Several prep coaches hired for next season

ASHEBORO — When hiring a new high school coach, it’s certainly beneficial to get that high school coach into his or her new position as quickly as possible.

Southwestern Randolph High School didn’t wait long to fill its vacant head varsity baseball coach and Randleman High School was just a day or two later with its announcement of a new girls basketball coach.

Lagrama takes baseball reins at SWR

SWR took the interim label off of Ed Lagrama and officially named him head coach after he spent the last few weeks of this regular season in charge.

Lagrama, a veteran coach who has been involved with baseball, softball, football and basketball at SWR, led the Cougars the final seven games of this past baseball season.

“When I thought about (taking the position), it took a very short amount of time,” Lagrama said. “But I had to call (wife) Lori Lagrama, the boss, because coaching takes a lot of time. I asked her about it, talked to her about it, but when I talked about it, she knew what I was going to do.”  

The Cougars finished 9-15 overall this past season, 3-4 under Lagrama. But one of those late losses was an 8-7 decision to Uwharrie Charter Academy, which is playing for a second straight 1-A baseball title this week.

“As an assistant coach, you can sit back and observe other head coaches and see what works and what doesn’t,” said Lagrama, who graduated from a high school in Maryland before playing baseball at High Point University.

“I have been associated with some great coaches at Southwest. We’re going to move forward, keep it basic. We only have three seniors departing, so as long as I stay out of the way and just let them play, it will be fine.

“It’s just a game,” Lagrama continued. “I love to compete and to win, but at the end of the day, it’s a game. You try and make life-long lessons with these guys. Produce a better citizen for our community.”

Tyson takes over RHS girls basketball

Randleman High School introduced Scott Tyson as its new girls basketball coach early last week.

Tyson, who was an assistant coach for two seasons and then the head coach at Southern Guilford High School for a year, said the tradition at RHS was a key selling point.

“There just hasn’t been a consistent program like Randleman and I’m very excited,” said Tyson, who did not coach this past season. “I’m really excited about all the talent.”

The Tigers lose senior Audra Petty, who was recently named to the NCCA’s East-West All-Star Game, but everyone else returns, including Gracie Beane, Bella Byman, Chenlegh Robinson, Kadie Green, Camden Scott and others. 

RHS won the Piedmont Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the second round of the state playoffs, finishing 20-7.

Tyson spent a year on the sidelines after first accepting a position at Central Davidson, but then realizing he didn’t want to leave Southern Guilford and remained there.

Now he’s heading to RHS where the Wheatmore High School graduate who played football at Pembroke before getting his Masters at NC A&T, hopes on continuing a strong girls basketball tradition at Randleman.

“I watched every game they played last year and although they lost Audra, there is a lot of talent returning and some very good talent coming up from the middle school,” Tyson said. “I told the girls you lost Audra, but if each girl improves a little bit, you can sustain that loss.”

RHS Athletic Director Jake Smith said Tyson has a lot of strong qualities.

“His overall excitement for the program, his work ethic, his leadership skills and his strategic planning to get the girls better year in and year out,” Smith said. 

Tyson will be teaching History at Randleman Middle School. 

Two more hires

In two other coaching moves made last week:

— Uwharrie Charter Academy hired Roger Mabe as the new varsity boys basketball coach. Mabe previously led the UCA Middle School basketball program and was more recently the assistant varsity basketball coach at High Point Christian Academy.

— Asheboro High School named Wes Scherer as the first girls wrestling coach at the school. Scherer has 13 years of wrestling coaching experience, including being the head coach at Hertford County and Eastern Randolph High School (2010-15) and he was with the Asheboro middle school program (2019-20).