Trinity Bulldogs - Randolph Record

21 Jun

Trinity state champ Hardister discovers right combinations

Bob SuttonSportsBrandon Coggins, Gavin Hardister, prep wrestling, state tournament, Trinity Bulldogs

Gavin Hardister reacts at the end of the state final. (Photo provided) TRINITY – Gavin Hardister had a solid wrestling background as he came up through high school. Then the Trinity wrestler made his final season his best when he became a Class 2A state champion last winter. “I feel like I was always good enough,” he said. “There was always a moment that got in my head. (As a senior), I didn’t let the moment be too big.” He’ll take the next step soon as he heads to Iowa Western Community College, which is a National Junior College Athletic…

04 Jun

Former Trinity, Asheboro football coach retires

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Kevin Gillespie, prep football, Thomasville, Trinity Bulldogs

Gillespie coached state champions in Greensboro Kevin Gillespie, who made two of his four stops as a high school football head coach in Randolph County, announced his retirement Friday. Gillespie stepped down from his post at Thomasville, where he spent the past four seasons. Gillespie coached at Trinity and Asheboro, with a stop in between to guide Greensboro Page to a state championship. He had an overall record of 172-110 after going 32-12 with Thomasville. Gillespie’s final game came last November in a 40-19 road loss at Eastern Randolph in the third round of the Class 1-A state playoffs. The…

10 May

Wheatmore, UCA girls hold best seeds from area for soccer playoffs

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, class 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, piedmont athletic conference, prep soccer, Providence Grove athletics, Randleman Tigers, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, state playoffs, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics, Wheatmore athletics

Randleman’s Carolina Candelero, left, and Providence Grove’s Taryn Waugh contend for possession during a game last month. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Wheatmore has a challenging path to try to reach the Class 2-A state final for the third year in a row in girls’ soccer. The Warriors hold the No. 6 seed in the West Region based on seeds and pairings unveiled Friday. First-round games are Monday. Wheatmore, which was the 2022 state champion and last year’s runner-up, opens against No. 27 seed Lincoln Charter (4-10-2). The Warriors will be guaranteed another home game if they win. Wheatmore lost a Piedmont…

18 Apr

Randleman Tigers conjure more magic for PAC baseball supremacy

Bob SuttonSportsBraxton Walker, Jake Smith, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman Tigers, Seth Way, Trinity Bulldogs

Randleman’s Braxton Walker had a big impact at the plate and on the mound earlier this week. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN – Randleman had just enjoyed another one of those defining moments that seem to come so often for the school’s baseball team. There were various assessments of what that meant after Tuesday night’s 6-5, eight-inning victory against visiting Trinity. “We got to get better,” shortstop Jake Riddle said. “We got to.” While it wasn’t the smoothest outing for the Tigers, they again found a way. The result secured another outright Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season championship and kept…

28 Feb

State playoffs: Asheboro boys survive; Trinity pulls upset; Eastern Randolph advances; Randleman teams, Cougars, UCA girls move on

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Camden Walker, class 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, Dominic Payne, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Jerquarius Stanback, Jordin George, nchsaa, Nicah Taylor, Prep Basketball, Randleman Tigers, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, state playoffs, Timothy Brower, Trinity Bulldogs

Camden Walker, with arm raised, and the Asheboro boys’ basketball team celebrate a victory against Carson in Class 3-A. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Girls’ teams from Randleman, Southwestern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter Academy and boys’ teams from Asheboro, Eastern Randolph, Randleman and Trinity won first-round games in the state playoffs Tuesday night. The only team from Randolph County to win a road game was the Trinity boys. Second-round games are Friday night. Boys – first round Asheboro pulled out a 72-70 victory against visiting Carson on Camden Walker’s two free throws in the final second of a Class 3-A game. This…

19 Feb

Prep boys: Blue Comets take momentum to league tourney

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brady Collins, Brandon Campbell, Camden Walker, Dominic Payne, Elijah Woodle, Greg Price, Jerquarius Stanback, Mid-Piedmont Conference, PAC Tournament, Parker Kines, Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament, Prep Basketball, Randleman Tigers, Trinity Bulldogs

Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback had another big week on offense heading into the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament. (Randolph Record file photo) ASHEBORO – Asheboro’s boys’ basketball team carries a five-game winning streak into the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament. And the Blue Comets won’t have to leave home this week because the pre-determined site for semifinals and finals is Asheboro’s gym. Asheboro (20-3) had one of two byes to the semifinals. The Blue Comets play the winner between sixth-seeded Montgomery Central and third-seeded North Davidson at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The final is set for the same time Friday night. Central Davidson is the top…

17 Feb

Trinity’s Hardister knocks off champ on way to title

Randolph RecordSportsAlex Raymundo, Braxton Walker, Class 2-A, Dominic Hittepole, Gavin Hardister, Greensboro Coliseum, Jaden Allred, Jose Flores, Levi Dennis, nchsaa, prep wrestling, Randleman Tigers, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Spencer May, state tournament, Trey Swaney, Trinity Bulldogs

Trinity’s Gavin Hardister reacts after defeating Matthew Cranfill of Bandys to win the 215-pound state title in Class 2-A . (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) GREENSBORO – Gavin Hardister had to defeat a defending state champion along the way, but the Trinity wrestler largely dominated the rest of the Class 2-A field at 215 pounds on the way to a state championship. The Bulldogs senior finished it with a 13-5 decision against Bandys senior Matthew Cranfill in Saturday’s final at the Greensboro Coliseum. His toughest match: Against another wrestler from the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Trinity had seven wrestlers with top-six finishes in…

14 Feb

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Levi Dennis

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Class 2-A, Levi Dennis, nchsaa, prep wrestling, state tournament, Trinity Bulldogs

Trinity, wrestling Dennis is wrapping up another stellar season for the Bulldogs. He won four matches last week to win the Class 2-A Midwest Regional at 132 pounds. He recorded two pins and a technical fall before defeating East Surry’s Michael Fischer 6-2 in the final. Dennis, a senior, holds a 49-1 record this season. Last February, he placed fifth in the state at 126. He received All-Piedmont Athletic Conference recognition the past two years.

03 Feb

Trinity wrestlers cap unbeaten run with Class 2-A crown

Bob SuttonSportsBear Schaefer, Class 2-A, Jaden Allred, Joseph Trahan, Lawson Coltrane, Levi Dennis, NCHSHAA, prep wrestling, Spencer May, state playoffs, Trinity athletics, Trinity Bulldogs

Trinity's wrestling team poses for a photo after winning the Class 2-A dual team final. (Randolph Record) Bulldogs blow past Seaforth for first dual team championship GREENSBORO – Once Trinity got rolling, there was no stopping the Bulldogs in the Class 2-A dual team state finals. Trinity racked up victories in seven consecutive bouts and came away with a 36-31 triumph against Seaforth on Saturday afternoon at the fieldhouse on the Greensboro Coliseum Complex grounds. Lawson Coltrane clinched the victory and undefeated season for the Bulldogs with a second-period pin in the 170-pound match. “The whole team did it,” Coltrane…

02 Feb

UCA, Trinity head to state finals Saturday in Greensboro

Bob SuttonSportsclass 1-A, Class 2-A, Dual team state finals, Greensboro Coliseum complex, nchsaa, prep wrestling, Trinity Bulldogs, UCA Eagles, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

Members of the Uwharrie Charter Academy wrestling team pose for a photo after winning the Class 1-A East Region title Wednesday night at home. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) GREENSOBORO – Trinity and Uwharrie Charter Academy will try to capture state championships in dual team wrestling Saturday afternoon. Trinity is bidding for its first state crown when it takes on Seaforth in the Class 2-A final at noon. UCA (34-1) will tangle with Avery County (30-1) for the third year in a row and for the fourth time in as many tournaments in Class 1-A at 3 p.m. Avery County won in…