Wheatmore Warriors - Randolph Record

31 Jan

UCA, Trinity hold top seeds for state duals; Eastern Randolph, Wheatmore, Asheboro also qualify

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, class 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, Cliff Thompson, Dominic Hittepole, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, nchsaa, prep wrestling, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Brennan Worrell, top, works against Avery County’s King Orvosh in a 120-pound match last year in the Class 1A dual team state finals. (Randolph Record) Uwharrie Charter Academy and Trinity wrestling teams will begin their quests to repeat as dual team state champions with home meets Saturday. UCA, the top seed in Class 1A East Region and the Piedmont Athletic Conference champion, is home against Lakewood. The winner meets either Union Academy or Albemarle in the second round. Trinity begins Class 2A competition as the top seed in the West Region, facing Brevard and then, if it…

24 Jan

Area schools don’t shift in second NCHSAA league draft

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, nchsaa, Providence Grove Patriots, Randleman Tigers, Randolph County School System, realignment, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Stephen Gainey, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

There were no changes involving Randolph County schools in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s second draft of conference alignments. That revised draft was released this week. “What I gather is our schools are pretty happy where they are,” said Stephen Gainey, superintendent of the Randolph County School System. RCSS has six high schools as part of the NCHSAA. Gainey began a term as NCHSAA president last summer, so has a keen eye on the topic. Appeals and comments from schools regarding the conference make-ups are due Tuesday. The realignment committee is scheduled to meet again Feb. 3-4. “A…

20 Jan

Prep wrestling: Busy Trinity team claims tourney title; Others win in Jet Invitational

Bob SuttonSportsAiden Burkholder, Bliss Joyce, Briana Joyce, David Lambright, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Edgar Vasquez, Lawson Coltrane, Maddox Carson, Mitchell Freeman, prep wrestling, Providence Grove Patriots, Simeon Hammett, Stephen Cross, Trinity Bulldogs, Wheatmore Warriors

Five Trinity wrestlers grabbed individual titles and the Bulldogs were team champions in the Sarah Wilkes Invitational on Saturday in Eden. It was the first of two tournaments in three days that at least some of the Bulldogs participated in. Aiden Burkholder (106 pounds), Stephen Cross (113), Edgar Vasquez (126), Simeon Hammett (132) and Lawson Coltrane (165) were the champs for Trinity, which also had three runners-up. Among 12 teams, Trinity was the champion with 198½ points, with host Eden Morehead the runner-up at 179. Burkholder defeated Southeast Guilford’s Jacob Bone with a 56-second pin in the final. Cross edged…

13 Jan

Prep boys’ basketball: UCA Eagles stick Randleman with first loss

Randolph RecordSportsAaron Smith, Andrew Thomas, Braeden Lamb, Brayden Chapman, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Finley Bryant, Jaxon Mabe, Julian Brooks, Providence Grove Patriots, Randleman Tigers, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Timothy Brower, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

Aaron Smith of Uwharrie Charter Academy goes up for a shot against Randleman. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN – Randleman’s unbeaten status in boys’ basketball was wiped away last week. Uwharrie Charter Academy delivered the first loss of the season on the Tigers, winning 61-56 in a Piedmont Athletic Conference road game. Aaron Smith’s 21 points led the Eagles, while Braeden Lamb added 18 points. Smith, who also grabbed 11 rebounds, shot 7-for-10 from the field and 8-for-9 on free throws. Randleman won its first 11 games this season. The Tigers defeated UCA twice last season by an average…

12 Jan

UCA wrestlers buff up with more success

Bob SuttonSportsCaden Bond, Chris Waddell, Dominic Hittepole, Lorenzo Alston, piedmont athletic conference, prep wrestling, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

Caden Bond TRINITY — Uwharrie Charter Academy’s wrestling team is on target for a league championship and another bid for a dual team state title. Per usual, the Eagles have been doing so by rolling past most opponents. “We’re trying to dominate,” senior Aiden Foster said. “We’re trying to be better every day.” UCA has a new coach in Hayden Waddell, who moved into the position that his father, Chris Waddell, previously held. The elder Waddell remains involved and on the bench with the Eagles. “We’re trying to stay consistent with what we do,” said Hayden Waddell, who was the…

10 Jan

Schools in Randolph County react to NCHSAA league proposals

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Chris Chapman, Chris Waddell, Cody Moran, Corey Phillips, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, nchsaa, piedmont athletic conference, Providence Grove Patriots, Randleman Tigers, realignment, Robert Mitchell, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wes Berrier, Wheatmore Warriors

ASHEBORO – The proposed conference make-ups for the next North Carolina High School Athletic Association realignment look good to officials from most Randolph County schools. That’s not to say adjustments won’t be sought from some schools, including Southwestern Randolph. “We’re researching some things,” athletics director Chris Chapman said. The new league lineups come as the NCHSAA expands from four to eight classifications beginning in the summer to begin a four-year cycle. The initial draft of conferences was unveiled in December. Schools have until Jan. 21 to appeal for changes. “I think the state did a real good job of thinking…

06 Jan

Prep wrestling: Wheatmore’s Hittepole pins way to title; Trinity grapplers excel; UCA racks up duals wins

Randolph RecordSportsBliss Joyce, Dominic Hittepole, Jaden Allred, Joseph Trahan, Lorenzo Alston, prep wrestling, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

Wheatmore’s Dominic Hittepole, top, works against an opponent during last year’s state tournament. (Randolph Record file photo) GREENSBORO – Dominic Hittepole of Wheatmore added another individual championship in the wrestling season by capturing first place in the Crosby Invitational on Saturday at Greensboro Dudley. Hittepole pinned Eden Morehead’s Brock Blizzard in 3:45 of the 175-pound title bout. It was his fourth pin of the day after topping Central Davidson’s Ethan Mumford in 31 seconds, Greensboro Page’s Ian Harris in 3:14 and Greensboro Grimsley’s Hayden Rogers in 32 seconds. A week earlier, Hittepole won 6-3 against Blizzard in a consolation-round match…

05 Jan

Prep basketball roundup: Eastern Randolph’s late surge tops Asheboro boys

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Laurel Bernhardt, Osiris Rodriguez, Prep Basketball, Providence Grove Patriots, Timothy Brower, Wheatmore Warriors

RAMSEUR – Timothy Brower scored 22 points and Eastern Randolph pulled out a 66-50 victory against visiting Asheboro in Friday night’s non-conference boys’ basketball game. The Wildcats posted 20 of the game’s last 24 points. Tyler Gee scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and Camden Jones finished with 16 points. For Asheboro, Jewel Barrett-Riggins had 14 points and Osiris Rodriguez notched 10 points. In the girls’ game, Eastern Randolph won 47-32 as Raegan Beaver’s 14 points and Cora Sparrow’s 13 points led the way. ** Southwestern Randolph swept road games at Chatham Central on Friday night.…

26 Dec

NCHSAA’s conference draft could spread out Randolph County schools

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, nchsaa, Providence Grove Patriots, Randleman Tigers, realignment, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

New league alignments within the NCHSAA begin by summer Randolph County schools will be spread out when it comes to conference affiliations based on an initial draft sent to schools from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Schools can provide feedback on the drafts before those are finalized, likely in January. The new alignments, which are developed to be in place for four years, begin next summer. The NCHSAA is expanding from four classifications to eight, so there are bound to be different combinations when it comes to conference set-ups. The drafts reveal more split conferences (leagues with schools…

25 Dec

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Finley Bryant

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Finley Bryant, piedmont athletic conference, Prep Basketball, Wheatmore athletics, Wheatmore Warriors

Wheatmore, boys’ basketball Bryant is trying to help the Warriors to a resurgence this season. He’s the team’s leader in assists and steals more than one-third of the way through the schedule. The senior guard has given the backcourt a boost for a team that has a blend of veterans and emerging younger players. The Warriors have already eclipsed last season’s win total. By defeating Trinity last week, it gave Wheatmore its first Piedmont Athletic Conference victory in three years. That result, which was aided by Bryant’s 14 points and five assists, also snapped Wheatmore’s nine-game losing streak in the…