Hot starts by WHS’ Garrison, Tigers’ baseball kick off spring season

Mike Duprez
Randolph Hub 

With the fourth-round exit of Randleman’s boys basketball team in the state playoffs, sports in the county officially transitioned from winter to spring. 

The first week of that changeover was marked with some notable performances, including record-setting soccer sensation Ellie Garrison beginning her senior season with a six-goal performance.

Let's take a look:

BOYS BASKETBALL

*Tyshaun Goldston scored 21 points and Connor Cassidy had 18 as No. 6 Randleman upset No. 3 Newton-Conover 62-59 on the road in the third round of the 2-A state playoffs. Greg Price added 11 points for the Tigers.

*Timothy Brower scored 17 points while Nicah Taylor and Will Stalker each contributed 16 in No. 8 Eastern Randolph’s 88-72 loss to No. 1 South Stokes in the third round of the 1-A state playoffs. Julian Brooks added 11 points for the Wildcats, who ended the season with an 18-11 record.

*Goldston scored 22 points and Cassidy added 14 in Randleman’s 78-56 loss to No. 2 Salisbury in the fourth round of the 2-A state playoffs.

*Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback was named player of the year in the Mid-Piedmont Conference. The Blue Comets’ Camden Walker and Elijah Woodle joined him on the all-MPC team.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

*Asheboro’s Sion Murrain was named to the all-MPC team.

BASEBALL

*Jake Riddle had three hits and four RBIs in Randleman’s 15-3 romp over Asheboro. John Kirkpatrick had a single, double and two RBIs for the Tigers. Isaac Yates had a hit and two RBIs and Tate Andrews had a hit and RBI. Braxton Walker pitched four scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts.

Ben Luck had two hits for Asheboro.

*Jake Hunter allowed no earned runs and struck out five in four innings as Uwharrie Charter beat Central Davidson 6-4. Logan Wilkins hurled three innings of scoreless relief.

*Jake Lunsford pitched a three-hitter with six strikeouts over six innings as Southwestern Randolph beat Providence Grove 8-1. Lunsford also had two hits, including a triple. Kam Carter had two hits while Brady Armfield had a hit and two RBIs. Logan Weldman pitched an inning of scoreless relief.

Jayten Beasley had two hits and an RBI for Providence Grove. Andrew Thomas allowed three runs — one earned — with five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

*Ayden Byrd had a hit and three RBIs in Wheatmore’s 9-6 victory over Trinity. Sean Jennison had two hits and also saw time on the mound. Parker Kines gave up four runs and five hits with five walks along with six strikeouts.

*Trey Kennedy had two hits and Alex Carver got the win with two innings of relief as Uwharrie Charter rallied for a 2-1 win over The Burlington School. Brett Smith went the first five innings of the combined no-hitter, striking out nine. Carver had three strikeouts. 

*Grant Underwood went 3-for-3 with a double and triple in Providence Grove’s 4-3 win over North Carolina Leadership Academy. Trevor Kirkman got the win, allowing two runs with five strikeouts. Canaan Sheppard gave up an earned run and struck out six. 

*Caleb Coggins had a double in Wheatmore’s 11-0 loss to Glenn.

*Payton Patterson was 3-for-3 with an RBI as Randleman routed Eastern Randolph 12-2 in PAC action. Seth Way had two hits and an RBI as did Walker. Yates had a hit and two RBIs. Walker pitched four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.

Lucas Smith gave up five runs with seven strikeouts for Eastern Randolph.

*Andrews was 3-for-3, including a two-run single for the game’s only runs, as Randleman beat Eastern Randolph 2-0. Way fired a three-hitter with 16 strikeouts.

ER’s Asbill allowed both runs and struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings.

*Brady Armfield was 3-for-3 with three doubles and 3 RBIs in Southwestern Randolph’s 14-2 rout of Montgomery Central. He also pitched and struck out 10 in five innings. Zack Scruggs was 3-for-3 as well. Jake Lunsford and Grant Kirk each had two hits. Logan Wideman had a double and 3 RBIs. Owen Peele had a double and 2 RBIs.

*Lunsford had two hits, including a double, and 2 RBIs as Southwestern Randolph edged Providence Grove 7-6. Zack Scruggs and Carter both had a single and double. Jonah Campbell pitched 5 1/3 innings and had two hits. 

*Sean Jennison had two hits and 2 RBIs in Wheatmore’s 9-7 win over Trinity. Payton Mooney had two hits and an RBI as did Rowan Wagner and Caleb Coggins. Clay Hill also had two hits.

SOFTBALL

*Eastern Randolph’s Ayanna Mears announced her commitment to North Carolina A&T.

*Wheatmore’s Carmen Turgeon committed to Limestone. 

*Ruby Caudle had three hits, including two triples, and three RBIs while winning from the circle as Providence Grove pounded Wheatmore 12-1. Devon Kelly had three hits and four RBIs. Leela Van Der Hey also had three hits. Callie Lambert homered and singled while Gracie Smith had two doubles. 

Savannah Heiney had three hits for Wheatmore while Maddie Nichols and Hannah Shoe each had two.

*Madelyn Smith, Leleigh Payne, Kami Dunn and Hayleigh Thompson all had two hits as Southwestern Randolph overwhelmed Trinity 20-0 in three innings. Macie Crutchfield and Alyssa Harris combined for a perfect game.

*Addison Allen was 3-for-3 with a double, triple and 7 RBIs in Asheboro’s 20-0 romp over Thomasville. Allen also threw a three-inning no-hitter with nine strikeouts. Kyla Woody had a hit and two RBIs. 

*Mollie Bulla pitched a five-hitter with 12 strikeouts as Uwharrie Charter downed South Stokes 5-0. Gracie Smith was 3-for-3 with a double and RBI. Jayla Murphy had a triple and two RBIs. Katelyn West had a double and RBI. Emory Johnson had two hits.

*Lambert had three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs as Providence Grove outlasted Central Davidson 8-7 in 11 innings. Kelly had two hits and two RBIs. Riley Gibson also got two hits. Ruby Caudle had a hit and two RBIs. Campbell Ziema got the win with seven innings of relief, allowing one run. Ziema struck out eight.

*Kinzie Ivey pitched a four-hitter with three strikeouts as Randleman beat Eastern Randolph 3-0. She also had a hit and scored two runs. Kaylee Phillips had a hit and RBI.

Losing pitcher Addie Flinchum allowed just three hits and struck out 13.

*Kaylie St. John had three hits and 4 RBIs as Randleman edged Wheatmore 5-4. Ivey also had three hits. Addison Dees had hits with a double and RBI. Camden Scott went 6 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs, to get the win.

Skylar Pittman had two hits and 2 RBIs for Wheatmore. Arielle Turgeon also had two hits.

*Kenzie Hill had two hits and 4 RBIs as Uwharrie Charter rolled over Trinity 16-0. Victoria Jennings had 2 hits, including a home run, and 3 RBIs. Bulla also homered. West pitched a one-hitter with eight strikeouts.

*Maddie Strider and Thompson each had three hits in Southwestern Randolph’s 11-1 win over Providence Grove. Alyssa Harris and Dunn both had two hits and 2 RBIs. Nautica Parrish, Smith and Crutchfield all had two hits. Crutchfield pitched a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

Gracie Smith had two hits for Providence Grove and Lambert doubled in a run.

SOCCER

*Jaira Arellano scored two goals and had an assist in Asheboro’s 3-0 win over Southwestern Randolph. Abeni Hernandez got the other goal. Penny Smith and Gigi Flores each had an assist. Carlisle Dozier made eight saves.

*Record-setting striker Ellie Garrison was at it again with six goals in Wheatmore’s 9-0 season-opening rout of East Davidson. Garrison scored a North Carolina single-season record 96 goals last season. Maggie Messner scored two goals and Natalie Bowman had one. Garrison had two assists and Messner had one. Lucy Lockwood made four saves.

*Kendal Jarrell scored all three goals as Uwharrie Charter blanked Asheboro Hybrid Academy 3-0. Jazmin Palma had two assists and Marlee Hill had one. Alexis Marion made 10 saves.

*Arellano scored three goals in Asheboro’s 7-0 pounding of Jordan-Matthews. Abby Becker, Ivey Mederos, Smith and Hernandez all had one goal. Chloe Chammaly, Itzel Macias, Karen Cox, and Smith each had an assist. Dozier made 12 saves.

*Taryn Waugh scored three goals in Providence Grove’s 9-0 rout of Southern Guilford. Kaylan Currin and Anaeili Puente-Garza each had two goals. Arlet Puente-Garza and Brooke Ingram each scored one goal. Sarah Majors and Ingram each had three assists while Noelle Swaim had one. Malina Maravilla made two saves.

*Garrison scored Wheatmore’s lone goal in an 8-1 loss to 4-A Northwest Guilford. Lucy Lockwood made 17 saves.

*Lucy Griffin scored the goal in Southwestern Randolph’s 1-0 win over Montgomery Central.

*Dozier made 23 saves in Asheboro’s 5-0 loss to 4-A Sun Valley.

GOLF

*Wheatmore’s Ryan Marshall was the medalist with a 35 and the Warriors edged Uwharrie Charter by one stroke in a PAC match at Holly Ridge. 

Providence Grove’s Cooper Wright was second with a 39 while Ashton Dillow of Randleman and Uwharrie Charter’s Brodie Lambeth each shot 40. Uwharrie Charter’s Corbin Grissom had a 42 while Trinity’s Bo Earnhardt and Wheatmore’s Nathan Pope each had a 43.

BOYS SWIMMING

*Asheboro’s Tyler Smith was named to the all-MPC team.

GIRLS SWIMMING

*Asheboro’s Maci Columbia was named to the all-MPC team.

WRESTLING

*Diego Gutierrez, Sammy Salinas, Oscar Zelaya, Adam Curry and Guillermo Santos represented Asheboro on the all-MPC team.

*Trinity’s Levi Dennis committed to Randolph College in Richmond, Virginia. Dennis had 150 career wins for the Bulldogs and helped lead them to the 2023-24 2-A dual team state championship. He was a two-time finalist in the individual state tournament.

TRACK AND FIELD

*Asheboro swept a five-team meet with Trinity, Wheatmore, Southwestern Randolph and Jordan-Matthews.

Winning for the Asheboro boys were Valentino Mark (100 meters), the 4x100 relay, Dakarius Alston (300 meter hurdles), Lance Everhart (high jump, pole vault), Kai Matthews (long jump) and Boone Hinesley (discus).

Winning for the Asheboro girls were Sion Murrain (100 meters), the 4x200 relay, the 4x100 relay, Nyla Price (300 meter hurdles), Jalaya Showers (200 meters), Rebecca Wilson (high jump) and Lia George (pole vault).

Winning for the Trinity boys were the 4x800 relay, Giovanni Jaimes (400 meters, 800 meters) and Nathan Mathai (shot put).

Winning for the Trinity girls were Kensley Fox (shot put) and Kayla Franklin (400 meters).

Winning for the Wheatmore boys was Zach Hazelwood (1600 meters).

Winning for the Wheatmore girls was Olivia Hildreth (1600 meters, 3200 meters).

Winning for the Southwestern Randolph girls was Serenity Richardson (discus).