Asheboro High remains unbeaten with solid win over nemesis Randleman

ASHEBORO — When Asheboro High School football fans have to go back to the magical season of 2006 to see when the last time the Blue Comets accomplished what this 2025 team has accomplished, that’s quite a statement.

With Asheboro’s 21-7 victory over Randleman last Friday night, the Blue Comets stand 3-0 on the season, the first time since 2006 AHS has won its first three games of the season. In that year of 2006, the Blue Comets finished unbeaten in the regular season and finished 12-1 overall under former coach Sam Whitley. That included a 12-10 victory over Eastern Randolph in what was probably the highest-attended game in Randolph County history.

The Blue Comets, who scored two second-half touchdowns against Randleman while shutting them out for the final 24 minutes, last defeated Randleman to start the 2021 season, a 20-7 victory which ended up being the Blue Comets’ only win that campaign.

Judging by the first three weeks of this season, there should be more wins on the horizon.

“I am ecstatic for the guys, they have worked so hard,” said third-year head coach Calvin Brown, whose teams finished 1-9 and 4-7 in his first two seasons. “This is the first time they have been tested and I wanted to see how they would respond. They answered the call.”

The Blue Comets met very little resistance in their first two games this year, with the clock running continuously in the second half during both a 59-0 win over High Point Central and a 49-7 win over Northwood. Everyone knew it wasn’t going to be that easy against the Tigers, a team that had won the past three meetings and seven of the past eight.

Against the Tigers, AHS capitalized on a short punt after RHS’ first possession of the second half when quarterback Dallas Brinton, who scored on a 24-yard run in the second quarter for a 7-0 AHS lead, broke a 7-7 halftime tie with a 25-yard TD scamper. Jefferson Aguilar added his second of three PATs for a 14-7 lead.

The Asheboro defense took over, stuffing the run and keeping RHS quarterback John Kirkpatrick somewhat in check. Kirkpatrick did throw for 224 yards and one score in the game, but the second half found the tall, athletic quarterback having little time to find receivers downfield.

“We needed to get pressure on Kirkpatrick,” Brown said. “We knew if he could sit in the pocket, it would be trouble for us. Coach Glen Hunt and his defensive staff did a tremendous job with our defense. We blitzed at the right time. We may not have sacked him, but we got to him a couple of times and made him rush it a few times.”

While the AHS defense did its job, Connor Brinton scored on a 16-yard run with 11:23 left in the fourth quarter for some breathing room.

“I think confidence,” Brown said what he observed after the game from his team. “They are starting to figure out they are a very good football team. When you start doing all those things you need to do to win, good things will happen. 

“I told our kids, our student body and all the fans who were with us on the field after the game, that this is the first time since 2006 we started 3-0. We are not there yet. But they know they can beat teams with our defense, our scoring. We just have to keep improving.”

The game was tied at halftime after Kirkpatrick answered Asheboro’s score with a 26-yard scoring toss to Connor Cassidy.

“Going into halftime, some of the guys had a look like we’re in a game,” Brown said. “We kind of settled them down. This is when it’s good and this is when it’s fun.”

It was for the Blue Comets Friday night.