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PG coach Calvin Brown in 2022 at Asheboro

Asheboro hires Providence Grove’s Brown as next football coach

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Here’s Calvin Brown during Providence Grove’s 2022 game at Asheboro (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Calvin Brown will try to get Asheboro’s football program back on a winning path.

Brown is leaving Providence Grove, where he directed sustained success, to become coach of the Blue Comets.

Brown’s Providence Grove teams were 42-34 in seven seasons. He guided the Patriots to their first postseason football victory in school history earlier this fall as part of an 8-4 record.

Brown takes the position held by Blake Brewer, a former Asheboro quarterback whose three-season record was 2-25 as head coach. The Blue Comets were 1-9 each of the past two seasons.

Providence Grove defeated Asheboro 28-14 and 49-0 the past two seasons.

It could be quite a project for Brown. Asheboro is a combined 7-52 in the last six seasons.

Brown was also athletics director at Providence Grove. He won’t hold those responsibilities at Asheboro, where such a dual role isn’t permitted.

Providence Grove’s eight wins matched the most in program history. The Patriots went 8-4 in 2019 and 8-3 in 2021.

Providence Grove lost to eventual Class 2-A runner-up Reidsville, a team it has never defeated in six all-time meetings, in the second round.

Not only will Providence Grove also have a new coach in 2023, it could be a rebuilding period for the Patriots. There were 22 seniors on this year’s team.

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Calvin Brown’s coaching record at Providence Grove

2016: 4-7

2017: 4-7

2018: 6-6

2019: 8-4

2021 (spring): 4-3

2021: 8-3

2022: 8-4

Total: 42-34

Asheboro coach Blake Brewer 2021 at PG CROPPED

Brewer out as Asheboro’s football coach

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Blake Brewer gives instructions from the sideline during a 2021 game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Blake Brewer, who as an Asheboro football player had considerable success, couldn’t turn around the Blue Comets’ sluggish program as a coach and is no longer in that position.

Brewer is done as the coach after three seasons.

“I had every intention of continuing and putting our best foot forward,” Brewer said Monday. “We’re just behind. We just were not successful enough on Friday nights. That’s what it came down to.”

Brewer said during a postseason meeting with principal Ryan Moody and athletics director Wes Berrier that he provided his vision for the future of the program. He was asked for his resignation.

Asheboro went 2-25 under Brewer with records of 0-7, 1-9 and 1-9.

The three seasons before that, the Blue Comets were a combined 5-27.

“We appreciate the time Coach Brewer has devoted to the Blue Comets and wish him very best in his future coaching career,” Moody said in a statement.

Moody sent a memo to school personnel about the coaching change late Friday afternoon.

Brewer, 33, said his deep roots to the school and football program made the decision difficult.

“I’m an Asheboro guy through and through,” he said.

Asheboro is the largest school in Randolph County and competes in Class 3-A. Its lone victories under Brewer came in the 2021 season opener at Randleman and in this year’s non-conference game at Wheatmore.

So the Blue Comets never won a Mid-Piedmont Conference game or a home game with Brewer in charge. The conference has proven to be stout, considering that Oak Grove and Ledford won first-round playoff games Friday night, while Central Davidson suffered a three-point loss.

This year, Asheboro was outscored by a cumulative 453-75 score.

Brewer, who’s in his 12th year as a physical education teacher at the school, had been on the coaching staff prior to becoming head coach. That took him through several coaching changes.

“It bums met out even more,” he said

Brewer, a former quarterback and a member of the Class of 2007, had been optimistic going into the season, especially as the program’s numbers grew to about 70 players. He also had supported and expressed great appreciation for youth football initiatives in Asheboro, figuring those would pay off in future years.

“We’ve worked hard to get kids bought in,” Brewer said. “I thought we made a lot of steps in the right direction. It just didn’t work out for us.”

He said he was generally proud of the determination from his players and how they dealt with defeats with class.

Brewer said he’ll consider future coaching possibilities in the weeks ahead.

Brewer had been Asheboro’s girls’ track and field coach for a team that won last spring’s Mid-Piedmont Conference championship. He gave up that position for this school year in order to place more concentration on football.

Randleman Anthony Santos v Asheboro Aug2022

Prep Football: Randleman blanks Asheboro in opener; PG rolls; SWR, Trinity score big

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Randleman’s Anthony Santos tries to pull away from Asheboro’s Julian Faz on Friday night. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Randleman clicked better in the second half of a 24-0 season-opening victory Friday night at Asheboro.

The Blue Comets never got into a groove.

Those factors allowed the Tigers to avenge last year’s season-opening loss.

“They had to live with last year’s score all year,” Randleman coach Shane Timmons said of his players.

Even as they wasted a few chances until late in the first half, there were reasons for the Tigers to be pleased.

“They kind of got the butterflies out of their system,” Timmons said. “Anytime you get a Game 1 win, you feel good about yourself.”

Quarterback Christian Long scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter to build a 10-0 lead after teammate Christian McCloud opened the scoring with a 25-yard field goal. Amarion Moton and Micah Thurston added 2-yard touchdown runs in the third quarter.

After a combined seven shutouts in 2019 and the 2021 spring season, Randleman was without a blanking last fall. The Tigers will like the feel of this result.

“Really proud of their effort and I hope they enjoy it for sure,” Timmons said.

Asheboro missed scoring chances, particularly by fumbling on a second-and-goal play from the 5-yard line.

“Couldn’t get out of our own way,” Asheboro coach Blake Brewer said. “I thought our guys hustled. We just didn’t play well enough to win.”

Asheboro was limited to 114 yards of total offense. Valentino Mark was charted for 43 rushing yards.

“We didn’t put ourselves in good positions,” Brewer said. “We put our defense in bad spots. They continued to fight.”

For Randleman, Thurston gained 50 yards on 12 carries, Moton had 49 yards on 10 attempts and Long added 42 yards on nine rushes. Tyshaun Goldston, a transfer from Asheboro, racked up a game-high 55 receiving yards on four catches.

Providence Grove 31, East Davidson 14: At Climax, Chase Whitaker scored two touchdowns and Andrew Cantor threw two scoring passes and the host Patriots rolled.

Zane Cheek scored on a run, Zander Cheek scored on a short pass play from Cantor, and Whitaker reached the end zone on a 2-yard quarterback keeper and Tucker Batten booted a 31-yard field goal in the first half as Providence Grove built a 24-7 lead.

Zander Cheek, who gained 62 rushing yards, picked up 100 yards on four receptions. Zane Cheek gained 63 yards on the ground.

Southwestern Randolph 62, Jordan-Matthews 6: At Asheboro, Easton Clapp ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more and Adam Cole scored three touchdowns as the host Cougars set a single-game school record for points.

Cole scored on two rushing plays and on a reception. He had 116 rushing yards in the first half.

Eli Gravely also caught a touchdown pass. Colton Law and Asher Perkins scored on runs and Carson Norris returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown.

Eastern Alamance 42, Eastern Randolph 28: At Mebane, the host Eagles raced to an early lead and held on, handing the Wildcats their first regular-season loss since the 2021 spring season.

Eastern Randolph quarterback Stratton Barwick threw for two touchdown passes to Nicah Taylor and was intercepted twice. Taylor collected 136 receiving yards on six catches.

Trinity 52, Chatham Central 0: At Bear Creek, Dominic Payne threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as the visiting Bulldogs rolled up their most points since 2018 to win their opener for the season in a row.

Payne racked up 115 passing yards and 91 rushing yards. Bo Gibson, who gained 82 yards on the ground, and Dylan Hodges, who picked up 69 rushing yards, both scored touchdowns.

West Davidson 27, Wheatmore 21: At Trinity, the Warriors were involved in just their second game since 2019 with a final margin in single digits and they came up short in the home game.

Jon Kelly scored two touchdowns and rushed for 135 yards for Wheatmore. Riley Strickland threw for a touchdown and three interceptions.

Asheboro HS football coach Blake Brewer

Asheboro Blue Comets intent on collecting confidence, winning in football

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Asheboro coach Blake Brewer, here at practice earlier this month, will try to help the Blue Comets head in the right direction. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Asheboro seeks change from five-year stretch of doldrums

ASHEBORO – There’s no reason for members of the Asheboro football team to dwell on the past. What’s ahead is the exciting part for the Blue Comets.

“The expectations are higher,” senior safety DJ Headen. “Another year to prove ourselves.”

Asheboro has dipped to the depths in recent seasons, but that hasn’t depleted optimism.

Coming off a one-win season, the Blue Comets are anxious to change the dialogue regarding their team.

“We were bad last year,” senior safety and receiver Hakemme Butler said. “We’re going to change that. We’re eager. There’s more to go for. As a senior, I’m going to be the leader.”

Asheboro opens Friday night at home against Randleman. Last season, the Blue Comets won at Randleman and never posted another victory.

“We could see the difference after winning a game,” coach Blake Brewer said. “And by that ninth loss, you’re limping to the finish line.”

Asheboro hasn’t won more than two games in any of the last five seasons for a cumulative 6-43 mark during that stretch.

Brewer said he’s hoping the awkward nature of the offseasons prior to the past two seasons no longer will be a negative factor. The Blue Comets are 1-16 under his watch.

He sensed the frustration and the uneven interest.

“Don’t know if it was COVID or the state of the program,” Brewer said.

There are about 70 players in the program, an uptick from the past couple of years.

“I feel like every day is going pretty good so far,” Butler said. “We’ve got more guys out this year and that’s going to help us. We’ve got subs.”

There are encouraging developments on offense, with sturdy Michael Brady at running back. Markell Graham, who suffered a broken ankle last year vs. Wheatmore, is back at full speed.

The quarterback will be sophomore Hamza Khan, who had a strong junior varsity season last year.

“The kids have bought into him,” Brewer said.

He offensive line has had notably solid early practices, something that might have been unexpected.

Headen, also a backup running back, is a third-year starter on defense. He said there’s a different vibe with the Blue Comets.

“We’re working hard every day to turn that around,” Headen said. “There’s just a different attitude.”

As the only Class 3-A in Randolph County, Asheboro is playing smaller neighboring schools in non-league play before moving to the Mid-Piedmont Conference portion of its schedule.

“If we can win in our county, you can get some confidence,” Brewer said. “I think we can turn that into something. We’ve got a tough conference. … We’ve got a ton of athletes. We’re going to look good coming off the bus.”