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Asheboro Blue Comets logo with big A

Blue Comets to stage first Fan Fest on Friday

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Asheboro High School seeks community interest

ASHEBORO – The first Blue Comets Fan Fest for Asheboro High School athletics will be held Friday night at Lee Stone Stadium on campus.

Athletics director Wes Berrier said the objective is to create a massive community event.

“The main reason is trying to bridge that gap between the school and community,” Berrier said. “More or less building school spirit and building community spirit. It’s a great way for us to introduce our fall athletes and kind of showcase these teams.”

Fall sports teams will be featured.

The event begins at 7 p.m. and continues until 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The evening’s activities are a lead-up to the football team’s midnight madness practice that’s expected to run for about 90 minutes beginning at midnight.

Admission is free, though wristbands will need to be purchased to use a bounce house and inflatable water slides along with chances to throw at the dunking booth. Concessions will be sold and the Booster Club will have spirit gear for sale.

The idea for the Fan Fest came from new football coach Calvin Brown, formerly of Providence Grove where the Patriots had a similar event. Berrier said meetings with the Booster Club began in the spring to put this together.

It will extend beyond the high school Blue Comets. Middle school football players and cheerleaders and youth football and cheerleaders also will be recognized. The school’s marching band will perform.

Asheboro is the largest high school in Randolph County. It’s the only school in the county that’s a member of the Mid-Piedmont Conference.

While the emphasis is on fall sports, the school’s wrestling team and girls’ soccer team will be involved with concessions and face painting.

Those in the dunking booth, in half-hour intervals, include Brown, principal Ryan Moody, boys’ basketball coach Brian Nance, superintendent Aaron Woody, school counselor Allyson Key and Berrier. There’s a reason that Berrier goes last because he ”hopes everyone’s arm is tired” by that point.

Berrier said the goal is for a festival atmosphere and “to make this a huge school / community event that will continue to grow every year.”

New coaches

In addition to Brown, there are several new coaches leading fall teams for Asheboro.

The cross country coach is Griffin Dozier, son of former coach Angela Dozier. She’ll move to a role as assistant coach.

Griffin Dozier is a former Asheboro runner from the Class of 2017.

Dwayne Lester will take over as girls’ golf coach, replacing Heather Norris.

Kelly Smith was named the new volleyball coach last winter.

David Hayes headshot new PG football coach

Hayes ready for challenge at Providence Grove

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School’s new football coach is Trinity alum

CLIMAX – David Hayes has been around high school football teams for more than a decade as an assistant coach.

Now it’s something different. He’ll be a head coach.

Providence Grove hired Hayes, who has close ties to a couple of other schools in Randolph County, as its next football coach.

“I feel like I was ready to take an opportunity like this,” Hayes said.

Hayes takes the vacancy left when Calvin Brown departed to become Asheboro’s coach.

Most recently, Hayes has been an assistant coach and physical education teacher at Thomasville, which has one of the state’s most tradition-rich football program.

But Hayes has other ties close to Providence Grove. He’s a Trinity graduate and former assistant football coach and head girls’ basketball coach at Asheboro.

“I’m a football coach,” Hayes said. “PG worked very hard to get me.”

Providence Grove will open the Hayes era Aug. 18 at East Davidson. The home opener will come Sept. 1 against Bishop McGuinness.

Hayes is a former Guilford College offensive lineman and later a student assistant with the Quakers. He spent time on coaching staffs at Trinity, Southwest Guilford and East Gaston, where he was offensive coordinator for five seasons.

Then he joined the Asheboro staff under coach Kevin Gillespie. While there, he coached the girls’ basketball team to a 54-30 record.

After three seasons with the Blue Comets, Hayes followed Gillespie to Thomasville.

The Patriots could be in a regrouping mode considering that 20-plus seniors were on the 2022 roster. Providence Grove won a game in the state playoffs for the first time last season, defeating host McMichael in a Class 2-A game and finishing with an 8-4 record after a second-round loss to Reidsville.

“The measuring stick might be a little different,” Hayes said. “How quick can we get over the learning curve? It will definitely look a little bit different.”

Hayes said he has always been an offensive guy in terms of coaching. He’s looking to stock a coaching staff.

“Mission 1 for us right now is to determine how many (from the most-recent staff) stay and it goes from there,” he said.

Hayes said he has never attended a Providence Grove football game. When he was at Asheboro, the schools didn’t meet in football, but they did have girls’ basketball matchups.

“Coach Hayes is a true leader (who) brings energy, passion and he has a unique ability to form relationships with all students,” new Providence Grove athletics director Cody Moran said.

The coach’s mother, Renee Hayes, guided Trinity to two Class 3-A girls’ basketball state championships in the 1980s. David Hayes lives in Trinity.

Coming from Thomasville, which went 11-2 last season, will mean an adjustment when Hayes formally starts his duties March 2 at Providence Grove.

“Thomasville is one of the few places in the state where the logo instills fear,” Hayes said.

Cody Moran photo PG

Moran moves to AD role at Providence Grove

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Cody Moran has been on Providence Grove’s football staff. (Courtesy photo)

CLIMAX – Cody Moran figured that staying at Providence Grove might fit him best.

Moran is the new athletics director at the school.

“This might be my opportunity to move up here,” he said.

Moran replaces Calvin Brown, who was named the new football coach at Asheboro. At Providence Gove, Brown held the dual role as football coach and athletics director.

Brown remained in the AD role at Providence Grove through last week.

Moran was an assistant coach on Brown’s staff and also has been an assistant for two seasons with the baseball program.

“I can’t thank Calvin enough for everything he has done,” Moran said. “I’ve been in his back pocket the past week and a half.”

Moran, a 2013 graduate of Randleman, is in his fifth year as a teacher. His first year was at Randleman before taking a spot on Brown’s football staff. He’s in his fourth year as a history teacher at Providence Grove.

He said he chose not to follow Brown to Asheboro.

Providence Grove’s football coaching vacancy should be filled no later than February, Moran said. The interview process could be hitting a key juncture.

Second interviews were to begin Monday, Moran said, suggesting school administrators are close to making a selection.

Brown’s departure has been known since early December.

Moran went to college at Lees-McRae. He helped on the football staff at Randleman Middle School.

Moran, 28, was running backs coach when he joined the Providence Grove staff and then spent the past three seasons overseeing defensive linemen. He said he’ll be willing to fill a role on the next coach’s staff if he’s needed.

Calvin Brown headshot Dec2022

Prep football: Brown works on compiling Asheboro staff while finishing duties at Providence Grove

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CLIMAX – New Asheboro football coach Calvin Brown is still finishing his time at Providence Grove.

While no longer the football coach of the Patriots, Brown is remaining at the school in other roles, including as athletics director, through Jan. 20.

Then he makes the full transition to Asheboro.

In more than a month’s time between his introduction as Asheboro’s coach and completely leaving Providence Grove, Brown said he hopes to have in place most of his new staff with the Blue Comets.

“I’d like to have everything lined up,” he said.

Brown, who spent seven seasons as Providence Grove’s coach, said last month that he hasn’t been involved in the process to hire a new coach for the Patriots.

Oak Grove promotes assistant

Oak Grove hired Rob Creason as its next football coach, promoting him from assistant coach.

He replaces Mark Holcomb, who was the only coach in the program’s six seasons and moved on to become the coach at Bishop McGuinness.

Creason is a physical education teacher at Oak Grove.

Oak Grove is in the Mid-Piedmont Conference along with Asheboro, so that league will have at least two new football coaches in 2023.

Asheboro H Butler v UCA hoops Dec2022

Fields set for big high school holiday basketball tournaments

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Asheboro’s Hakemme Butler goes up for a shot as Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Ethan Kinney, left, and Walker Wilkins look on. Both teams are in this week’s Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic, though at different sites. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

CLIMAX – The Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic is set for another go-around using two sites, but the field isn’t quite as big as last year.

This week’s girls’ and boys’ basketball tournaments will have one slight difference in terms of number of teams.

Providence Grove and Ledford are the sites. But the Providence Grove site has only seven girls’ and seven boys’ entrants, so that means fewer games there.

“It threw a wrinkle into it,” said Calvin Brown, outgoing athletics director at Providence Grove.

Games will be held Tuesday through Thursday.

There will be six games per day at Providence Grove and eight games per day at Ledford.

At Providence Grove, the girls’ pairings are Asheboro-South Davidson, Southwestern Randolph-Thomasville and North Davidson-Providence Grove with Randleman receiving a bye.

It’s the same matchups for the boys except Randleman will take on South Davidson, with Asheboro receiving the bye.

At Ledford, the pairings are: Wheatmore-Davie County, Trinity-West Davidson, Uwharrie Charter Academy-Lexington and East Davidson-Ledford.

Brown, who’ll officially begin duties as Asheboro’s football coach next month, said some rather late withdrawals created the bracket oddity. Adjustments were made to even the field between the two sites as much as possible.

“It all worked out and we’re going to have a good tournament,” Brown said.

He also said by nixing morning games at the Providence Grove site that reduced the impact in terms of attendance because those are generally the least attended games.

Games begin each day at 12:30 p.m. at Providence Grove and at 9:30 a.m. at Ledford.

Eastern Randolph, Central Davidson, Jordan-Matthews and Oak Grove aren’t participating this year. Central Davidson’s boys’ team won the Providence Grove site last year and Oak Grove’s girls were titlists at Ledford.

UCA, Davie County and North Davidson are newcomers, while South Davidson, Southwestern Randolph and Thomasville have switch sites. Southwestern Randolph and Thomasville met on the opening day last year at Ledford.

Randleman’s girls were champions at Providence Grove. Thomasville’s boys won at the Ledford site last year.

ER E Cassidy v Mount Airy football Nov 2022

Prep Football Notes: More changes come in Mid-Piedmont Conference; Asheboro man coaches 13-win team

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Mount Airy players cling to Eastern Randolph’s Ervodd Cassady during the Class 1-A West Regional semifinal in November. Mount Airy went on to win the state championship. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

The coaching change at Asheboro isn’t the only change atop a football program in the Mid-Piedmont Conference.

Calvin Brown is leaving Providence Grove to be Asheboro’s new coach, replacing Blake Brewer.

Oak Grove has lost coach Mark Holcomb, who has taken the job at Bishop McGuinness. Holcomb, a former coach at North Davidson, had been at Oak Grove for all six seasons that the program existed.

Oak Grove was 11-1 this year. Beginning with the first varsity season in 2018, the Grizzlies have had records of 5-6, 10-2, 6-3 and 7-3.

Season to savor

An Asheboro man coached a 13-win team this year.

Andrew Carrouth was in his fourth season as North Moore’s coach. His team won the Mid-Carolina Conference title in a league comprised of Class 2-A and Class 1-A teams.

The Mustangs didn’t lose this year until a 27-7 setback to Rosewood in the fourth round of the Class 1-A state playoffs. They finished with a 13-1 record.

Carrouth, 37, spent one season on the Asheboro coaching staff in between head coaching assignments at Southern Alamance, which is his alma mater, and North Moore.

Tough losses

A couple of Randolph County teams lost in the state playoffs this year against teams that went on to play for state championships.

Eastern Randolph’s fourth-round loss by 35-17 to Mount Airy in Class 1-A marked the closest result for Mount Airy in the postseason other than the Granite Bears’ 20-7 victory against Tarboro in the final.

Providence Grove lost in the second round to Reidsville, which went on to finish as the state runner-up in Class 2-A.

Asheboro football coach Calvin Brown Dec2022

New Asheboro football coach: ‘A great opportunity’

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Calvin Brown was introduced Monday as Asheboro High School’s new football coach. He spent the past seven seasons in that role at Providence Grove. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

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

“We want to compete on Friday nights and I know that’s what Asheboro expects,” Brown said Monday. “We want to change the culture and bring back the winning atmosphere.”

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

Among more than 40 applicants, Brown was a clear choice for the hiring committee, principal Dr. Ryan Moody said.

“You look at where we were,” Moody said. “You want to find a coach who is successful, high character, high motor type of guy. … He was head and shoulders the best candidate we could possibly ask for.”

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 said Asheboro, which has about twice the enrollment of Providence Grove, should be the best football program in Randolph County.

“I see that as a great opportunity,” Brown said. “That’s one thing that really excited me and (made me want) to take the job. The potential that is here at Asheboro.”

Brown was also athletics director for the past four years at Providence Grove, where he spent 11 years overall. He won’t hold those responsibilities at Asheboro, where such a dual role isn’t permitted.

“I’m thankful for Providence Grove and everybody there,” Brown said.

Brown stressed a family atmosphere when he spoke to supporters Monday. He said he feels the football team can set the tone for the athletics department.

He said he’ll require a commitment from players on and off the field.

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

Brown said his Asheboro coaching staff could include a few members from his Providence Grove staff.

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.

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

PG linebacker Chase Whitaker from 2021

Experienced Providence Grove Patriots look primed for more on football field

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Chase Whitaker will remain a key part of Providence Grove’s defense, but his role might expand on offense. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Providence Grove’s large senior class could pay off

CLIMAX – Two of the most productive players from Providence Grove’s special 2021 football team are gone.

But don’t feel bad for the Patriots because they’re bustling with experience.

“A lot of people assume that we’re going to be pretty good,” said coach Calvin Brown, whose roster has 22 seniors. “I think that experience and being a year older is going to make a difference. We’re not relying on a lot of youth this year.”

A second-place finish in the Piedmont Athletic Conference signaled a breakthrough for Providence Grove a year ago. Now, there could be more to come.

“I think we’ve got a good season lined up,” senior linebacker Chase Whitaker said. “If there’s going to be something big, hopefully this can be the year for it.”

Last season’s 8-3 team racked up a school-record 426 points. Often, big scoring games were needed.

“I don’t think we’ll have to score as much,” Brown said. “We might have to rely on defense.”

With nine starters back on the defensive unit, there’s a solid foundation.

That probably begins with Whitaker, who was the PAC Defensive Player of the Year last season. He shifts from middle linebacker to outside linebacker.

“He has a nose for the football,” Brown said. “If there’s a big play to be made on defense, he’s there. We’ve also got pieces to go around him.”

Whitaker, a 180-pounder, averaged 14.1 tackles per game and Karson Bowman, also a returnee, made 10.7 stops per game.

There are also 11 juniors, so the only one sophomore on the 34-player varsity roster is quarterback candidate and linebacker Brady Collins.

The Patriots, who open Friday night at home against East Davidson, are bound to go with a combination of quarterbacks. Whitaker, who was a tight end last year on offense, and senior Andrew Canter are also contenders. Whitaker might be a better runner, while Canter is a more accurate thrower.

“It may take a little time to figure it out,” Brown said. “Adjusting to that, I think our team has handled it well.”

This curiosity about the passing attack comes because four-year starting quarterback Luke Thomas, who set numerous school records, and team scoring and receiving leader Caleb Rogers were seniors last season.

“I’m excited to do it,” Whitaker said. “I’m not Luke Thomas. It’s hard to replace him. I can run the ball decent. … I don’t think it will wear me out too much.”

He posted four touchdowns with short-yardage runs last year.

Whitaker missed summer football workouts as he recovered from May surgery to have a cyst removed from his back.

The offensive weapons are numerous. Two-way players will include running back / safety Zane Cheek and running back / cornerback Zander Cheek. Zane Cheek racked up 89.5 yards per game on the ground last year.

Twins Joe Coltrane and Lemuel Coltrane could be keys among receivers.

Last week, Providence Grove took on Burlington Williams, Southern Alamance and Winston-Salem Reynolds in scrimmages. Those were challenges against larger schools.

“We kind of did it for a reason to prepare for the top level of competition,” Brown said.