Randleman - Randolph 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…

13 Apr

Tigers blank Patriots twice as Randleman closes in on outright PAC title

Bob SuttonSportspiedmont athletic conference, Randleman, Randleman baseball

Randleman’s Hunter Atkins drills the ball during a game against Southwestern Randolph in Piedmont Athletic Conference action last month at Randleman. CLIMAX — Randleman’s baseball team was close to perfect in a couple of ways during a pair of Piedmont Athletic Conference shutouts last week. Those results allowed the Tigers to clinch at least a share of the PAC regular-season championship. “We’ve been swinging it really well,” outfielder Braylen Hayes said. “Pitching is amazing.” Indeed, in Wednesday’s 10-0 victory at Providence Grove, Ryan White retired the first 17 batters he faced. So he had a perfect game until Brady Collins…

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…

09 Mar

Randleman girls will seek more after deep run

Randolph RecordSportsgirls' basketball, prep sports, Randleman

Randleman’s Audra Petty shoots a 3-pointer against Shelby during the Class 1-A West Regional semifinals March 1 at Randleman. RANDLEMAN – Another deep run into the state playoffs for the Randleman girls’ basketball team might just be incentive to take it another round or two next time. “We’ll be back,” coach Brandon Varner said. “We’re close. We’ve just got to keep getting after it, building toward next year. We’ll be back.” The Tigers finished the season with a 25-1 record, with the only loss coming in the Class 2-A regional semifinals. When defending state champion Shelby knocked off host Randleman…

02 Mar

Prep basketball: Season comes with highlights for area teams

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro, basketball, prep sports, Providence Grove, Randleman, UCA

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Alijah Barker shoots the ball against Albemarle’s Walker Wilkins in the first round of the Class 1-A state playoffs Feb. 22 at Uwharrie Charter Academy in Asheboro. Basketball season came to a close for Randolph County boys’ teams in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association by the end of the second round last week. On the girls’ side, only Randleman and Uwharrie Charter Academy made it to the weekend’s third round. Randleman’s season was still going this week. Here are a few notables as the postseason unfolded: Patriots tripped by familiar foe Providence Grove’s boys’ season-ending…

22 Feb

SWR pulls upset; UCA, Trinity also advance in boys’ basketball state playoffs

Randolph RecordSportsAlbemarle, Eastern Randolph, Providence Grove, Randleman, SWR, Trinity, UCA, Uwharrie

ASHEBORO — Southwestern Randolph knocked off Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season champion Providence Grove on the opening night of the state playoffs in boys' basketball Tuesday night. Uwharrie Charter Academy and Trinity will continue their boys' seasons. Asheboro, Randleman and Eastern Randolph bowed out along with Providence Grove. In Class 2-A, Southwestern Randolph, which holds the No. 25 seed in the West Region, won 61-58 a rare in-county road playoff game against No. 8 seed Providence Grove. No. 12 seed Trinity beat the No. 21 seed Lexington 55-46. No. 30 seed Randleman traveled to Shelby, losing 52-47. In Class 3-A, No.…

22 Feb

UCA, Randleman, SWR, Wheatmore advance in girls’ basketball playoffs

Randolph RecordSportsbasketball, Eastern Randolph, girls' basketball, playoffs, Providence Grove, Randleman, SWR, Uwharrie Charter, Wheatmore

ASHEBORO — Four Randolph County girls' basketball teams advanced to the second round of the state playoffs with wins Tuesday night, while two others saw their seasons end. Uwharrie Charter Academy, Randleman, Southwestern Randolph and Wheatmore cruised in their first-round playoff games. UCA, a No. 3 seed in Class 1-A in the West Region, topped No. 30 seed Bradford Prep 54-38. Also in Class 1-A, Eastern Randolph fell short in a 65-62 loss to Cherokee. Randleman, the top seed in the Class 2-A, dominated No. 32 seed Shelby Burns with a 64-17 victory. No. 11 seed Southwestern Randolph was a…

22 Feb

PAC Girls: Tigers girls keep title wave going

Randolph RecordSportsRandleman

Randleman’s Gracyn Hall shoots the ball against Uwharrie Charter Academy during the PAC Tournament girls’ championship game Friday night at Randleman. RANDLEMAN – Randleman’s girls’ basketball team made it through Piedmont Athletic Conference play unscathed, capped by the league tournament championship. The Tigers headed off to the state playoffs with a 22-0 record. Last week turned out to be rewarding for Randleman, which won twice on its homecourt in the tournament to back up its regular-season championship. “The bull’s-eye has been on our back all year,” Randleman coach Brandon Varner said. “The pressure has been building.” First there was a…

16 Feb

Tears flow at Senior Night ceremony

Randolph RecordSportsEastern Randolph, prep sports, Providence Grove, Ramseur, Randleman, Southwestern Randolph, Wheatmore

Emotions flowed in a special manner on Senior Night at Providence Grove. Thursday night’s ceremony between the girls’ and boys’ basketball games against Wheatmore included recognition of senior basketball players and cheerleaders. Cheerleading and boys’ basketball seniors were honored before the girls’ basketball seniors. The final of those recognitions drew a tearful standing ovation. That’s when the parents of the late Lily Butler came onto the court. Butler, who had been a member of the girls’ program, died in July at age 17. She also had been on the cross country team. Her parents, Chip and Carol Butler, received numerous…

16 Feb

Asheboro triple jumper takes third at state meet

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro, prep sports, Randleman, swimming, track and field, Wheatmore

Senior Arianna Lovingood-Smith of Asheboro claimed third place in the Class 3-A girls’ triple jump in the indoor track and field state championships Saturday at the JDL Fast Track Indoor Facility in Winston-Salem. Lovingood-Smith had a mark of 34 feet, 10 inches. Cramer’s Alexis Willis won the event with an effort of 37-10, while Lovingwood-Smith was just 2 inches off the mark from runner-up Gisele Dulnuan-Kersey of Franklinton. On Friday in Class 1-A/2-A, Randleman had two solid finishes in the girls’ shot put. Iniyah Mitchell was fifth in 31-5¾ and Kyle Vaughn placed seventh at 30-1. In the boys’ 55-meter…