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.
Randleman’s Chase Farlow chases Lincolnton’s Andre Bost during Friday night’s game. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record)
MAYODAN – Providence Grove won a football game in the state playoffs for the first time in school history Friday night.
The visiting Patriots topped McMichael 48-14 in the Class 2-A first round.
Members of the Providence Grove football program pose for a photo after the first state-playoff victory in the sport in school history. (Courtesy photo)
Next, Providence Grove (8-3) aims for an even more monumental task by going to state power Reidsville, which is the No. 1 seed in the West Region, for a second-round game.
Zander Cheek and Zane Cheek both scored three touchdowns. Zane Cheek ran for three touchdowns and Zander Cheek had two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in conquering No. 16 seed McMichael (7-4).
Quarterback Andrew Canter was 9-for-11 for 157 yards and a touchdown throw. Zane Cheek gained 173 rushing yards on 13 carries.
Brady Collins made 15 tackles and Chase Whitaker was credited with 12 stops.
The 17th-seeded Patriots led 31-6 at halftime.
Lincolnton 37, Randleman 36. OT: At Randleman, the host Tigers rallied to force overtime but then fell in the Class 2-A first-round game.
Lincolnton gambled after pulling within one point in overtime by going for a two-point conversion. The rushing play worked when Andre Bost took a pitch and ran into the end zone, ending Randleman’s season.
Amarion Moton ran for five touchdowns for the Tigers. That included a 2-yard run in overtime, followed by Christian McLeod’s extra-point kick.
Randleman (7-4), which was the Piedmont Athletic Conference runner-up and landed the No. 10 seed in the West Region, never led after the first quarter.
No. 23 seed Lincolnton broke a tie at the 6:40 mark.
But Moton’s 7-yard run in the fourth quarter followed by his two-point conversion run knotted the score at 29-29 with 1:17 remaining on a drive that consumed 14 plays and nearly 5½ minutes.
Moton earlier had touchdown runs of 2, 8, 2 and 7 yards. Those were part of his 169-yard rushing outing on 27 carries.
Quarterback Christian Long ran for 78 yards on 13 attempts and threw for 120 yards. He was 15-for-24 with an interception.
Lincolnton (6-5) was credited with 394 yards of total offense, including 314 on the ground. Randleman had 373 yards of total offense.
The Wolves snapped a two-game skid. They ended up in their second consecutive overtime game.
Thomas Dobias led the Tigers on defense with eight tackles and teammate Tyshaun Goldston intercepted a pass.
Randleman also bowed out with a first-round loss last year.
Class 1-A
Eastern Randolph, the top-seeded team in the West Region, will face Mountain Heritage in the second round Friday night in Ramseur.
The Wildcats (9-1), who hold a nine-game winning streak, had a first-round bye. No. 17 Mountain Heritage (5-6) won 42-8 at No. 16 seed South Stokes.
Andrew Canter throws a pass for Providence Grove, which is in the state playoffs again.
Eastern Randolph’s football team is the top seed in Class 1-A’s West Region for the second year in a row.
Randleman and Providence Grove are in the states in Class 2-A West Region.
Eastern Randolph (9-1), the Piedmont Athletic Conference champion, receives a first-round bye and will play Nov. 11 at home against the winner of this Friday night’s game between South Stokes (4-6) and Mountain Heritage (4-6).
In Class 2-A, Randleman (7-3) is the No. 10 seed with a home date Friday night against No. 23 seed Lincolnton (5-5). The winner faces either No. 7 seed Monroe or No. 26 seed North Stanly, which edged Randleman 40-34 in the regular season.
Providence Grove (7-3) is the No. 17 seed, so it has a game at No. 16 seed McMichael (7-3). If the Patriots win, they could be heading to Rockingham County for the second week in a row to face top-seeded Reidsville, which takes on No. 32 seed Madison in the first round.
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.
Randleman quarterback Christian Long makes a pass earlier this season. (Randolph Record file photo)
CLIMAX – Amarion Moton scored on two fourth-quarter touchdown runs to help Randleman seal a 30-14 road victory against Providence Grove in Piedmont Athletic Conference football Friday night.
Randleman’s defense limited the often-potent Providence Grove offense to 180 yards.
Randleman never trailed, going up in the first quarter on Christian McLeod’s 26-yard field goal. Tyshaun Goldston scored on a 13-yard pass from Christian Long in the second quarter.
James Ellis of Providence Grove scored on a 44-yard pass play before halftime.
Gregory Price’s 40-yard interception return gave Randleman a cushion.
Moton, who gained 151 yards on 23 carriers, took care of the rest. Goldston ended up with 106 receiving yards on six catches. He accounted for all except 13 of the team’s receiving yards.
Providence Grove was 0-for-10 on third-down conversions, while picking up one of three on fourth downs.
Eastern Randolph 55, Trinity 13: At Ramseur, Stratton Barwick threw three touchdown passes and Davonte Brooks scored on runs of 35 and 19 as the host Wildcats rolled in the PAC game.
Lucas Smith (3 yards), Ervodd Cassady (6 yards) and Angel Hernandez (18 yards) also scored on runs for Eastern Randolph (6-1, 2-0), which led 35-7 at halftime.
Trinity (4-3, 0-2) received touchdown runs of 60 and 65 yards from Dominic Payne.
Southwestern Randolph 56, Wheatmore 25: At Trinity, Adam Cole scored five touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the PAC road victory.
Cole caught three of the four touchdown passes thrown by Easton Clapp. He ran for a touchdown and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Clapp also ran for a touchdown among his 157 rushing yards.
The Cougars (5-2, 1-1) also scored on Sean Adkins’ catch and Jentzen Cox’s rushing play.
Wheatmore is 1-6, 0-2.
Central Davidson 56, Asheboro 6: At Lexington, the Blue Comets surrendered more than 50 points for the second week in a row in the Mid-Piedmont Conference loss.
The Blue Comets (1-6, 0-2 Mid-Piedmont Conference) failed to reach a double-figure point total for the sixth game this season.
Davonte Brooks of Eastern Randolph heads for the end zone against Southwestern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – Davonte Brooks scored three touchdowns and Eastern Randolph relied on its defense in a 20-12 road victory against Southwestern Randolph in a Piedmont Athletic Conference football opener Thursday night.
“We just all came together and played as one and that’s how we got the job done,” Brooks said.
Eastern Randolph (5-1), which is the reigning PAC champion, won despite its lowest point total of the season.
“It was not our best game,” Eastern Randolph coach Burton Cates said. “Too many mistakes – penalties at the wrong time.”
Southwestern Randolph (4-2) couldn’t crank up enough offense.
“I thought our kids gave everything they had,” Southwestern Randolph coach Seth Baxter said.
The Wildcats stuck to a ground attack in the second half after the Cougars intercepted two first-half passes. Cates said windy conditions impacted the game plan.
“Let’s go with our strength, which is the offensive line and running the football,” Cates said.
Brooks gained 160 rushing yards and teammate Ervodd Cassady ran for 128 yards.
Brooks scored on a 25-yard run to open the scoring and later in the first quarter Southwestern Randolph’s Easton Clapp scored on a 1-yard run.
Adam Cole’s 42-yard punt return for a touchdown put the Cougars on top 12-7 in the third quarter.
Brooks scored on a 1-yard run later in the third quarter. Brooks scored again from 1 yard out in the fourth quarter.
“I thought in the second half they dominated the line of scrimmage,” Baxter said.
Providence Grove 31, Trinity 0: At Trinity, Zane Cheek ran for two touchdowns and Providence Grove (5-1) built a 28-0 halftime lead.
Zander Cheek also scored a touchdown. Brady Collins threw a touchdown pass to Joe Coltrane. Andrew Canter kicked a 37-yard field goal.
Trinity (4-2) suffered a shutout to the Patriots for the second time in three seasons. Dominic Pay had 57 passing yards and 53 rushing yards.
Randleman 49, Wheatmore 0: At Randleman, Christian Long threw four touchdown passes – two each to Chesney Welch and Tyshaun Goldston – as the host Tigers rolled.
Long also ran for a touchdown. Amarion Moton’s 10-yard run opened the scoring in the PAC game.
Randleman quarterback Christian Long picks up yards as Wheatmore’s Ethan Roberts, left, tries to make a stop. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record)
Randleman (4-2) led 42-0 at halftime. All of Long’s touchdown passes came in the second quarter, hitting Welch for 17 and 10 yards and connecting with Goldston for 9 and 20 yards.
Long finished 11-for-18 for 128 yards. Moton rushed six times for 105 yards.
Wheatmore (1-5) was held to 81 yards of total offense. Jonathan Kelly had 48 rushing yards.
Oak Grove 52, Asheboro 7: At Asheboro, unbeaten Oak Grove in the road victory to open Mid-Piedmont Conference play for both teams.
The Grizzlies (6-0) were up 28-7 at halftime. Asheboro (1-5) scored early in the second quarter after trailing 21-0.
Lyndsey Cassell of Faith Christian spikes the ball last week in a volleyball match vs. visiting North Moore. Faith Christian won the non-conference match in five sets. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Football games for this week in Randolph County have been adjusted because of the potential of an impact to weather in the area coming from Hurricane Ian.
Some announcements about changes came at the beginning of the week.
Asheboro’s game against visiting Oak Grove in a Mid-Piedmont Conference opener has been shifted from Friday night to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
All three games in the Piedmont Athletic Conference also are set for Thursday instead of Friday.
Providence Grove’s game at Trinity has been moved to 7 p.m., while Eastern Randolph’s visit to Southwestern Randolph will begin at 7:30 p.m. All four of those teams take 4-1 records into those league openers.
Also, Randleman’s homecoming game against Wheatmore was set for 7:30 p.m.
Ready to return: Randleman running back/linebacker Thomas Dobias could be on the field for this week’s PAC opener against visiting Wheatmore.
He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee the day before the season opener to repair an injury that occurred during preseason practice. At the beginning of this week, the junior said he has been on a successful rehabilitation timetable that should allow him to be ready for PAC play.
Soccer stuff
Trinity and Wheatmore tied 1-1 the first time they met this season in boys’ soccer. Both teams began this week without a loss in PAC play.
The two teams meet in a rematch Oct. 5 at Trinity. That could be a showdown that decides the conference title.
Streak stopper: Asheboro’s bid for an unbeaten season ended with last week’s 2-0 loss at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point. That matchup was a late addition to the teams’ schedules. The Trojans are a one-loss team, though they don’t compete in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Asheboro won its first 10 games before suffering the defeat.
On the court
Trinity’s volleyball team lost its season opener at Asheboro, but the Bulldogs have won their eight other non-conference matches. That stretch included avenging to loss to Asheboro.
But PAC play has been more challenging as Trinity held a 2-5 league mark entering this week.
Keep it going: Southwestern Randolph’s 14-match winning streak entering the week exceeds the longest winning streak for the team in 2021, when it won the Class 2-A state championship.
Last fall, the longest winning streak for the Cougars was 12 matches that stretched from the end of the regular season and into the PAC Tournament. After a loss to Uwharrie Charter Academy, Southwestern Randolph ran off six straight victories in the state playoffs.
Asheboro’s Markell Graham is pursued by Southwestern Randolph’s Danny Jackson and Caleb Shelton, far right, during Friday night’s game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – Southwestern Randolph scored on the first snap of the game and went on to drub visiting Asheboro 40-2 on Friday night.
Adam Cole took a short pass from Easton Clapp and burst 64 yards for a touchdown for the first points.
“It was open,” Southwestern Randolph coach Seth Baxter said. “I think our wide receivers did a tremendous job of blocking on that play.”
Southwestern Randolph (4-1) heads into Piedmont Athletic Conference play on a two-game winning streak. This puts the Cougars in a good mindset.
“We came in and did what we needed to do up front,” Baxter said of controlling the line of scrimmage.
Cole ended up with two rushing touchdowns to go with the scoring pass play. Clapp threw for two touchdowns and ran for another on his way to 196 passing yards and 126 rushing yards. Marcus Robertson caught a touchdown pass.
Asheboro (1-4) avoided a shutout by tackling a Southwestern Randolph ball carrier in the end zone in the fourth quarter. That accounted for the final points of the game, though it came a couple of plays after the Blue Comets had a possession halted inside the Southwestern Randolph 10-yard line.
“We’re going to have to go back to the drawing board,” Asheboro coach Blake Brewer. “We’re going to have to build some toughness.”
Michael Brady rushed for 97 yards for Asheboro.
Until last year, Southwestern Randolph had never defeated Asheboro in consecutive football meetings. Now, the Cougars have won three straight in the series.
Asheboro leads the all-time series 26-4.
The Blue Comets open Mid-Piedmont Conference play next Friday at home against undefeated Oak Grove (5-0), which is coming off an open week.
“We’re going to have to find an identity and do it quick,” Brewer said.
Eastern Randolph 42, West Stanly 0: At Oakboro, the visiting Wildcats tuned up for Piedmont Athletic Conference play by winning their fifth consecutive game.
Among the scoring plays for Eastern Randolph (5-1) were two touchdown runs for Davonte Brooks and one touchdown apiece for D.J. Thomas, Ervodd Cassady and Angel Hernandez. Stratton Barwick threw a touchdown pass to Jake Fesmire.
West Stanly (3-3) has lost three straight games, though the first two defeats came by a combined 15 points.
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.
TRINITY – Every team in Randolph County has at least one victory after Friday night’s results.
There also is no longer an undefeated team among the seven football-playing schools in the county.
Asheboro entered the win column by securing an 18-13 road victory at Wheatmore.
Asheboro’s Tony McRae tries to pull away from Wheatmore’s Levi Johnson during Friday night’s game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
The Blue Comets (1-3) won for the first time since August 2021, snapping a 12-game losing streak.
Josh Meadows scored on a 2-yard run with about four minutes to play for the winning points.
Michael Brady scored a first-half touchdown for Asheboro. Kai Matthews ran 18 yards for the Blue Comets’ second touchdown.
Wheatmore is 1-4.
Ledford 42, Providence Grove 21: At Thomasville, visiting Providence Grove suffered its first loss, hurt by three turnovers in the non-conference game.
Zane Cheek scored three touchdowns for the Patriots (4-1). He gained 147 rushing yards on 26 carries.
The game was tied at 21-21 after three quarters. Ledford (5-0) went ahead on the third play of the fourth quarter.
Trinity 18, Carrboro 13: At Carrboro, Dominic Payne’s pass to Brandon Campbell gave the visiting Bulldogs the winning points in the non-league game.
Trinity (4-1) has won two games in a row. Carrboro fell to 2-3.
Southwestern Randolph 20, Albemarle 7: At Albemarle, Easton Clapp ran for two touchdowns and 194 yards in the non-league road victory.
The Cougars (3-1), who were shutout victims a week earlier, bounced back. Adam Cole also scored on a run. Albemarle (1-4) failed to post a double-figure point total for the third game this season.
North Stanly 40, Randleman 34: At Randleman, North Stanly used a strong fourth quarter and then held on after the Tigers threatened late, recovering an onside kick to help clinch the outcome in non-conference play.
Randleman quarterback Christian Long scored on three 1-yard runs and a 2-yard run. Amarion Moton, who finished with 114 rushing yards on 15 attempts, opened the scoring for the Tigers with a 12-yard run. Tyshaun Goldston racked up 133 receiving yards on seven catches.
Randleman held 14-point leads twice in the first half.
