10 PLAYERS TO WATCH...

Mike Duprez
Randolph Hub

High school sports are right around the corner. As a starter tease here In the middle of a hot July, here are 10 players to watch in Randolph County during the upcoming 2024 high school foot-ball season.

Tyshaun Goldston, senior, Randleman

Where do you start with this 6-foot-5 dynamo? Goldston has Division I offers from Coastal Carolina and Charlotte, so he will get the chance to play college football. As a receiver for the Tigers last season, Goldston caught 52 passes for 1,269 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also had a pair of rushing touchdowns and even completed a couple of passes. Flip over to defense and Goldston had six interceptions.

And there’s his prowess in basketball. Goldston has an offer from junior college power Davidson-Davie Community College.

Elijah Woodle, senior, Asheboro

Woodle is a big-play wide receiver for the Blue Comets, catching 47 passes for 780 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led Asheboro in all-purpose yards.

Jonathan Kelly, senior, Wheatmore

Kelly ran for 755 yards, had 139 yards receiving and scored 13 touchdowns for the Warriors in the 2023 season.

Owen Whelan, senior, Southwestern Randolph

The 5-10, 240-pounder was the Cougars’ ultimate Swiss Army knife in 2023. He had 447 yards and a touchdown rushing while playing quarterback and running back. On the other side of the ball, he had 41 tackles, including six for loss.

Cam Nelson, senior, Trinity

Nelson was a star on both sides of the ball for the Bulldogs. The 6-foot, 165-pounder had 5 interceptions, 7 pass breakups and 56 tackles. On offense, he caught 10 passes for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. 

Kobe Walker, sophomore, Eastern Randolph

Walker, a linebacker/running back, made his presence known as a freshman by averaging 8.5 tackles a game. Walker could be a major factor at running back in 2024. He had a 48-yard touchdown run in the Wildcats’ 42-21 loss to Mount Airy in the 1-A Western Regional semifinals.

Brady Collins, senior, Providence Grove

Collins led the Patriots with 113 tackles last season. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder also had 3 interceptions and caused 2 fumbles.

John Kirkpatrick, junior, Randleman

Kirkpatrick had a superb sophomore season, throwing for 2,238 yards and 32 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder completed 63.8 percent of his passes and had a rushing touchdown.

Carson Jones, junior, Providence Grove

The kicking game is crucial in high school football and Jones is a good one. He had 11 touchbacks while making four field goals, with a long of 44 yards. Jones was also successful on every PAT attempt.

Lucas Smith, senior, Eastern Randolph

Smith had a great 2023 season for the Wildcats. He ran for 1,319 yards and 27 touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per carry.