Asheboro’s Jose Cortes controls the ball against Southwestern Randolph during a non-conference game n Asheboro. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
JOSE CORTES
Asheboro High School | Senior | Soccer
Jose Cortes scored a total of 10 goals across two games as the Blue Comets rolled to a pair of victories. In a 9-1 romp past Oak Grove, Cortes, a senior, tallied four goals to go with an assist in the team’s Mid-Piedmont Conference opener. Two nights later, Cortes racked up six goals and another assist in a 9-0 blasting of Central Davidson.
Those results gave Asheboro three consecutive games with nine goals. The Blue Comets carried an 8-0-1 record into this week.
Unbeaten Southwestern Randolph makes history with first win at Asheboro
ASHEBORO — Keaton Reed was walking off the Lee J. Stone Stadium field Friday night and he shared a thought with a teammate.
“Every time we drive by here, we can say we won here,” the Southwestern Randolph quarterback said. “Somebody is eventually going to do it. Why not us?”
Indeed, this edition of the Cougars did it — winning a football game for the first time at Asheboro High School.
It was a struggle at times, but Easton Clapp scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help Southwestern Randolph pull out a 17-7 victory in the non-conference finale for both teams.
On top of that, the Cougars (5-0) have won consecutive football games against Asheboro for the first time.
Southwestern Randolph coach Seth Baxter reacts after his team dumped water on him following a 17-7 victory against host Asheboro. Players Lane Dalke, left, and Grayson Teague, right, are among those rejoicing. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Coach Seth Baxter called the outcome huge for the school and the program after the team’s raucous on-field celebration – something the Cougars had never done at this venue.
It took time for the Cougars to make much noise in the game. They relied on defense until finally able to convert.
“We had the best game we had all year,” linebacker Lane Dalke said of the defense. “Everybody was on the same page about it.”
But when Asheboro (1-4) converted a fourth-and-12 for a 17-yard touchdown pass from Khyland Hadley-Lindsay to Hakemme Butler with 5:08 to play in the third quarter, Southwestern Randolph faced a 7-3 deficit.
Then the Blue Comets recovered a fumble, but Adam Cole’s interception gave Southwestern Randolph a boost. Reed connected with Clapp for a 5-yard touchdown play with 9:06 remaining.
“We got some momentum and we kept going,” Clapp said. “We had some adversity but we needed this because we go into conference now.”
Dalke recovered an Asheboro fumble, setting up Clapp’s 8-yard touchdown run at the 5:34 mark.
The Cougars marched up and down the field at times, but were bogged down by penalties. Three times in the first half, touchdown plays were called back because of flags.
“They were aggressive plays,” Baxter said. “You have to realize where you’re at. Just except it and go get it. … I think our offensive line controlled the game late in the third quarter, all the fourth quarter.”
Clapp finished with 84 rushing yards and Reed was 10-for-13 in the air.
Southwestern Randolph had a 3-0 lead courtesy of Francisco Calderon’s 27-yard field goal. The Cougars produced their second drive of more than 90 yards, but they ran out of time in the first half after reaching the Asheboro 5-yard line.
Asheboro coach Blake Brewer said the Blue Comets were fortunate that the first-half clock expired. Then it was going well for Asheboro for a stretch in the third quarter.
“Momentum was on our side there,” Brewer said. “It was like the wind went out of sails. They went down and scored, took the lead. We just never could get the ball rolling again.”
Asheboro’s Khyland Hadley-Lindsay tries to avoid Southwestern Randolph’s Adam Cole during a game Sept. 24, 2021. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
The Blue Comets, who were led on the ground by Hadley-Lindsay’s 56 yards and Michael Brady’s 55 yards, haven’t won since the opener at Randleman.
“I’m preaching that we’ve got a fresh start next week,” Brewer said. “We have not played well enough to win.”
Southwestern Randolph has been playing football since 1972. The Cougars haven’t met Asheboro every season, so the winless road stretch came sporadically during the series. Overall, it marked just the football program’s third triumph against the Blue Comets.
Now, those drives along busy Dixie Drive in the county seat will come with special memories for many of the Cougars.
“There’s just a great feeling having your part of something like this,” Reed said. “You only get so many of them.”
Eastern Randolph 33, West Stanly 3: At Ramseur, Nahiem Lilly scored on a pair of second-half touchdown runs as the Wildcats pulled away for the home victory. Lilly, who earlier had a two-point conversion run, scored from 3 yards and 25 yards out.
Eastern Randolph’s first two touchdowns came on runs of 1 yard and 6 yards from Davonte Brooks.
The Wildcats (4-0) sealed the outcome with a 19-point fourth quarter after neither team scored in the third quarter. Stratton Barwick threw a 6-yard scoring pass to D.J. Thomas to cap the scoring.
West Stanly (2-2) scored on Caden Edwards’ 25-yard field goal in the second quarter. It was the Colts’ second game in a row without a touchdown.
Randleman 20, Montgomery Central 14, OT: At Troy, Thomas Dobias’ 3-yard touchdown run in overtime gave the visiting Tigers the non-league victory.
Randleman (2-3), which won its second game in a row, scored the game’s last 20 points, holding Montgomery Central (0-4) without a point after halftime.
Trailing 14-0, Dobias put Randleman on the board with a 4-yard run in the third quarter. The Tigers pulled even in the fourth quarter on Christian Long’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Derry followed by a two-point conversion run by Dobias.
Dobias finished with 102 rushing yards on 24 carries.
ASHEBORO – At the time about 15 years ago, it might not have been clear to a group of Asheboro High School athletes that they were involved in a special era for the school’s athletics department. It might be more apparent now.
Three of the newest additions to the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame are from that time frame, with Lindsay Cross from the Class of 2006 and the following year’s graduates Mike Eddy and Neal Pritchard.
“Maybe I’m biased, but the period I was going through, there were great athletes,” Eddy said. “It really was special to be a part of. You realize now that those were special teams.”
Cross was a standout in basketball and softball and also ran on the cross-country team. Eddy was an elite runner in track and field and also was a busy kicker on the football team. Pritchard excelled in basketball and baseball on the way to a professional career.
They’ll be among five inductees during Friday night’s football game against visiting Southwestern Randolph. They’re joined in the induction class by DeNeal McNair, a football and track and field standout from the Class of 1984, and John Thornburg, a wrestler, football and baseball player from the Class of 2012.
“I remember there being some really good teams,” Pritchard said.
Cross likes the idea of being part of an induction class that seems familiar. She said she knows the Thornburg family from church activities and has known McNair’s son since middle school.
“It’s special to be inducted in a class where I know the others,” she said.
The admiration for the Blue Comets is a theme for the inductees.
“I really loved my time at Asheboro High,” Eddy said. “Being on the teams at Asheboro High was really a formative experience for me.”
Eddy was Class 3-A state champion in the 400 meters, reaching the state team in all four seasons. He also won a state title in the 500 in indoor track and field.
“He ran like a deer,” Pritchard said. “That boy could run for days.”
That parlayed into a four-year career with distinction on Princeton’s track and field team.
Yet it was on the football field for the Blue Comets that left a particular impression. He racked up 136 points – a total believed to be a school record.
“When I went to the high school, for whatever reason they didn’t have a kicker,” Eddy said. “So I get pulled over to the varsity (as a freshman). … The offense scored a lot, so I got to collect a lot of extra points.”
Eddy also practiced as a wide receiver, but he said he wasn’t needed much for that role. He said the team was stacked with leaders, including quarterback Blake Brewer (who’s now Asheboro’s coach). He said the list of quality athletes was impressive for a team undefeated in the regular season.
“And we didn’t have (Pritchard) on that team,” Eddy said.
Eddy said Pierce Neel, an assistant coach for the football team, made a positive impression as his track and field coach. Eddy is a professor in geology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
He’ll cherish returning home to relive some of the memories this weekend.
“We all came together on those sports teams and in a place like Asheboro you come together and that helps form a community,” Eddy said.
• Pritchard said he was grateful for the support he received as an Asheboro athlete. He said he received valuable coaching throughout high school, then capped in his final years by Brian Nance (basketball) and Tim Murray (baseball).
“They brought in more people to help the athletes,” Pritchard said. “I felt like I was blessed with some great coaches along the way. I’ve always been appreciative of that.”
Prichard was a conference Player of the Year twice in basketball and baseball. That’s something no other Asheboro athlete has accomplished.
“I look back and I can’t remember many of the personal accomplishments,” Pritchard said. “I guess it was exciting, but I always judged it by ‘how did we do as a team?’”
Pritchard said basketball always seemed like a primer for the baseball season. He went on to play collegiately as a shortstop for Elon. From there, he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization for three seasons, twice playing on minor-league teams that won league championships.
“As long as I can remember, playing baseball was my dream,” Pritchard said. “I’m not sure if I would have gone to college if it wasn’t for baseball. That was my path.”
Pritchard, who lives in Randleman, gives hitting lessons and coaches a travel youth baseball team. He works with family in a trucking and grading business.
• Cross became Asheboro’s first all-state softball player, receiving that distinction twice as a first baseman. She was an all-conference player in basketball, while also running for the cross-country team.
“Basketball was definitely my favorite sport, but I was probably better at softball,” Cross said.
Cross said her parents made it possible to go from one venue to another while playing multiple sports growing up. Those activities helped her build friendships with athletes from other schools as well.
“Playing with them on the weekend, you have these friendships,” she said, noting Asheboro’s tight-knit community. “Then you’re (playing against) them. We still wanted to win for Asheboro.”
After high school, Cross had a standout career in basketball and softball at Randolph College.
“It’s a little tricky,” she said. “Those seasons kind of overlap in college.”
Cross, who also has a degree from UNC Greensboro, is a social worker for the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Schools.
• McNair was a two-time all-conference selection in football and three-time All-County participant in track and field. He became a member of a North Carolina A&T championship football team. More recently, he was a successful track and field coach for Asheboro and has served as a pastor for Vision of Unity Outreach Ministries in Asheboro.
• Thornburg won a state championship in wrestling as well as receiving all-conference recognition in baseball. He works for Trane in Raleigh after graduating from North Carolina State.
Quarterback’s precision adds to firepower for Eastern Randolph’s offense
ASHEBORO – Eastern Randolph has so many ways to be productive on the football field.
With highly recruited playmakers dotting recent rosters for the Wildcats, now it’s clear that it’d be wise not to overlook Stratton Barwick.
Eastern Randolph’s Elias Alston makes a 29-yard touchdown reception from Stratton Barwick against Asheboro in the second quarter at Asheboro. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
The junior quarterback is slinging the ball in the right directions these days.
“It’s a joy to see the ball going through the air and the crowd cheers,” Barwick said.
That happened numerous times last week when visiting Eastern Randolph thumped Asheboro 49-7 on Friday night.
“We just came out and played football,” Barwick said.
Veteran coach Burton Cates of Eastern Randolph said Barwick has been impressive with efficiency.
“Last year as a sophomore he had some tough games,” Cates said. “But we saw what he could do in that comeback against Clinton (in a road upset in the state playoffs). We know we have a good one. He works hard.”
Barwick was 7-for-7 for 259 yards in the Asheboro game. That was a nice complement to go with standout running back Nahiem Lilly, who rushed for 95 yards on 15 carries.
With receivers making moves after receptions, there’s no shortage of options on the offense. It’s worth paying attention to.
“They should be,” Barwick said. “It’s something to watch.”
The Blue Comets saw too much of it in the non-conference matchup. Barwick was leading the charge.
“They did a fantastic job protecting him,” Asheboro coach Blake Brewer said. “When he hit them in stride, they (showed) really good team speed.”
Eastern Randolph scored on a pair of 1-yard runs by Davonte Brooks in the first quarter, but those possessions were drastically different. The first one came on a short field after Delonte Glover blocked an Asheboro punt. The next touchdown capped a 95-yard drive after the Blue Comets were halted on a scoring chance.
Then Barwick took command on scoring plays. He connected with D.J. Thomas for a 65-yard play in the opening minute of the second quarter.
In the last 4 ½ minutes of the first half, the Wildcats tacked on three touchdowns to build a 41-7 bulge.
Barwick hit Elias Alston for a 29-yard touchdown play and hooked up with Alston again for a 30-yard touchdown – with Lilly’s 2-yard run coming in between those plays.
The game’s last points came in the third quarter, with Barwick’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Glover followed by Lilly’s two-point conversion run.
“They got it all going,” Brewer said.
Eastern Randolph coach Burton Cates walks the field against at Asheboro on Aug. 27. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Cates has lost only twice to Asheboro across more than a quarter-century worth of games covering two stints as Eastern Randolph’s coach.
It’s still a big deal when the Wildcats conquer Asheboro. After the latest result, the postgame congratulations came pouring in. Even Kaemen Marley, a highly recruited athlete who’s on the Tennessee roster, came back on a brief break and was on the field for a postgame hug for Cates.
The potential for the Wildcats could be soaring this season.
“We just got to stay healthy,” Cates said.
The Blue Comets (1-1), whose lone touchdown came on Qamelo Butler’s 1-yard run in the second quarter, wasted several scoring chances in the first half. By then, the tone had been set.
“You score early when we were down there and maybe it’s a different game,” Brewer said.
The Wildcats didn’t hesitate to take advantage.
“We didn’t get stops,” Brewer said, referring to no Eastern Randolph punts until late in the game.
Asheboro’s Tyler Smith punt is blocked by Eastern Randolph’s Delonte Glover. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Asheboro has a week off on the schedule, so that’s time for the Blue Comets to adjust. They’ll have to look at special teams as well after having two punts blocked by Eastern Randolph.
ASHEBORO — Randleman third baseman Hunter Atkins was selected as the PAC-7 Player of the Year in baseball.
Atkins’s teammate Andrew Cox was picked as Pitcher of the Year in the league for the eventual Class 2-A state champions. The league’s Coach of the Year is Glen Hunt of Providence Grove.
Asheboro head coach Brett Hoogkamp pats Tatum Marsh on the head after a triple against Southwestern Randolph on june 4, 2021. Hoogkamp won the Mid-Piedmont Coach of the year award for the 2021 season. He lead the Blue Comets to a 13-3 record and to the third round of the 3a state playoffs. (PJ WARD-BROWN/North State Journal)
In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Southwestern Randolph’s Bryson Hogan was picked as Player of the Year. Asheboro’s Brett Hoogkamp of the regular-season co-championship team was named Coach of the Year for the league.
Three of the newest additions to the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame are from that time frame, with Lindsay Cross from the Class of 2006 and the following year’s graduates Mike Eddy and Neal Pritchard.
