RAMSEUR — A week off prior to opening the state playoffs might be a good omen for Eastern Randolph’s football team.
When that happened during the past spring for the state playoffs, it worked out.
“We really played our best game against Clinton,” coach Burton Cates said. “You’ve got to look at the positives.”
The situation is different, though, this season. That was an upset victory for the Wildcats several months ago.
Now, Eastern Randolph (9-0) opens the postseason as the top-seeded Class 1-A team in the West Region. The Wildcats are set for Friday night’s game against No. 16 seed Draughn (6-5), which also uses Wildcats as its nickname.
Eastern Randolph’s bye came because the Class 1-A bracket wasn’t full. Last season, a COVID-related situation allowed the team to advance through the opening round.
“We were able to get a jump on (studying) Draughn a little bit,” Cates said.
Draughn sophomore running back Nigel Dula set a Burke County record with 478 rushing yards and six touchdowns in a 56-9 first-round romp past visiting Elkin on Friday.
“He has got our attention,” Cates said of Dula.
Draughn’s only other postseason victory came 10 years ago.
Eastern Randolph’s stiffest test to date probably came in the season opener in August. That came with a home victory against Eastern Alamance, which hasn’t lost since and is the Class 3-A East Region’s top seed.
Eastern Randolph went on to win the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
“Our kids were focused down the stretch,” Cates said. “They wanted to be undefeated and win the conference outright.”
Providence Grove’s Caleb Rogers runs the ball against visiting Southwestern Randolph during a 40-34 victory in a PAC game at Climax on October 22, 2021. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
CLIMAX – Providence Grove struck the final and most decisive blows to pull out a 40-34 victory against visiting Southwestern Randolph in a key Piedmont Athletic Conference football clash Friday night.
The Patriots used a 96-yard drive after recovering a fourth-quarter fumble for the go-ahead points.
“We were resilient and kept on fighting and found a way,” Providence Grove coach Calvin Brown said.
The outcome means that Providence Grove (7-2, 3-1 PAC) will secure second place in the conference, yet that Patriots will be the league’s No. 1 seed for the Class 2-A state playoffs because league champion Eastern Randolph is slated for Class 1-A. The Wildcats are the only 1-A team in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
Southwestern Randolph’s Easton Clapp runs for a first down against Providence Grove during a PAC game. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
A reversal of Friday night’s outcome would have had Southwestern Randolph (7-2, 2-2) in that coveted spot.
“It’s a tough one to swallow,” Southwestern Randolph coach Seth Baxter said. “I felt like we had our chances. This hurts about as much as any I’ve had. … I feel like we did good enough to win. We made two turnovers and they made zero.”
Southwestern Randolph’s Bryson Reid makes the catch and scores a touchdown against Providence Grove during a PAC game October 22, 2021. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Providence Grove’s Caleb Rogers ran for 108 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown and racked up 115 receiving yards. That was more than half of quarterback Luke Thomas’ 212 passing yards.
“Rogers and Thomas were dynamite,” Baxter said.
Chase Whitaker scored on each of his four carries for Providence Grove.
The Patriots were playing their third game in an eight-night span. They won the final two of those after a loss at Eastern Randolph.
Providence Grove assistant coach Grant Handy lifts running back Caleb Rogers in the air after a 40-34 victory against Southwestern Randolph earned the Patriots the top Class 2-A seed from the league to the state playoffs. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
“We’re a good football team and we’re going to continue to get better,” Brown said.
For Southwestern Randolph, Easton Clapp ran for two touchdowns as part of a 14-carry, 114-yard rushing outing. Keaton Reed had a rushing touchdown and threw to Bryson Reid for a touchdown. Adam Cole returned a kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown as the Cougars built a 27-25 lead.
Even with a 34-25 edge, Southwestern Randolph couldn’t hang on.
Eastern Randolph 60, Wheatmore 0: At Ramseur, Na’hiem Lilly scored four touchdowns as the host Wildcats clinched the PAC championship.
Eastern Randolph (8-0, 4-0), which led 53-0 at halftime, secured its first shutout of the season.
Malachi Letterlough, Elias Alston, Delonte Glover and Landon Loflin were also credited with touchdowns. Two of those came on Stratton Barwick passes. Linebacker John Maness returned an interception for a touchdown.
Wheatmore (3-5, 0-4) has failed to score more than 14 points in its four league games.
Randleman 25, Trinity 14: At Trinity, Evrodd Cassady ran for three touchdowns and a two-point conversion for the visiting Tigers (4-5, 2-2).
Cassady finished with 137 rushing yards on 25 carries. His touchdown runs came from 6, 19 and 1 yards out. Chris Gentry added a 30-yard field goal and was 2-for-2 on extra-point kicks.
Trinity (4-5, 1-3) scored the first and final touchdowns. Dominic Payne threw 19 yards to Landon Carter for the game’s first points and followed that with a two-point conversion pass to Jason Brown. The last points came on Payne’s 13-yard run for the only points in the fourth quarter. Payne threw for 105 yards and rushed for 66 yards.
Ledford 42, Asheboro 7: At Asheboro, the host Blue Comets dropped their home finale, falling to 0-5 at Lee J. Stone Stadium.
Asheboro (1-8, 0-4 Mid-Piedmont Conference) gave up 14 points in each of the first three quarters. Ledford (7-2, 2-2) benefited from two touchdowns by Alex Sanford and two touchdown passes by Nathan Carr.
Southwestern Randolph’s Bryson Reid makes the catch and scores a touchdown against Providence Grove during a PAC game October 22, 2021. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL