Southwestern Randolph, softball
Varner had a game-winning single in the ninth inning of the Cougars’ season-opening victory against visiting North Stanly.
Varner, a senior, is trying to help the Cougars to another winning season. She was a regular in the lineup a year ago.
This week, the Cougars begin Piedmont Athletic Conference play. They won their final five PAC regular-season games last spring.
Eastern Randolph, girls’ basketball
Eastern Randolph had a breakthrough season in girls’ basketball, and Purdue, a senior, played a significant role. The team secured its first winning season in six years.
Purdue was one of three seniors on the Eastern Randolph roster. She was the starting center.
The Wildcats reached the third round of the Class 1-A state playoffs. They finished with a 19-8 record.
Southwestern Randolph, girls’ basketball
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.
Southwestern Randolph, boys’ basketball
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)
Summer Bowman of Wheatmore reacts after scoring a goal against Clinton in the Class 2-A state championship game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Here’s a recap of notable Randolph County-related sports stories for 2022:
** Asheboro’s summer collegiate baseball team undergoes a rebranding that includes a name change. The new name is the Asheboro ZooKeepers in a switch from Asheboro Copperheads.
** Randleman’s girls’ basketball team goes through an undefeated regular season and completes a 25-1 season. The lone loss came in the Class 2-A West Region semifinals to Shelby.
** David Makupson of Trinity captures a state championship in Class 2-A wrestling at 138 pounds to cap a remarkable high school career. Uwharrie Charter Academy underclassmen Aldo Hernandez (132 pounds) and Grayson Roberts (160 pounds) are Class 1-A state tiltists.
Also, UCA reaches the Class 1-A dual team state final, where it lost to Avery County in Greensboro.
** Steve Luck leaves his position as athletics director at Asheboro High School. Later in the year, he becomes commissioner for the Mid-Piedmont Conference.
** Eastern Randolph’s Connor Carter is the Class 1-A state runner-up in Class 1-A boys’ golf.
** Providence Grove’s softball team racks up an incredible season, going all the way to the Class 2-A West Region’s fourth round before suffering a defeat. The Patriots finish with a 24-1 record.
** Wheatmore’s girls’ soccer team turns in a perfect season with a 25-0-0 record that culminates in a Class 2-A state championship. The Warriors defeat Clinton 4-1 in the title game in Cary.
** Randleman’s baseball team repeats as Class 2-A state champion with a dominating regular season and postseason. The Tigers are stocked with college prospects and churn out a 33-1 record, sweeping Whiteville in the best-of-3 state finals in Burlington.
** McCrary Park undergoes numerous changes at the beginning of a massive renovation project for the baseball facility in Asheboro. The project is off schedule causing Asheboro High School to play at an alternate site and the Asheboro ZooKeepers to begin the season with extra road games.
Off the field, there are changes announced after the 2022 season, including Melissa Godwin joining the club as general manager for the Coastal Plain League team, which is a summer circuit for college players.
** Randleman catcher Brooks Brannon is a ninth-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox. So he steps away from a baseball scholarship at North Carolina to launch a professional career.
** American Legion baseball is a hot summer topic.
Eastern Randolph Post 81 has a breakthrough season and emerges as a contender in Area 3. Randolph County Post 45 is the host team for the Southeast Regional, but its bid to reach the national tournament is foiled on the second-to-last day of the regional tournament so the club finishes with a 31-13 record.
** Asheboro’s boys’ soccer program has unprecedented success, but falls one victory shy of reaching the Class 3-A state championship game. The Blue Comets post a 23-2-2 record.
** Eastern Randolph’s football team goes undefeated in the PAC for the second year in a row. The Wildcats reach the Class 1-A West Region semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Mount Airy.
** Tot Hill Farm Golf Club in Asheboro is sold from its original ownership group to a man who runs courses in the Charleston, S.C., area.
** Football coach Calvin Brown directs Providence Grove to another winning season. That includes the school’s first-ever football victory in the state playoffs by winning at McMichael. Weeks later, Brown accepts the coaching position at Asheboro High School.
Asheboro, girls’ basketball
Lee has been a golfer competing at the state level, but she’s also one of the top basketball players for the Blue Comets girls’ team.
The senior forward scored a team-high 16 points last week when Asheboro topped visiting Thomasville 60-9. That outcome snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Blue Comets.
Lee has been the team’s top producer in terms of assists and blocked shots. She also has been the Asheboro leader in field goal percentage.
Asheboro is trying to return to prominence after playing in the Class 3-A state championship game in 2021. The Blue Comets are under the direction of first-year coach Mike Headen.
Trinity | wrestling
In this match from last season, Trinity’s Spencer May works over Riley Shaw of West Wilkes in a 113-pound bout. (Randolph Record file photo)
May claimed tournament titles on back-to-back weekends.
He won on his home mats Dec. 10 on his way to winning the Most Outstanding Wrestler award in the Trinity Invitational.
In capturing the 120-pound division, May recorded pins in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In a high-level matchup in the final against Asheboro’s Xavier Santos, May prevailed with a 10-7 decision.
May, a junior, followed that performance by winning the title this past weekend’s Porter Ridge Invitational.
Southwestern Randolph | girls’ basketball
King was a key contributor to a pair of victories last week for the Cougars.
The junior guard put up 16 points in Southwestern Randolph’s 67-15 non-conference home victory against Jordan-Matthews.
King scored 17 points when the Cougars opened their Piedmont Athletic Conference schedule with a 53-45 victory at Trinity.
She also had eight points in a 50-40 road loss to North Davidson.
Providence Grove | girls’ basketball
Frazier had three strong outings for the Patriots, who went 2-1 in those games.
Frazier’s impactful week started with 19 points in the 50-34 victory against visiting East Davidson.
By scoring 17 points, the senior guard had more than half of the Patriots’ points in a 38-32 road loss to Southern Guilford.
Frazier capped the week with 19 points in a 49-43 triumph against Asheboro.
Through four games this season, Frazier had a scoring average of 17.3 points per game. She also shared the team rebounding lead with Asia Steverson with 7.3 per outing.
Providence Grove | football
Cheek, a senior, scored four postseason touchdowns in two games for the Patriots.
Providence Grove’s season ended with an 8-4 record with Thursday night’s loss at Reidsville, where Cheek scored a touchdown.
Cheek scored three touchdowns in the previous week when Providence Grove won a football game in the state playoffs for the first time by winning at McMichael.
Cheek led the Patriots with 38.5 receiving yards per game to go with a team-leading four touchdown catches. He scored 13 touchdowns this season, behind only his twin brother Zane Cheek, who had 20.