ASHEBORO — After almost five years of construction, Asheboro High School’s renovations are finally complete.
On Wednesday, May 3, Asheboro City Schools held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially unveil the new and improved home of the Blue Comets for a crowd of elected officials, school system leadership and members of the media.
“This is a culmination of years of work with partners, with the Randolph County Board of Commissioners, with the City of Asheboro and their City Council members, with the Central Office and their staff, and the staff at Randolph County,” said Michael Smith, Chair of City of Asheboro Board of Education. “This renovation is part of the largest capital improvement even undertaken by our school system. This state-of-the-art facility will allow us to continue to serve Asheboro High School students for years to come.”
Students from Asheboro High School give a tour city and county elected officials. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal]
Construction of Asheboro High School first began in 1949 and was later opened for students to attend during the 1950-1951 school year. The building has since become something of a historical icon in Asheboro.
In November 2018, Asheboro City Schools held a groundbreaking ceremony to launch the construction and renovation project. During renovations, the school had to find ways to work around having a construction site inside the high school. Sports teams were able to continue their season by playing at the City of Asheboro’s Recreational Center, and local churches and organizations opened their buildings to the school for various school-related activities.
The new common area at Asheboro High School is a part of 37,670 additional square feet added during renovations. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal]
Now, after almost five years and $55 million in construction costs, the work is finally complete. Construction and renovations include adding 37,670 additional square feet, which gives the school fourteen new classrooms and state-of-the-art band and chorus spaces. In addition to these new spaces built onto the school, renovation of 200,000 square feet of the historical main building brought with it upgrades to the auditorium and two gymnasiums, a new-multipurpose commons area, modern technology, safety improvements, and additional ADA compliance.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the school hosted an open house event this past Sunday to allow members of the public to come see the renovations for themselves.
Renovations at AHS included several new ADA compliance features like this lower sink in one of the classrooms which is wheelchair accessible.[Scott Pelkey | North State Journal]
“The design of this school has truly captured the historical integrity of Asheboro High School while also exalting and emphasizing the future,” said Dr. Aaron Woody, District Superintendent.
An ADA compliant wheelchair elevator was added durring the renovations. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal]
Gore has been a steady performer for the Blue Comets on the baseball field this spring. He shares the team lead with six home runs, and he’s second among the Blue Comets with 18 runs scored.
Gore is a catcher and utility player heading to Belmont Abbey for college.
Asheboro won four of its last five games entering the Class 3-A state playoffs this week.
Caleb Stickle and the Uwharrie Charter Academy baseball team are diving into the state playoffs this week. (P.J. Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Baseball teams from Randleman and Uwharrie Charter Academy and the Southwestern Randolph softball team all landed No. 2 seeds in the West Region for the state playoffs.
Brackets were unveiled Monday. Play begins Tuesday.
Teams that advance will be slated to play second-round games Friday.
Here’s a look where Randolph County teams were seeded:
Baseball
Randleman (20-4) welcomes No. 31 seed Reidsville (11-14) for the first round in Class 2-A.
A victory would mean that No. 15 Forbush (20-7) or No. 18 Providence Grove (14-10) would visit Randleman later in the week. Randleman won two of three games this season vs. Providence Grove.
Southwestern Randolph (9-14) took the last spot in the Class 2-A bracket, meaning a trip to top-seeded Burns (20-4). The winner of that game faces either No. 16 Trinity (15-10) or No. 17 East Gaston (13-9) in the second round.
Wheatmore (8-13) made the field as the No. 29 seed in Class 2-A so the Warriors go to No. 4 seed West Stokes (20-4).
In Class 1-A, UCA (14-10) is home against No. 31 seed Queen’s Grant (8-10). A potential second-round game looms against either No. 15 Murphy or No. 18 Bishop McGuinness.
Eastern Randolph (4-17) is seeded No. 21, visiting No. 12 seed Mount Airy (14-12).
In Class 3-A, No. 26 seed Asheboro (12-11) heads to No. 7 seed Enka (12-10).
Softball
Southwestern Randolph (19-1) takes on No. 31 seed East Davidson (10-8) in the Class 2-A first round.
The Cougars could have a rematch from the PAC Tournament final in the second round later this week. If Southwestern Randolph wins, it would take on the winner between No. 15 seed Providence Grove (13-8) and No. 18 seed West Caldwell (21-6).
Randleman (7-15) is the No. 29 seed and goes to fourth-seeded West Stanly (23-1).
In Class 1-A, fourth-seeded Eastern Randolph (15-5) has a home date with No. 29 seed Bradford Prep (4-7).
No. 15 seed UCA (12-8) is home vs. No. 18 seed Highland Tech (11-7).
Morgyn Lassiter of Wheatmore aims to control the ball against Eastern Randolph in last week’s girls’ soccer game in Ramseur. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
ARCHDALE – Wheatmore was the team champion in the Piedmont Athletic Conference championships for boys’ golf last week at Holly Ridge Golf Links.
Wheatmore’s Ryan Marshall and Eastern Randolph’s Connor Carter shared medalist honors with even-par 72s, with both golfers shooting 36s on the front and back sides.
Wheatmore posted a team score of 350 for a 10-shot advantage on runner-up Providence Grove. Trinity was next with 363, followed by Randleman (390), Southwestern Randolph (402), Eastern Randolph (405) and Uwharrie Charter Academy (426).
Individually, third place went to Providence Grove’s Brandon Davis (82), fourth place to Trinity’s Ethan Earnhardt (84) and fifth place to Wheatmore’s Hunter Marshall ()87).
** In the Mid-Piedmont Conference championships at Asheboro’s Pinewood Country Club, Oak Grove was the overwhelming team winner with a 35-stroke advantage on runner-up Ledford. Asheboro placed fourth among the six teams.
Girls’ soccer
Undefeated Wheatmore defeated host Eastern Randolph 14-0, topped visiting Southwestern Randolph 9-0, and blasted visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy 9-0 in a trio of Piedmont Athletic Conference romps.
Summer Bowman’s four goals and Ellie Garrison’s three goals led the way against Southwestern Randolph. Against UCA, Garrison scored six goals and Bowman had two goals and two assists.
** Macy Allred scored three goals in Southwestern Randolph’s 9-0 home victory against Eastern Randolph.
** Alaliyah Loveday and Taryn Waugh both scored two goals when Providence Grove defeated visiting Trinity 4-0. Rori Luther and Noelle Swaim had the goals when Providence Grove nipped host Randleman 2-0.
** Randleman defeated host UCA 4-2 despite two goals from Jazmin Palma.
When UCA defeated host Eastern Randolph 9-0, Ava Cugino had three goals and Katie Jaimes scored twice.
** Madison Luck had two goals when Asheboro lost 4-3 to visiting Central Davidson in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
Boys’ tennis
All three area qualifiers for the dual team state playoffs were eliminated in first-round matches.
In Class 2-A, sixth-seeded Trinity lost 6-0 at home to No. 11 seed West Stokes, while No. 12 seed Southwestern Randolph fell 6-0 at No. 5 seed Burns.
In Class 1-A, fifth-seeded Bishop McGuinness overwhelmed No. 12 seed Uwharrie Charter Academy 9-0.
Rescue workers prepare to remove a driver from a vehicle last month in Asheboro. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – A Verizon store has wheels – temporarily, anyway.
The store on East Dixie Drive in Asheboro was damaged by a vehicle last month. In order to remain in position to serve customers, workers are operating out of a mobile trailer.
The April 10 accident occurred in the early evening and resulted in the driver being transported to a hospital in Greensboro with injuries that were described as serious but not life-threatening. Rescue crews had to secure the vehicle in place before extricating the driver.
The front of the vehicle was about 8 feet off the ground. The driver was pulled from the rear hatch.
Employees were in the Verizon store at the time of the accident. No injuries were reported.
However, the building was determined to be unsafe by a building inspector because of the structural damage.
ASHEBORO – Schools throughout Randolph County continued with classes Friday with increased law enforcement presence because of threats stemming from social media.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office deployed extra deputies to all school campuses, according to the department.
“As in any instance of a threat, precautions are being taken. Additional law enforcement are present on school campuses in Randolph County,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
A Snapchat threat was sent throughout the state and to other parts of the country, according to several reports.
Asheboro City Schools continued operations, though advisories were sent to parents.
As part of a memo from the city schools, officials had been “made aware of a social media post with threatening messages towards schools.”
Though the message was sent nationally, it was shared within the Asheboro High School community, according to the school’s notification to parents.
So, the school day began with a secured perimeter with all students reporting directly to their classrooms. No students were permitted outside the main building until that directive was lifted.
Superintendent Steven Gainey of the Randolph County School System delivered a message to parents Friday night via an automated phone service.
“I am calling to make you aware that a national message of potential school violence was posted on social media during the night (Thursday) night,” Gainey’s message said. “Please know that the leadership of the school system is working closely with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department to investigate and monitor this situation. Also, the Sheriff’s Department has placed additional officers on our school campuses throughout the school system as a means of additional support for the safety of our students and staff members. Please know that the safety of our students and staff members is our first priority at all times.”
Craig Shoemaker is Wheatmore’s new boys’ basketball coach. (Courtesy photo)
TRINITY – The more Craig Shoemaker learned about Wheatmore’s boys’ basketball program, the more he became interested in becoming the next coach.
So he accepted the job and he’ll try another rebuilding project.
“I was looking for a job,” Shoemaker said. “I didn’t know too much about Wheatmore. Seemed like they want someone to build it. I was very impressed by what I heard and saw.”
Shoemaker had huge success during several seasons in 13 years at Ragsdale and more recently coached at Leadership Academy in Kernersville.
Last season, the Warriors were 5-18 with a 0-12 regular-season mark in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Jonathan Evans was the coach until mid-December, when Jason Dennis took over on an interim basis.
“I like going to a place that needs a turnaround,” Shoemaker said.
Wheatmore had four consecutive winning seasons through 2019-20, but hasn’t posted an above-.500 mark since then.
Athletics director Rick Halo said the Warriors are seeking stability for the program after what seems like several years of a coaching carousel.
“His knowledge of the game stood out,” Halo said of Shoemaker. “We were looking for a seasoned coach who could step in and have good success. … A fresh start for me and a fresh start for our players.”
Shoemaker coached basketball for four seasons at Leadership Academy, never winning more than nine games. He wasn’t on the bench during this past season.
At Ragsdale, Shoemaker’s teams posted 20-, 23- and 26-win seasons. By the end, he had back-to-back 9-16 teams and was done there after the 2017-18 seasons. Overall, the Tigers were 188-151 under Shoemaker.
“We had a lot of good guys roll through there and we capitalized on it,” he said. “We tailed off a little bit.”
During his time at Ragsdale, his team was in the same conference as Trinity, which is Wheatmore’s neighboring rival. Shoemaker recalled several clashes with Trinity, which continues to be coached by Tim Kelly.
“We were packing out gyms when we played,” Shoemaker said. “He did tell me once I got the job (at Wheatmore) he was not going to give me any advice for a year.”
Though Shoemaker didn’t coach basketball this school year, he has guided the Leadership Academy boys’ soccer team for a few seasons. That squad went 21-1-1 in 2021.
His two youngest sons are seniors at Leadership Academy.
Shoemaker’s first head coaching job in basketball came at St. David’s School in Raleigh.
Shoemaker, who lives in High Point, will be involved in Wheatmore’s intervention program during school days.
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 in one run. Lileigh Payne and Maddie Strider each scored two runs.
Southwestern Randolph (19-1) is expected to be one of the West Region’s top seed for the Class 2-A state playoffs that begin next week.
Crutchfield didn’t issue a walk, but she hit three batters. The Cougars were aided by error-less defense.
Southwestern Randolph’s Carleigh Whitson is about to be tagged out at the plate by Providence Grove pitcher Emma Mazzarone. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record)
Providence Grove (13-8) lost for the third time this season to the Cougars, scoring a total of one run in those games.
In the latest meeting, Emma Mazzarone, Mailey Way and Maddie Flinchum each had one single for the Patriots. Mazzarone was the losing pitcher, striking out nine and walking three.
Southwestern Randolph avenged a 1-0 loss from last year’s PAC Tournament final at Providence Grove.
Earlier rounds …
Southwestern Randolph won 3-0 against Uwharrie Charter Academy in the semifinals with Crutchfield’s two-hitter including 14 strikeouts. Varner had a triple and scored a run.
Third-seeded Providence Grove edged second-seeded Eastern Randolph 3-2 with Mazzarone’s complete game from the pitching circle.
Providence Grove began the tournament with an 11-1 victory against sixth-seeded Wheatmore with Mazzarone logging 11 strikeouts and driving in three runs. Leela Von Der Hey also knocked in two runs, while Kaylee St. Join joined Mazzarone with two doubles.
Eastern Randolph won 17-0 against seventh-seeded Trinity in the quarterfinals as Quachell Headen knocked in four runs and Skylar Pugh struck out 11 with one walk.
UCA’s Kenzie Hill went 4-for-4 and Kynley Brewer scored two runs in the fourth-seeded Eagles’ 6-3 victory against fifth-seeded Randleman.
Randleman’s Austin Lemons had a big night on the mound and at the plate in the PAC Tournament final. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – There was so much going on with Randleman’s baseball team in the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament final.
Everything from Drake Purvis making his much-anticipated season debut to the Tigers racking up their 20th victory of the year.
Yet pretty much nothing could overshadow Austin Lemons.
The senior who mostly waited in the wings behind a stacked roster from a year ago emerged as the pitching and hitting standout in Randleman’s 4-0 victory against visiting Trinity on Thursday night.
“This is the biggest game I’ve probably ever pitched in my life and I feel like I handled it really well out there. I could trust my team. We got some runs. I knew right when we got those runs, I felt good about it.”
Make no mistake, the Tigers got their runs because of Lemons, who hit a two-run homer and later doubled to set up another run,
So he went from having a up-close view of Randleman’s record-setting 2022 season as a reserve to becoming one of the main participants for this year’s conference titlist.
“It definitely feels rewarding after working a lot,” Lemons said. “It’s not just for me. Hunter (Atkins) and Seth (Way) are the two that were in the lineup last year. They’ve been killing it this year. Everybody else had to fill really big roles and I think we’re doing a really good job of that.”
Lemons, a UNC Greensboro signee as a pitcher, must have been paying good attention last year.
“He has worked for this,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said. “He has seen people being successful in front of him.”
Lemons said he grew as a player last summer and in the fall on the travel ball circuit. Combined with what he learned from watching his former Randleman teammates, he applied it all to his final high school season.
“I feel like I just stuck through the process. I came out here and practiced just the same as everybody else,” Lemons said. “I took a lot of time to learn watching these guys on the field and I think it really carried over to this year.”
So that’s why the Tigers felt good about sending Lemons to the mound for the tournament final after he tossed two shutout innings in relief in Tuesday night’s eight-inning escape against Providence Grove in the semifinals.
“He competed and threw strikes,” Smith said. “His body language, his presence. He’s very focused.”
He gave Randleman six innings vs. Trinity, allowing two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.
Lemons relies mostly on fastballs and sliders. He said his control tended to be a glitch in past years, but that’s an area where he made significant improvement.
“I definitely feel like I’ve always had some of the talent there,” he said. “There’s potential, but I really had to work. I feel the biggest thing that changed for me is my mental approach, just being more confident.”
Randleman (20-4), the two-time defending Class 2-A state champion, will hold a high seed when the state playoffs begin next week.
Perfect inning for Purvis
Now, they’ll have Purvis ready to contribute. He hadn’t pitched in competition in about 10 months because of elbow surgery.
Randleman’s Drake Purvis throws a pitch in the final inning against Trinity. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
The junior left-hander entered in the seventh – though Lemons stayed loose on the side – and pitched a perfect inning.
“A couple of days ago we knew this would be the night,” Purvis said. “Slowly returning back. This is what you want. The place was packed, a big crowd.”
Second baseman Shawn Miller fielded a grounder toward the hole and snagged a line drive for the first two outs before a called third strike ended the game. Purvis celebrated with an emotion-filled prance toward the dugout.
“Wanted to see some live hitters in game in game situations,” he said. “Have that playoff mode. I’m used to this. It’s not my first rodeo and definitely not my last, either.”
It pretty much went by design for the Tigers. Purvis pitched a no-hitter in last June’s Game 1 of the state championship series vs. Farmville Central.
“We had to get him in and see him, and it was a positive,” Smith said. “He was amped up, for sure. I don’t blame him, I would be, too.”
Some offense, too
In part because of Randleman center fielder Way’s diving catch in right-center field that likely saved a run to end the top of the fourth, neither team had scored. In the bottom of the inning, Atkins drew a lead-off walk and scored on Lemons’ second home run of the season.
Randleman players react to teammate Chesney Welch’s home run. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
The lead grew to 3-0 on Chesney Welch’s first varsity home run when he led off the bottom of the fifth with a blast to right-center field.
“I’m just getting out of my spring training phase,” Welch said of bolstering his production. “Sometimes they feel a certain way, and that (swing) was one of them.”
Soon after, Trinity starter Ethan Willard was gone. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but didn’t score again in the fifth.
Lemons’ lead-off double in the sixth resulted in the game’s final run after a couple of defensive miscues.
Randleman posted its first shutout in an 11-game span.
Trinity (15-10) failed to score in the tournament final for the second year in a row. Last year, the Bulldogs bounced back and reached the fourth round of the state playoffs.
Trinity used Andon Simmons’ two-hitter in a 4-0 semifinal victory against visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy with Landon Mowery and Brody Little both homering. The Bulldogs needed a fifth-run sixth inning to rally past seventh-seeded Eastern Randolph 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
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 second and third with two outs, Way rapped a single to center field on reliever JC Cruz’s knuckleball. That tied the game.
“I saw it coming,” Way said of the knuckler.
The game went to extra innings, where Chesney Welch’s one-out single to left field brought in Shawn Miller from second base. Miller drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Randleman coach Jake Smith, whose two-time reigning Class 2-A state champions often dominated, couldn’t recall the last time the Tigers produced a late-game comeback.
“All that matters is our score is higher than theirs,” Way said.
The Tigers (19-4) will meet visiting Trinity, a 4-0 semifinal winner against Uwharrie Charter Academy, in Thursday night’s tournament final in a rematch from a year ago.
Providence Grove ended Randleman’s 38-game conference winning streak last month with a 3-2 victory and then dropped a 3-2 decision later that week in the regular-season rematch. The Patriots (14-10) needed just one more out to notch another upset.
“It is what it is,” Providence Grove coach Glen Hunt said. “That’s what they do. We played well three times against them.”
Way and Providence Grove’s Jayten Beasley were locked in a pitchers’ duel until Way’s home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
The Patriots struck back in the fifth, using four singles and an error on the way to three runs. The first run was scored by Brady Collins on a two-out double steal. Logan Fox capped the rally with an RBI single.
From there, the Patriots dodged trouble the next two innings. Cruz entered with two runners on base and two outs to strike out Hunter Atkins to end the fifth. The Tigers stranded two more runners in the sixth after Jake Riddle’s two-out double.
Smith said he was glad Way could overshadow his fifth-inning pitching misfortune with his bat.
“He took it out at the plate,” Smith said.
Then in the eighth, it was Welch’s turn for a clutch hit. He wasn’t on the team last year.
“Sitting in the dugout right before I went out, I was kind of hoping it would get to me,” he said.
Providence Grove, playing for the second night in a row, had to piece together the pitching. Hunt said Beasley excelled in a heightened role.
“He did a real good job keeping them off balance,” Hunt said. “I thought we played a really clean game defensively.”
Austin Lemons pitched two innings of shutout relief for the Tigers. Smith said he’ll be the starting pitcher for the tournament final.
With only two returning starters from a year ago in the Randleman lineup, this group wants to get the job done, too.
“It’s a pride thing,” Smith said. “You’re here at your home field and you’re protecting your home field. They’ve got a lot of pride.”
** In the quarterfinals, Providence Grove upended Southwestern Randolph 10-9 in eight innings. That game was contested at Randleman because of wet field conditions at Providence Grove.
Karson Bowman’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning tied the game. Andrew Canter was the winning pitcher in relief. Tyler Foust homered earlier in the game. Landon Williamson homered and Tyler Parks drove in three runs for Southwestern Randolph (9-14).
