove in Thursday night’s unexpected down-to-the-end tussle in boys’ basketball. Just mark it up as another accomplishment for this group of Wildcats. They’re outright Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season champions, collecting the school’s first league title of any sort in boys’ basketball in seven years and only second regular-season title in 29 years. “We wanted to bring…

05 Feb

Hayes ready for challenge at Providence Grove

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Calvin Brown, David Hayes, piedmont athletic conference, prep football, Providence Grove athletics, Providence Grove football, Trinity High School

School’s new football coach is Trinity alum CLIMAX – David Hayes has been around high school football teams for more than a decade as an assistant coach. Now it’s something different. He’ll be a head coach. Providence Grove hired Hayes, who has close ties to a couple of other schools in Randolph County, as its next football coach. “I feel like I was ready to take an opportunity like this,” Hayes said. Hayes takes the vacancy left when Calvin Brown departed to become Asheboro’s coach. Most recently, Hayes has been an assistant coach and physical education teacher at Thomasville, which…

26 Jan

Moran moves to AD role at Providence Grove

Bob SuttonSportsCalvin Brown, Cody Moran, Providence Grove athletics

Cody Moran has been on Providence Grove’s football staff. (Courtesy photo) CLIMAX – Cody Moran figured that staying at Providence Grove might fit him best. Moran is the new athletics director at the school. “This might be my opportunity to move up here,” he said. Moran replaces Calvin Brown, who was named the new football coach at Asheboro. At Providence Gove, Brown held the dual role as football coach and athletics director. Brown remained in the AD role at Providence Grove through last week. Moran was an assistant coach on Brown’s staff and also has been an assistant for two…

25 Jan

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Colton Wood

Randolph RecordSportsColton Wood, prep wrestling, Providence Grove athletics

Providence Grove, wrestling Wood has had a solid wrestling season, with the postseason approaching. The senior, who competes in the 285-pound weight class, placed second in the RJR Invitational late last month in Winston-Salem. Wood reached the championship bout of that tournament with three pins. Wood finished sixth in last season’s Class 2-A state tournament. He’s a multi-time all-conference selection in football as a lineman for the Patriots.

13 Jan

Prep football: Brown works on compiling Asheboro staff while finishing duties at Providence Grove

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Calvin Brown, Mid-Piedmont Conference, prep football, Providence Grove athletics, Providence Grove football

CLIMAX – New Asheboro football coach Calvin Brown is still finishing his time at Providence Grove. While no longer the football coach of the Patriots, Brown is remaining at the school in other roles, including as athletics director, through Jan. 20. Then he makes the full transition to Asheboro. In more than a month’s time between his introduction as Asheboro’s coach and completely leaving Providence Grove, Brown said he hopes to have in place most of his new staff with the Blue Comets. “I’d like to have everything lined up,” he said. Brown, who spent seven seasons as Providence Grove’s…