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ER basketball Davonte Brooks dunk v PG Feb2023

Eastern Randolph boys find way to outright PAC title

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Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks ties the game with a dunk late in the third quarter at Providence Grove. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Wildcats withstand Providence Grove for rare basketball prize

CLIMAX – Eastern Randolph had to make changes to figure out how to topple Providence Grove in Thursday night’s unexpected down-to-the-end tussle in boys’ basketball.

Just mark it up as another accomplishment for this group of Wildcats.

They’re outright Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season champions, collecting the school’s first league title of any sort in boys’ basketball in seven years and only second regular-season title in 29 years.

“We wanted to bring something back to Eastern Randolph for basketball and not just football,” senior forward Davonte Brooks said. “Now we can be a basketball and football school, not just football.”

The biggest variation of the past couple of months might come in perception considering Eastern Randolph won just eight games last season.

“It’s hard to change someone’s mindset,” first-year coach Johnny Thomas said.

And it was plenty difficult do dispatch Providence Grove, which turned in perhaps its best performance of the season on Senior Night.

Eastern Randolph clung to a one-point lead in the final minute, making three free throws in the last 12 seconds to secure an 88-84 victory against its neighboring rival.

“We got it done,” reserve Mason Briles said, calling it the wildest environment the Wildcats had competed in all season. “It feels great.”

The Wildcats (22-2, 11-1 PAC) will be the top seed and receive a quarterfinal bye in the league tournament next week before a Wednesday night semifinal at home. Eastern Randolph will be the location of the girls’ and boys’ tournament finals Feb. 17.

Brooks scored 30 points and Connor Carter had all 11 of his points in the second half, beginning with a go-ahead 3-pointer at the buzzer to close the third quarter.

“I didn’t want to lose, period,” Brooks said, “especially to PG. After we felt (how it felt) to lose the first two (defeats), we didn’t want another.”

It appeared the Patriots weren’t interested in coming up short again, either.

“All I asked them to do is fight,” Providence Grove coach Wes Luther said. “We’ve had a disappointing season, but the way we played (this game), I’ll take it.”

Sixth-place Providence Grove (7-17, 3-9), which lost by 33 points in the first meeting with Eastern Randolph, went to halftime with a 38-37 lead courtesy of Jacob Grantham’s difficult 16-foot shot at the buzzer. He kept up a personal scoring spree in the third quarter, when the Patriots went up 50-42.

Connor Carter drains a second-half 3-pointer over Providence Grove’s Joseph Coltrane. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

A Brooks dunk tied it at 60-60 shortly before Carter heated up. He was dialed in from both corners in the fourth quarter, with the Wildcats building an eight-point advantage and later his 3-pointer stretching the edge to 83-78.

Grantham’s two free throws and Zane Cheek’s breakaway layup for Providence Grove – the latter with 51 seconds left – were sandwiched around Brooks’ basket off a rebound before the Wildcats sealed it with free throws.

“It was a great game both ways,” Luther said. “We did hit more shots than we have all year. They kept trying to put us away with big shots. We just wouldn’t go away.”

Eastern Randolph’s Timothy Brower tallied 15 points, Pierce Leonard had 13 points and Nicah Taylor added 11 points.  The contributions didn’t end there.

“You’ve got Jani (Norwood) and Will Stalker and those guys in there getting big rebounds,” Thomas said.

Grantham finished with 17 points, Chase Whitaker had 14 and Sakai McKoy notched 13 points for the Patriots, who were last season’s regular-season PAC champions.

Eastern Randolph finished one game ahead of Southwestern Randolph, which snapped the Wildcats’ 19-game winning streak Jan. 31.

“We know everybody is going to come and everybody is going to fight us the best that they possibly can,” Thomas said. “Coming into halftime, my speech to my kids was, of course, very intense.”

So the Wildcats amped up their pressure defense to extend to full court.

As a result, it was a regular season full of rewards.

Eastern Randolph logo

Prep Football: Wildcats move on; Patriots fade at Reidsville

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RAMSEUR – Eastern Randolph began what it hopes is a long journey in the state playoffs with a 28-12 victory against visiting Mountain Heritage on Thursday night.

The Wildcats (10-1), which received a first-round bye in Class 1-A, received two touchdowns apiece from Ervodd Cassady and Lucas Smith.

Cassady ran for 205 yards.

Next for the Wildcats, who are the top seed in the West Region, is a home game next Friday night against eighth-seeded Robbinsville (9-3), which topped No. 24 seed Cherokee 39-12 in the second round for its second win of the season against that foe.

Mountain Heritage ended up 5-7.

Class 2-A

At Reidsville, Providence Grove led late in the first half before top-seeded Reidsville took over in a 51-25 second-round game in the West Region.

Andrew Canter threw two touchdown passes for Providence Grove (8-4), which a week earlier won a playoff game for the first time by prevailing at McMichael.

Zander Cheek and Chase Whitaker scored on receptions and Karson Bowman had a rushing touchdown. Tucker Batten’s second-quarter field goal gave Providence a 10-7 edge.

Reidsville (11-1) scored the first 15 points of the second half.

It’s the most points allowed by Providence Grove since a 2019 home loss to Randleman.

Reidsville eliminated Randleman last year in the first round.

Eastern Randolph logo

Prep Football: Eastern Randolph takes PAC title by defeating Randleman

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RAMSEUR – Devonte Brooks scored two touchdowns and Eastern Randolph repeated as Piedmont Athletic Conference football champion with a 28-13 victory against visiting Randleman on Friday night.

Ervodd Cassady returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against his former team as part of Eastern Randolph’s scoring plays.

The Wildcats (9-1 overall, 5-0 PAC) have won nine games in a row since a season-opening loss at Eastern Alamance. They benefited from three Randleman turnovers.

Stratton Barwick threw for a on a 12-yard play with Adonye Herbert. Nicah Taylor had 83 receiving yards among Barwick’s 128 passing yards.

Randleman (7-3, 4-1), which trailed 21-0 at halftime, scored on Christian Long’s 38-yard pass to Aiden Robinson and on a Tyshaun Goldston’s 43-yard punt return. Amarion Moton was held to 48 yards on 12 carries.

Providence Grove 59, Wheatmore 6: At Climax, Zander Cheek and Karson Bowman each scored two touchdowns and the Patriots won their home finale in the PAC.

Chase Whitaker ran and threw for a touchdown for Providence Grove (7-3, 3-2), which led 42-0 at halftime and claimed third place.

Zane Cheek, Brandon Davis and Josh Ward also scored touchdowns for the Patriots. Jacob Hart kicked a field goal and eight extra points.

Wheatmore finished with a 2-8, 1-4 record.

Southwestern Randolph 50, Trinity 12: At Trinity, Easton Clapp ran for four touchdowns and threw for two more in the finale for both teams.

Sean Adkins and Eli Gravely had touchdown catches. Colton Law scored on a run for the Cougars (6-4, 2-3), who snapped a two-game losing streak in PAC play.

Trinity (4-6, 0-5) finished last in the PAC despite one rushing and one passing touchdown by Tait Conti.

Montgomery Central 45, Asheboro 22: At Asheboro, the Blue Comets went winless in the Mid-Piedmont Conference for the second season in a row.

Asheboro (1-9, 0-5) has had back-to-back one-win seasons after going without a victory the season before that.

Hakemme Butler returned an interception for a touchdown for Asheboro’s first points. Kai Matthews scored on a fumble return. The only points generated from the Blue Comets’ offense came on a Hamza Khan’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Jaylon Moore.

Montgomery Central is 1-9, 1-4.

Randleman vs Trinity football photo Oct2022

Prep football: Wildcats, Tigers win routs to set up title clash

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Randleman’s Amarion Moton leaps Trinity’s Jacob Hodges on the way to a touchdown. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record).

The showdown for the Piedmont Athletic Conference football championship is set for Friday night.

That comes after more blowouts across the league, including romps for co-leaders Eastern Randolph and Randleman last Friday night.

Those teams meet for the title in Ramseur.

Here’s a look at games from the second-to-last week of the regular season:

Eastern Randolph 62, Wheatmore 0: At Trinity, the visiting Wildcats posted their highest point total of the season in their last road game as Stratton Barwick threw for four touchdowns.

Barwick was 9-for-14, with two of the scoring passes going to Ethan Frye. D.J. Thomas and A.J Randle also caught touchdown passes. Running back Ervodd Cassady ran for three touchdowns as part of his 88-yard outing on the ground.

Eastern Randolph (8-1, 4-0) will try to repeat as PAC champions in the the regular-season finale. Cassady is a transfer from Randleman.

Wheatmore (2-7, 1-3) suffered its fourth shutout of the season in its home finale.

Randleman 70, Trinity: At Randleman, the Tigers continued their impressive turnaround from last season by winning their regular-season home finale.

Amarion Moton ran for four touchdowns and Tyshaun Goldson scored on a reception and a punt return.

Randleman (7-2, 4-0) notched its third shutout of the season, holding Trinity (4-5, 0-4) to 32 yards of total offense.

Moton had 55 yards on seven carries. Christian Long threw for two touchdowns on 8-for-10 passing for 156 yards.

Moton’s touchdowns came on runs of 13, 17, 10 and 1 yard. Daylan Atkins scored on an 11-yard carry.

Goldston made an 18-yard touchdown catch and returned the punt for 50 yards.

Aiden Robinson and Amari Ferdna also match touchdown catches, the latter on a pass from Logan Laughlin.

Providence Grove 48, Southwestern Randolph 21: At Asheboro, the visiting Patriots jumped out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead on the way to ruining the Cougars’ home finale.

Zane Cheek scored on two runs while gaining 111 yards on 17 carries and Zander Cheek had one touchdown run as part of 131 rushing yards on 10 attempts. Zander Cheek also scored on a touchdown pass from Andrew Canter.

Karson Bowman scored on a run and returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Providence Grove (6-3, 2-2) also received a big game on defense from linebacker Chase Whitaker, who made nine tackles, caused two fumbles and intercepted a pass. Tucker Batten kicked two field goals.

Southwestern Randolph (5-4, 1-3) has lost two games in a row for the first time this season. Quarterback Easton Clapp rushed for 112 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Eli Gravely. Clapp also made 15 tackles on defense.

Ledford 56, Asheboro 7: At Ledford, the visiting Blue Comets (1-8, 0-4) trailed 35-7 at halftime. The Panthers (8-1, 3-1) bounced back from a road loss to Oak Grove a week earlier.

Asheboro scored first on Michael Brady’s 10-yard run.

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Week 11 schedule

Friday’s games

Randleman at Eastern Randolph

Southwestern Randolph at Trinity

Wheatmore at Providence Grove

Montgomery Central at Asheboro

Zane Cheek of PG v Asheboro Sept2022

Prep Football: Providence Grove, Randleman, Trinity, Wheatmore win comfortably; E. Randolph holds on

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Zane Cheek of Providence Grove runs between Asheboro’s Jaylon Moore (to his right) and DJ Headen during Friday night’s game. Asheboro’s Davis Gore, far left, chases Cheek. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randollph Record)

ASHEBORO – Zane Cheek ran for three touchdowns and Providence Grove notched its third consecutive shutout with Friday night’s 49-0 victory at Asheboro.

Cheek rolled up 210 rushing yards on 16 carries.

Zander Cheek, who finished with 75 yards on the ground on 10 carries, Chase Whitaker and Karson Bowman all scored on runs. Zander Cheek also scored on a catch from Andrew Canter on an 80-yard play.

Providence Grove (4-0) scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters.

The Blue Comets dropped to 0-4.

Randleman 38, Greensboro Smith 7: At Randleman, Christian Long threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the host Tigers used a big second half to pull away after the teams were knotted at 7-7 at halftime.

Long threw 15 years to Amari Ferdna for the only Randleman touchdown of the first half. The Tigers went ahead in the third quarter on Amarion Moton’s 5-yard run. Moton finished with 114 yards on 21 carries.

Tyshaun Goldston caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Long early in the fourth quarter. Ashton Dillow returned a fumble for Randleman’s next touchdown before Long’s 19-yard run helped seal the outcome.

Long rushed for 97 yards on 15 attempts and threw for 66 yards.

Greensboro Smith (0-3) scored about three minutes into the game but that was it.

Eastern Randolph 28, Williams 21: At Ramseur, the host Wildcats won their third game in a row as Devonte Brooks scored on a pair of runs.

DJ Thomas had a 31-yard go-ahead reception from Stratton Barwick in the second quarter for Eastern Randolph (3-1). Ervodd Cassady ran for 118 yards on 20 carries and Jake Fesmire scored on a run for the Wildcats.

Eastern Randolph went up 28-14 with 2:52 to play on Brooks’ 12-yard run on a drive that consumed about seven minutes.

Then Dan Mahan scored on a 24-yard quarterback keeper to give the Bulldogs a chance. The Wildcats recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Williams (2-2) lost a tight game to Eastern Randolph for the second straight year. The Bulldogs scored first on Kylei Richmond’s 8-yard run on the fourth snap of the game.

Trinity 60, Jordan-Matthews 7: At Siler City, three of Dominic Payne’s seven completed passes went for touchdowns as the Bulldogs rolled on the road.

Payne also returned a kickoff for a touchdown and scored on a rushing play.

The Bulldogs (3-1) secured their third blowout victory of the season. It was 36-0 at halftime.

The Jets are 0-4.

Wheatmore 21, Chatham Central 0: At Trinity, Wheatmore notched the home victory as Riley Strickland threw two touchdown passes.

Jonathan Kelly racked up 124 rushing yards on 15 carries for the Bulldogs (1-3), who snapped an eight-game losing streak overall dating to last year.

Wheatmore won for the first time since Sept. 17, 2021, at Asheboro, which is the next opponent for the Bulldogs.

The Bears dropped to 0-4.

West Davidson 10, Southwestern Randolph 0: At Lexington, Caleb Broom threw to Noah Baker for the game’s only touchdown.

Joseph Baker rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries for West Davidson (2-2), which was coming off a pair of blowout defeats by a total of 124-7.

The Cougars (2-1) were shutout victims for the first time since the second-to-last game of the 2021 spring season against Southern Guilford. They had scored in 14 straight games since then.

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.

SWR Grant Little v South Stanly

Prep football: Wildcats trounce Asheboro; Providence Grove, SWR cruise

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Southwestern Randolph’s Grant Little heads for a big gain against South Stanly on Friday night. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

RAMSEUR – Ervodd Cassady scored on four touchdown runs as Eastern Randolph bashed visiting Asheboro 69-7 in Friday night’s non-conference football game

The Wildcats improved to 1-1 to maintain dominance in the series under veteran coach Burton Cates.

Eastern Randolph scored 28 points in each of the first and second quarters to build a 56-0 lead by halftime. Stratton Barwick threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.

Nicah Taylor returned an interception for a touchdown, marking one of the three pick-offs for Eastern Randolph’s defense. He also made a touchdown reception.

Asheboro dropped to 0-2.

Providence Grove 42, Southern Guilford 0: At Climax, Andrew Canter threw two touchdown passes and Zane Cheek ran for two touchdowns for the host Patriots (2-0).

Providence Grove benefitted from six Southern Guilford turnovers. Brady Collins, Chase Whitaker, Zach Lohr and Karson Bowman had interceptions.

Lemuel Coltrane and JC Cruz caught touchdown passes. Zander Cheek and Whitaker also scored on touchdown runs.

Southern Guilford is 0-2.

Southwestern Randolph 49, South Stanly 13: At Norwood, Adam Cole scored four touchdowns and Easton Clapp threw for three scores and ran for two more as the Cougars won their road opener.

Cole scored on two receptions, a rushing play and a punt return. Sean Adkins caught the other touchdown throw from Clapp.

Clapp racked up 177 rushing yards and threw for 87 yards.

“Defensively, we did a great job flying around the ball,” Southwestern Randolph coach Seth Baxter said.

South Stanly fell to 0-2.

Central Davidson 46, Randleman 21: At Lexington, the visiting Tigers surrendered nearly 500 rushing yards in the setback.

Central Davidson (2-0) led 35-7 at halftime. Amarion Moton had a 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for Randleman (1-1), while Tyshaun Goldston caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Christian Long to open the second-half scoring. Long finished 13-for-21 for 201 yards with an interception. Goldston gained 60 yards on four carries.

Trinity 45, Forbush 21: At Trinity, the Bulldogs are 2-0 after topping visiting Forbush (1-1) behind a strong performance from Dylan Hodges.

Hodges had 216 return yards, 109 receiving yards and 75 rushing yards. Quarterback Dominic Payne ran for 154 yards and threw for 126.

East Davidson 41, Wheatmore 0: At Thomasville, the Warriors were blanked as their record dropped to 0-2. East Davidson is 1-1.

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.

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.