Get caught up: Winter sports take over

As soccer ended with Southwestern Randolph’s 4-A state title victory and football was extended an extra week with Eastern Randolph’s romp, winter sports got busy in a hurry. Here’s a look at some of last week’s many highlights.

Boys Basketball

■ Nirey White scored 13 points to lead a balanced attack as Asheboro downed Rockingham County 62-52. Darrion Johnson scored 12 points while Jeremiah Stanback and Jewel Barrett-Riggins each had 8.

■ Jackson Lee scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, but Trinity fell 47-41 to East Rowan. Wyatt Chambers, Jax Neal and Josh Polanco all scored 7 points.

■ Jackson Cook paced a balanced effort with 16 points as Randleman outlasted Providence Grove 65-59. Connor Cassidy scored 15 points while Nazir Staton had 13 and Pacey Wagner 9.

Gabe McKoy led Providence Grove with a game-high 19 points. Cam Jones had 15 points and Will Dabbs added 14.

■ Mason Ingram scored 5 points in Trinity’s 58-16 loss to North Carolina Leadership Academy.

■ Avery Ivey scored 12 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in Wheatmore’s 50-44 loss to Montgomery Central. Truman Auman had 9 points and 13 rebounds. Colin Dodd and Jordan Starkey both had 9 points.

■ Jordan Starkey had 10 points, 5 steals and 4 assists in Wheatmore’s 66-49 loss to East Rowan. Auman had 7 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. 

■ Fayetteville Street defeated Mt. Calvary Christian School of Archdale, 61-30.

Girls Basketball

■ Wheatmore’s Kaelyn Whiteheart, an all-conference player, has signed with Concord University in Athens, West Virginia.

■ Lainey Thomas and Navaeh Staples each scored 12 points in Uwharrie Charter’s 62-41 win over Cedar Ridge. Naimah Al-Arif and Tori Dixon had 8 points each.

■ Madison Hill scored 14 points in Trinity’s 54-42 loss to East Rowan. Mya Hooker had 10 points and Olivia Nance added 9.

■ Laneane Scherer scored 14 points in Asheboro’s 55-52 loss to Rockingham County.

■ Jacquline McDaniel led the way with a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds as Randleman beat Providence Grove 56-39. Lanie Hall had 9 points and 14 rebounds. Kadie Green had 8 points and 4 rebounds.

Laurel Bernhardt led Providence Grove with 10 points while Adi Johnson had 9 and Kendal Mundy 8.

■ Staples scored 16 points and Thomas had 15 in Uwharrie Charter’s 60-27 rout of Union Academy. 

■ Maliyah Brady scored 16 points in Asheboro’s 57-40 win over Trinity. Ady Scherer had 12 points and Laneane Scherer contributed 11.

■ Kayla Brown scored 12 points while Al-Arif had 10 and Reagan Burris 8 in Uwharrie Charter’s 55-17 win over Chatham Charter.

Boys Indoor Track

■ Asheboro’s Aaron Tyson won the high jump, long jump and triple jump while also placing third in the 55-meter hurdles in the Triad Invitational at JDL Fast Track. Caden Kutxchenko was second in the long jump and triple jump. Juan Pablo Munoz was second in the shot put and Ja’Marion Balfour was fourth. Michael Mark was fourth in the 55-meter hurdles.

Wheatmore’s Ayden Fitzgerald was third in the 1,600 meters. The Warriors’ Dylan Rada was seventh and Ryan Mabe was ninth. Noah Wyrick was sixth in the shot put and Kase Wilson was 10th in the 300 meters.

Girls Indoor Track

■ Asheboro’s Trinitee Brady won the shot put in the Triad Invitational at JDL Fast Track. The Blue Comets’ Jalaya Showers was second in the 55-meter dash while Cadence Waters was third in the 55-meter hurdles and Christy Price was third in the triple jump.

Wheatmore’s Lydia Madison was second in the 1,000 meters, Olivia Hildreth was fifth in the 1,600 meters and Brooke Hittepole was eighth in the 55-meter dash.       

Girls Track & Field

■ Two-time shotput state champion Mirianna Corea of Eastern Randolph has committed to North Carolina State.

Boys Swimming

■ Randleman’s Cannon Eggleston won the 200-meter individual medley and the 100-meter backstroke in a dual meet with Ledford. The Tigers’ Tyler Fortson won the 100-meter butterfly and the 400-meter freestyle. The team of Tyler Fortson, Gavin Morabito, Skyler Poe and Eggleston won the 200-meter freestyle relay.

■ Randleman (24) won a freestyle events meet with host Asheboro (20), Chatham Central (12) and Uwharrie Charter (4).

Winning for Randleman was the 400 relay (Cannon Eggleston, Tyler Fortson, Gavin Morabito, Skyler Poe).

Winning for Asheboro was the 200 relay.

■ Wheatmore was second to West David-son in a Central Carolina Conference meet at High Point Swim Club. 

Winning for the Warriors were Landon Weeks (200 IM), Alexis Vegas-Torres (100 back), Jaden Kilcullen (100 breast), and the 400 free relay (Vegas-Torres, Jack Tobey, William York, Weeks).

Girls Swimming

■ Randleman’s Kendall Fortson won the 200-meter individual medley and the 100-meter butterfly in a dual meet with Ledford. 

■ Wheatmore (18) won a freestyle meet with Randleman (14), Southwestern Randolph (11), South Davidson (8), host Asheboro (6) and Eastern Randolph (3).

Winning for Uwharrie Charter was Megan Becker (50, 100).

Winning for Randleman was the 200 relay (Kendall Fortson, Emma Herring, Camilla Reyes, Baylee Thompson).

Winning for Southwestern Randolph was the 400 relay (Riley Clapp, Caroline Becker, Piper Blackmon, Kyla Farmer). 

■ Wheatmore won a CCC meet at HP Swim Club, topping West Davidson 86-64. 

Winning for the Warriors were the 200 medley relay (Josey Pulaski, Jillian Wolfe, Sophie Williamson, Danielle Perry), Williamson (200 free, 100 fly), Wolfe (200 IM, 100 breast), MaKenna Lawrence (100 free), Perry (400 free), and the 400 free relay (Lawrence, Caitlyn Barrow, Pulaski, Wolfe).

Boys Wrestling

■ Uwharrie Charter won the Panther Creek Catamount Duals by sweeping Franklinton (68-11), Panther Creek (81-0), South Garner (65-12), Ragsdale (78-6) and Laney (51-26).

■ Asheboro was 15th of 19 teams in the Atkins Invitational. The Blue Comets’ Oscar Zelaya was 4-0 and won his class while Quanta McRae was 3-1. Hunter Arroyo was 2-2 and Malachi Blue was 1-2.

■ Trinity finished third out of 23 teams in the Wakefield Wolverine Challenge. Jeven Palmeri was 3-0 (second place), Aiden Burkholder was 4-1 (third place), Stephen Cross was 4-1 (third place), Edgar Vasquez was 6-1 (third place) and Ezekiel Martinez was 4-2 (fourth place). Hezekyah Matson was 3-2 (fifth place), and Grayson Carroll was 2-3 (sixth place). Trent Walker (2-2), Simeon Hammett (2-2), Nolan Chanthalacksa (2-2), Gavin Schaefer (1-2) and Anees Khan (1-2) also competed.

■ Uwharrie Charter three-time state champion Lorenzo Alston committed to North Carolina State. 

■ Asheboro split a tri-meet with Bishop McGuinness (66-6) and Wheatmore (51-28 loss). Omar Basyouny, Dylan Espinoza, Oscar Zelaya, Jeffrey Harper and Quanta McRae were all 2-0 for the Blue Comets. Braiden Morales, Kaylem Butler, Jose Martinez, Aaron Moran, Owen Chidester and Cadrien Thompson were all 1-1.

Camden Gillespie, Dylan Harris, Ayden Summers, Nolan Hammonds, Spencer Moore, Landon Watkins, Landon Stinnett, Dominic Hittepole and Peyton Russo won for Wheatmore.

■ Eastern Randolph beat Northeast Guilford 53-24. Winning for the Wildcats were Ethan Thomas, Kadeum McNeill, Armani Tapia-Sosa, Lucas Kennedy, David Lambright, Zeph Dunn, Jamie Crabtree, Trevor Young and Jacob Chavis.

■ Providence Grove downed SW Randolph 53-18 and Southwestern Randolph beat East Davidson 39-33 in a tri-match. 

Jeremiah Payne, Aiden Poplin, Ayden Terwilliger, Chris Moody, Jeremiah Duffy, Skyler Henderson, Malachi Combo, Matthew Signor and Ryan Bullard won for the Patriots.

Ryder Degraff, Nathan Garner and Rafael Flores were 2-0 for Southwestern Randolph. T.J. Castillo, Tyler Taylor, Carter Horsefield, and Kayden Plummer were 1-1.

■ Trinity swept a tri-match over Rocky River (72-6) and West Stanly (54-18). Palmeri, Burkholder, Cross, Vasquez, Matson, Hammett, Haris Idrees, Anees Khan, Carroll, and Joseph Mahan were all 2-0. Martinez and Walker were 1-1.

Girls Wrestling

■ Trinity was 15th out of 25 teams in the Wakefield Wolverine Girls Challenge. The Bulldogs’ Bri Joyce went 2-0 (second place) and Kennedi Palmer was 2-2 (fourth place).

■ Asheboro was seventh out of 17 teams in the Atkins Girls Invitational. Andrea Thornton went 3-0 and took first place in her class. Andreona Thornton was 2-2 while Elena Alvarez and Grace Redding were 1-2.

■ Asheboro split a tri-match, defeating Lexington 42-24 and falling 31-30 to Oak Grove. Alvarez, Redding, Andreona Thornton, Brianna Munz and Andrea Thornton were all 2-0 for the Blue Comets. Camila Salinas and Briana Barrios were 1-1.

Softball

■ Southwestern Randolph’s Maddie Strider, a 2024 all-state pick, has signed with Catawba College. The Cougars’ Alyssa Harris, an all-state selection and conference player of the year, has committed to Pfeiffer University. All-state player Kami Dunn has signed with Wingate.