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Piedmont Athletic Conference all-conference teams for fall sports

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Riley Queen, right, of Wheatmore was voted the top offensive player in the PAC for boys’ soccer this year. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record).

 

Here’s a list of the Piedmont Athletic Conference’s major award winners and all-conference selections for fall sports:

Boys’ cross country

Runner of the Year: Robert Burton (Wheatmore)

Coach of the Year: Jonathan Ruiz (Providence Grove)

Team: Robert Burton (Providence Grove), Colin Duvall (Providence Gove), Riley Gaines (Providence Grove), Jackson Garland (Providence Grove), Aiden Shelton (Providence Grove, Kaden Shoptaw (Providence Grove), Kelton Shoptaw (Providence Grove), Caleb Ward (Providence Grove), Chris White (UCA), Kevin Allred (Randleman), Jose Castillo (Trinity), Zach Hazelwood (Wheatmore)

 

Girls’ cross country

Runner of the Year: Brecken Snotherly (Eastern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Jonathan Ruiz (Providence Grove)

Team: Jensen Auman (Providence Grove), Mia Browder (Providence Grove), Carolina DuVall (Providence Grove), Abbie Gudino (UCA), Victoria Jennings (UCA), Jazmin Palma (UCA), Alyssa Ramusson (UCA), Olivia Hildreth (Wheatmore), Kaitlyn Miller (Wheatmore), Sadie Mabe (Southwestern Randolph), Brecken Snotherly (Eastern Randolph)

 

Football

Offensive Player of the Year: Easton Clapp (Southwestern Randolph)

Defensive Player of the Year: Davonte Brooks (Eastern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Burton Cates (Eastern Randolph)

Eastern Randolph: Stratton Barwick, Davonte Brooks, Ervodd Cassady, Jake Fesmire, Adonye Herbert, Jani Norwood, Al Randall, Mason Sechrest, Ladaryian Spinks, Lucas Smith, Nicah Taylor, DJ Thomas.

Randleman: Bryson Atkins, Thomas Dobias, Riley Edwards, Tanner Gneiting, Tyshaun Goldston, Christian Long, Caden Lundsford, Amarion Moton, Greg Price, Chesney Welch.

Providence Grove: Tucker Batten, Karson Bowman, David Braddy, Zander Cheek, Zane Cheek, Lemuel Coltrane, Chase Whitaker, Colton Wood.

Southwestern Randolph Sean Adkins, Easton Clapp, Adam Cole, Nathan Ellis, Eli Gravely, Colton Law, Hunter Simpson.

Wheatmore: Ashtin Bennett, Jonathan Kelly, Ethan Roberts, Trey Swanney, Jacob Ward.

Trinity: Griffin Dills, Evan Stepp, Joey Smith, Daniel Torreblanca.

 

Girls’ golf

Player of the Year: Caroline Wright (Providence Grove)

Coach of the Year: Wes Luther (Providence Grove)

Team: Morgan Heilig (Providence Grove), Anna Holloway (Providence Grove), Megan Oakley (Providence Grove), Caroline Wright (Providence Grove), Madison Canoy (Eastern Randolph), Zoe Ferguson (Eastern Randolph), Mackenzie Gee (Eastern Randolph), Lanie McDaniel (Eastern Randolph).

 

Boys’ soccer

Offensive Player of the Year: Riley Queen (Wheatmore)

Defensive Player of the Year: Jaxson Hatcher (Wheatmore)

Coach of the Year: Mike Sink (Trinity)

Team: Luke Beasley (Wheatmore), Collin Burgess (Wheatmore), Nick Galloway (Wheatmore), Jaxson Hatcher (Wheatmore), Anakin Leister (Wheatmore), Riley Queen (Wheatmore), Zack Cox (Trinity), Grayson Earls (Trinity), Brendan Jenkins (Trinity), Cooper Pollock (Trinity), Diego Torres (Trinity), Moises Venture (Trinity), Aaron Bowers (Eastern Randolph), Axel Canela (Eastern Randolph), Yane Jaimes (Eastern Randolph), Jose Rosales (Eastern Randolph), Colby Chamblin (UCA), Nick Hodge (UCA), Jake Perreira (UCA), Chris Ayala (Randleman), Owen Leonard (Randleman), Nathan Murillo (Randleman), Fernando Hernandez (Southwestern Randolph), Jonathan Lopez (Southwestern Randolph), Providence Grove (Logan Stover).

 

Girls’ tennis

Player of the Year: Andee Bullard (Southwestern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Lori Lagrama (Southwestern Randolph)

Team: Elayna Brown (Wheatmore), Mikalah Walls (Wheatmore), Hannah Wilson (Wheatmore), Andee Bullard (Southwestern Randolph), Allie Popp (Southwestern Randolph), Maya Barber (Providence Grove), Audrey Frazier (Providence Grove), Anna Money (Providence Grove), Autumn Gentry (Trinity), Abigail Todd (Trinity), Leah Ingle (UCA), Gracyn Hall (Randleman), Elizabeth York (Randleman).

 

Volleyball

Most Valuable Player: Madelyn Smith (Southwestern Randolph)

Defensive Player of the Year: Coley Shiflet (Southwestern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Darby Kennedy (Southwestern Randolph)

Team: Gracie Hodgin (Southwestern Randolph), Raegan LeRoy (Southwestern Randolph), Coley Shiflet (Southwestern Randolph), Madelyn Smith (Southwestern Randolph), Carleigh Whitson (Southwestern Randolph), Chloe Dixon (Randleman), Karli Kennington (Randleman), Dacia Lowery (UCA), Chloe Painter (UCA), Emma Mazzarone (Providence Grove), Dyyanna Wade (Providence Grove), Taylor Richardson (Wheatmore), Karrington Batten (Trinity), Addie Flinchum (Eastern Randolph).

NCHSAA logo

Wildcats score late to keep alive season

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RAMSEUR – Ervodd Cassady scored on a 26-yard run with 6:27 remaining as Eastern Randolph’s football team overcame visiting Robbinsville for a 29-26 victory in a third-round game of the Class 1-A state playoffs Friday night.

The Wildcats, who are the top seed in the West Region, made two defensive stops inside their own 20-yard line in the final two minutes to hold on.

Linebacker A’donye Herbert made a couple of key tackles.

“Just make a play so we can keep moving in,” Herbert said. “It felt great, just one more step to moving in.”

Eastern Randolph (11-1) will meet fourth-seeded Mount Airy (12-1) on Friday night at home in the regional semifinals.

“It’s good we’re heading back in the right direction,” Eastern Randolph coach Burton Cates said.
“I tell them if you’re playing on Thanksgiving (weekend), you’ve had a pretty good year.”

Cassady ran for three touchdowns as part of his 141-yard performance on the ground. He had scoring runs of 2 and 6 yards and also ran for a two-point conversion.

DJ Thomas returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown.

Eighth-seeded Robbinsville (9-4) scored the only 14 points of the third quarter to move to a 26-22 lead, but the Black Knights didn’t score again.

“We didn’t tackle well at times and we didn’t play good on third downs,” Cates said.

Robbinsville’s Cutler Adams rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown.

QBFeature

Eastern Randolph QB cuts weight, but still wants to feast on victories

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Quarterback Stratton Barwick of Eastern Randolph bulls his way for a touchdown against Walkertown earlier this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

RAMSEUR – The thought of the quarterback for Eastern Randolph’s wildly successful football team being the big man on campus wasn’t a grand idea for veteran coach Burton Cates.

He put Stratton Barwick on a diet.

Now a bit swifter, Barwick hopes to put the Wildcats on the fast track again this year.

Listed at 6-foot-1, Barwick is down to about 235 pounds after playing the 2021 season at 250.

“He has gotten a step quicker,” Cates said.

This weight trimming didn’t happen by accident.

“He had to lose some,” Cates said. “I weighed him in every Monday morning. I’d say, ‘Good weekend or bad weekend?’ If it was a bad weekend, he’d say, ‘Can I work out, and then you weigh me?’”

Sometimes, Barwick arrived to begin another week of school, knowing he needed to cut a little more to reach that next goal.

“I’d let him make me go run a bit,” Barwick said.

He worked on speed drills last winter. By the summer, the senior said the rewards of the weight reduction were clear.

“Once I started losing some weight, I started feeling a lot better,” Barwick said.

He said he drinks more water and started cutting down on soda consumption. Self-described as “a really picky eater,” he said he developed a plan.

“I put it in my mind that I definitely wanted to do something about it,” Barwick said.

Earlier in his career, Barwick made an impact at another position. As a freshman, he was a starter at defensive tackle in a state-playoff game.

He’s also a key member of Eastern Randolph’s baseball program as a left-handed pitcher, first baseman, and left fielder.

But football seems to be where he’s leaving his biggest mark. While he might still blend in with some of his offensive linemen, he knows his role.

Barwick, a three-year starting quarterback, threw for 39 touchdowns last season when the Wildcats went undefeated in the regular season and advanced to the third round of the Class 1-A state playoffs.

He’s a nice piece of the offensive puzzle for the Wildcats to build around.

“He’s definitely got the experience,” Cates said.

Eastern Randolph (3-1) plays its final non-conference game Friday night at West Stanly. Then the Wildcats embark on a five-week quest to repeat as Piedmont Athletic Conference champions.

ER football Ervodd Cassady v Walkertown

Prep football: Randleman, E. Randolph, Providence Grove rack up wins

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Eastern Randolph’s Ervodd Cassady runs into the end zone against Walkertown on Friday night. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

RANDLEMAN – Quarterback Christian Long ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Tigers cruised in a 47-7 victory against visiting Montgomery Central on Friday night.

Amarion Moton scored on touchdown runs of 3 and 1 yards for Randleman (2-1).

Long connected with Tyshaun Goldston, who racked up 135 yards on five catches, for a 66-yard touchdown play. Long’s touchdown runs came from 4 and 22 yards out.

Micah Thurston also scored on a 13-yard touchdown run.

Eastern Randolph 35, Walkertown 21: At Walkertown, Ervodd Cassady ran for three touchdowns as the Wildcats (2-1) picked up a road victory. Those were part of the team’s 275 rushing yards.

“I thought the offensive line played extremely hard,” Eastern Randolph coach Burton Cates said.

Versatile back Davonte Brooks returned to action after missing the Asheboro game a week earlier with an injury. He made several big-yardage plays.

Eastern Randolph’s Will Stalker returned an interception for a touchdown.

Walkertown (2-1) won its first two games by shutouts.

Providence Grove 51, Jordan-Matthews 0: At Siler City, the visiting Patriots (3-0) recorded a shutout for the second week in a row.

Zane Cheek scored on a punt returning and a rushing play. Zander Cheek and Joel Coltrane also returned punts for touchdowns. Jaden Baker ran for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterbacks Andrew Canter and Chase Whitaker each threw a touchdown pass.

The Jets (0-3) have scored six points all season.

East Davidson 42, Trinity 13: At Trinity, the Bulldogs (2-1) couldn’t hang around after trailing just 14-7 at halftime. Dominic Payne threw a touchdown pass to Chance Grogan and Bob Gibson reached the end zone on a run for host Trinity’s touchdowns. East Davidson is 2-1.

Ledford 70, Wheatmore 0: At Thomasville, the Warriors dropped to 0-3 with the road loss.

ER Stratton Barwick from 2021

Eastern Randolph Wildcats load up for more football success

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Stratton Barwick will be at the controls of the offense again for Eastern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Eastern Randolph wants to build on last year’s dominance

RAMSEUR – Remaining the best football team in Randolph County is only part of the quest for Eastern Randolph.

The Wildcats would like to build on that. With a foundation along the offensive line and enough talent swirling around at other positions, they could be on their way.

Third-year starter Stratton Barwick is at quarterback and four offensive linemen are back from a year ago.

Eastern Randolph finished with a 10-1 record last season, exiting in the third round of the Class 1-A state playoffs. Only two Eastern Randolph games ended with a margin closer than 20 points, so the Wildcats were dominant most of the time – especially in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.

“The way we went out (in the playoffs) last year, people are kind of doubting us and think we lost too much,” Barwick said.

Veteran coach Burton Cates, who’s in the fifth season of his second go-around with Eastern Randolph, said the strength of the team should come from the offensive line. That’s anchored by right tackle Jani Norwood, a 320-pound junior.

“I’ve never had anyone batter at that position,” Cates said.

He’s joined along the front by returnees Mason Sechrest, Kolby Wilson and LaDaryan Spinks. Having the combination of linemen still in place is a luxury.

“It’s like one heartbeat up there,” Barwick said. “We just kind of roll with it.”

The playmakers around Barwick should include Davonte Brooks, Jake Fesmire, DJ Thomas and Nicah Taylor. Then there’s running back Ervodd Cassady, a transfer from Randleman who gained 755 yards and posted a team-leading five touchdowns while gaining All-PAC honors last year for the Tigers.

“He’s fast and very quick,” Barwick said.

Barwick figures to be more mobile after dealing with a 2021 knee ailment and slimming down during the offseason. He threw for 39 touchdowns and six interceptions last season.

The defense has Brooks, who has moved to linebacker from defensive end, and Julian Brooks, who has shifted from the line to form the foundation.

“The defense might not have the biggest kids, but we’ve got some speed and they’re not afraid to hit somebody,” Barwick said.

Cates said a few players might play offense and defense at the beginning of the season, but the goal will be limiting those two-way situations.

“Early in the year, you’ve got to give everybody a chance,” he said.

Eastern Randolph is the only Class 1-A team in the PAC. The Wildcats have a non-conference stacked with Class 3-A teams, including an opening date Friday night at Eastern Alamance. Both teams were No. 1 regional seeds in last year’s state playoffs in their respective classes.

“I think our team is smart enough to realize if we improve and stay healthy, we have a chance to do something in November,” Cates said.