Cheek was active in each of the sports seasons, beginning as a multi-purpose back for the football team. He averaged more than 90 rushing yards per game as a senior in 2022. He again was selected as an All-Piedmont Athletic Conference player.
He was one of Providence Grove’s key players in boys’ basketball as a guard.
He wrapped up his prep career as a sprinter on the track and field team.
His twin brother, Zander Cheek, also was a standout athlete for the Patriots.
** During the summer, we recognize seniors from the past school year.
Cugino repeated a spot on the Piedmont Athletic Conference all-conference team.
This year, she was second among the Eagles with seven goals and third on the team with 11 assists. She also was one of the primary options on UCA for corner kicks.
UCA produced an 8-11-2 record that included one road victory in the Class 1-A state playoffs.
Cugino also participated in girls’ tennis for the Eagles.
Medinger has been a steady performer for the Eagles, and he’s one of the core veterans on the team.
UCA went 3-0 last week, including winning a pair of tight Piedmont Athletic Conference matchups with Eastern Randolph. Medinger scored a run in the team’s 3-0 decision against Eastern Randolph.
Medinger, a senior utility player, is among the top UCA players in on-base percentage and run production.
He was one of two UCA selections for the All-PAC team in 2022.
Entering this week with an 8-9 record, the Eagles are within two victories of matching last year’s win total that came in 25 games.
Eastern Randolph carried a four-game winning streak into spring break, and McDaniel did her part.
Posting two hits in a Piedmont Athletic Conference victory against Randleman was among her contributions.
McDaniel, a senior infielder, also drove in two runs in the Randleman game. She had a hit and scored a run in a 2-1 victory at Northern Guilford. She also scored in a one-run decision against Providence Grove.
With six doubles and 13 runs batted in, she’s among the team leaders in several offensive categories.
McDaniel was an All-PAC girls’ golfer in the fall.
Brewer drove in runs last week in a pair of victories for the Eagles.
Brewer, a senior, scored two runs and knocked in a row against Trinity. She had two hits, two runs batted in, and scored in a run in a game at Asheboro. She was credited with two stolen bases in each game.
UCA won 17-0 at Trinity in its Piedmont Athletic Conference opener in a game that lasted three innings as the Eagles posted an eight-run second inning and nine-run third inning. Then there was a 10-0 result in a non-conference game at Asheboro, with that game ending by the mercy rule after UCA put together a six-run sixth inning.
Those outcomes gave the Eagles a 3-1 record through two weeks of the season.
Small had a couple of solid games last week in the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament.
She’s a senior captain on a team that has several key underclassmen.
Small, a forward, provided nine points when the Cougars defeated Trinity 47-46 in the PAC Tournament quarterfinals. She led Southwestern Randolph with 14 points in a 75-49 semifinal loss to Eastern Randolph.
The Cougars might have hit their stride, and they’ve been receiving key contributions from a variety of players. Leal is one of them.
This has come as Southwestern Randolph cranked up a late-season surge for the second season in a row.
Leal, a senior guard, scored 15 points in last week’s 63-58 victory at Providence Grove. He was one of four Cougars in double figures, led by Sean Adkins with 18.
The Cougars entered this week with a six-game winning streak, helping them move into second place in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Leal has been a double-figure scorer in five of those victories.
Photo information:Southwestern Randolph’s Thomas Leal goes up for a shot against Thomasville’s Jalen Thomas earlier this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Dixon played key roles as the Tigers won matches on three consecutive nights last week.
Those results were a 25-27, 25-14, 25-12, 23-25, 15-12 escape at Eastern Randolph in a Piedmont Athletic Conference opener, a 25-17, 25-20, 25-18 non-conference decision against visiting Oak Grove and a 16-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-12 toppling of visiting Wheatmore in another PAC match.
Dixon, a senior hitter and defensive specialist, had a team-high 11 kills to go with 15 digs in the test at Eastern Randolph. She shared team honors with six kills against Oak Grove along with 15 digs. Dixon had four kills and 16 digs in the Wheatmore match.
It safe to say that it’s heating up in Piedmont Athletic Conference boys’ basketball.
Teams are chasing Providence Grove with a couple of weeks to play, but it’s clear the Patriots might not be in cruise control.
“We’re banged up,” Providence Grove coach Wes Luther said. “Who can survive the longest? Hopefully, we’re going to keep grinding it out.”
An example of the challenges that exist came with last week’s 55-52 escape at Southwestern Randolph.
The Cougars made it difficult for much of the night on the first-place Patriots, who cranked up their defense at opportune times.
“They turned up the pressure a little bit and really got after us on the perimeter,” Southwestern Randolph coach Matt Kiser said. “We allowed their pressure to bother us a little bit. Those were good adjustments that they made.”
With a cluster of teams in pursuit, the Patriots can’t afford to let their focus wander.
“I keep telling them don’t even think of one game at a time,” Luther said. “Just think of one quarter at a time.”
Southwestern Randolph could factor into how the pecking order unfolds near the top of the standings, particularly if the Cougars have pull off an upset or two down the stretch.
“Being right there at the end, that proves to our guys (that we can compete),” Kiser said. “I know it’s frustrating for them because we come out on the wrong end of so many of these games.”
Randleman’s Chenleigh Robinson lays the ball up during a game against host Eastern Randolph last week in Ramseur. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Staying within range
Meanwhile, Trinity and Uwharrie Charter Academy staged a clash to see which team will be the top contender to first-place Providence Grove across the final two weeks of the regular season.
It took overtime for Trinity to pull out a 66-63 road victory against UCA.
“It’s huge,” Trinity coach Tim Kelly said of aiding the positioning in the standings for his team.
Trinity’s Dylan Hodges sent the game to overtime with a basket in the waning seconds of regulation. That capped a rally from a 10-point hole in the fourth quarter.
“Once it got down to five, it’s anybody’s game if you make good plays,” Kelly said. “We just hung together and started doing the things we’ve worked on in practice.”
Kelly said he liked how his team displayed a scrappy approach.
“We really hit the boards hard in overtime. We’re not really big,” he said. “We made some things happen.”
The Bulldogs finished with a 43-33 rebounding advantage.
Also by the end, Dominic Payne’s 27 points provided the biggest boost, while Trace Moffitt added 14 points and Aiden Blakely had 10 points.
“Dominic really stepped up and started competing,” Kelly said.
UCA’s balance scoring included 14 points apiece from Alijah Barker and Pierce Leonard, 13 points from Ashton Troutman and 12 points from Dawson Dunn.
The outcome avenged UCA’s 61-54 victory from December.
Note of the week
The undefeated Randleman girls scored the first 17 points in last week’s 63-19 victory at Eastern Randolph.
