July 31, 2024 – HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

Today is the first day for team practices and/or try-outs for the fall sports season in the eight public high schools in Randolph County.

Locally, that involves cross country (coed), football, golf (women), soccer (men), tennis (women) and volleyball. The first day on which contests can take place (not counting scrimmages) is Monday, August 12 for every sport except football. Friday, August 23 is the first contest date for varsity football.

This school year marks the final year of the current conference alignment period as well as the end of the “1A-2A-3A-4A” era in high school sports. In May of 2023, NCHSAA member schools, which now number about 430, voted to begin dividing schools into eight classifications beginning with the 2025-26 school year. The association's by-laws now state that each classification must not exceed 64 schools.

The NCHSAA has used the current system since 1959.

July 30, 2024 – Tuesday Schedule

The American Legion Southeast Regional is just over one week away and the first day of practice for the fall sports season at area high schools is only a day away.

SportsTone is On The Ball  this afternoon at 5:00 from Pizza Inn on Dixie Drive to get you caught up with all that and more. Listen through the mixlr app or on the web at sportstone.net.

SPORTSTONE ON THE BALL

July 26, 2024 – Friday Schedule

SportsTone is On The Ball  this afternoon at 5:00 from Pizza Inn on Dixie Drive. Listen through the mixlr app or on the web at sportstone.net.

SPORTSTONE ON THE BALL

July 24, 2024 – Wednesday Result

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP (Day 5)

Wayne County 7, Wilmington 2

Post 11 topped Post 10 by the final score of 7-2 as Wayne County won the North Carolina American Legion Championship today at Fraley Field in Cherryville.

STATE TOURNAMENT

July 23, 2024 – Tuesday Results

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT (Day 4)

Wilmington 5, Shelby 2

STATE TOURNAMENT

On The Ball can be heard Tuesday and Friday afternoons at 5:00 through the mixlr app or on the web at sportstone.net.

SPORTSTONE ON THE BALL

July 22, 2024 – Monday Results

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT (Day 3)

Shelby 5, Garner 2   (at Sims Legion Park)

If Fraley Field in Cherryville is unavailable due to poor field conditions, some games may be played at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia.

STATE TOURNAMENT

July 21, 2024 – Sunday Results

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT (Day 2)

Garner 5, Cherryville 1

STATE TOURNAMENT

July 20, 2024 – SPECIAL FEATURES

Dennis Garcia spoke with Asheboro graduate Jerquarius Stanback about a change in plans for his education and basketball future in the latest SPECIAL FEATURE from SportsTone.

July 20, 2024 – Saturday Results

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT (Day 1)

Union County 13, Hamlet 6

STATE TOURNAMENT

July 19, 2024 – On The Ball

On The Ball can be heard this afternoon at 5:00 through the mixlr app or on the web at sportstone.net.

SPORTSTONE ON THE BALL

July 17, 2024 – SPECIAL FEATURES

Recent graduates Audra Petty (Randleman) and Dominic Payne (Trinity) spoke with Dennis Garcia after their appearances in Monday night's NC Coaches Association basketball all-star games for the latest SPECIAL FEATURE from SportsTone.

July 17, 2024 – EAST-WEST ALL-STARS

The NC Coaches Association all-star basketball games were played Monday night in Greensboro with the east women and west men's teams earning victories.

Girls Game: East 84, West 68

Randleman graduate Audra Petty scored 11 points, including eight in a one-minute stretch in the second half, but it wasn't nearly enough. Petty was 4-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-7 from 3-point range. She had one rebound and one steal in 18 minutes of action.

The game was two 20-minute halves. The East led 46-38 at the break.

The East's Jasmine Felton of Northeastern scored 30 points with 10 rebounds for MVP honors.

Boys Game: West 108, East 92

The West rolled to the win, leading by as much as27 points in the second half. Trinity High School's Dominic Payne started and scored four points in the contest on 1-for-7 shooting from the floor. He made both of his free throw attempts and collected two rebounds.

The West led 49-39 at halftime

Southern Guilford's Jamias Fereren scored 30 points and was named MVP.

SportsTone will have Special Features on the Randolph County connection in both basketball games later today.

In soccer action Tuesday night at Jamison Stadium in Greensboro, Kylee Thompson of Hough High School scored the lone goal in the first half as the west team recorded a 1-0 win. Wheatmore's Maggie Messner totaled 38 minutes of playing time for the west all-stars.

The east team won the men's match 3-2.

July 16, 2024 – On The Ball

On The Ball can be heard Tuesday and Friday afternoons at 5:00 through the mixlr app or on the web at sportstone.net.

SPORTSTONE ON THE BALL

July 15, 2024 - AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL (UPDATED)

The 2024 North Carolina American Legion Baseball Championship Tournament begins Saturday in Cherryville with eight teams in a double-elimination format. The teams have been determined with Garner and Wayne County from Area 1, Wilmington and Hamlet from Area 2, High Point from Area 3 and Shelby, Union County and Cherryville from Area 4.

This year is Area 3's turn to host the championship but since none of the teams made an offer to do so, Cherryville put in a bid and was awarded the 2024 event. Because of that, Area 4 gets a third team in the tournament and the Area champion Post 87 Hi-Toms is the only representative from Area 3.

Post 87 will play in the second third game Saturday at 4:00 and Cherryville will play as the host team in the final game on opening day at 7:30.

Championships are scheduled for tonight in areas 1 and 2 which will determine Area Champions and set the seeding for the tournament. Wayne County will host Garner for the Area 1 title and Hamlet will host Wilmington in Area 2. Shelby defeated Union County for the Area 4 championship Sunday night.

Teams will report to Cherryville on Friday for orientation, a parade, dinner and a home run derby.

STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

July 12, 2024 – On The Ball

On The Ball can be heard Tuesday and Friday afternoons at 5:00 through the mixlr app or on the web at sportstone.net.

SPORTSTONE ON THE BALL

July 11, 2024 – SPECIAL FEATURES

Dennis Garcia spoke with American Legion baseball coaches Ronnie Pugh and Nate Cockman about the challenges each faced this summer for the latest SPECIAL FEATURE from SportsTone.

July 9, 2024 – On The Ball

The first edition of On The Ball ran from March until September, 2020 during the CoVID-19 shut-down and with four weeks remaining until SportsTone's next game coverage – the American Legion Southeast Regional – the talk show will return this afternoon at five o'clock.

The hour-long program will feature interviews with coaches and players along with news and information of interest to fans of local high school sports.

On The Ball can be heard Tuesday and Friday afternoons through the mixlr app or on the web at sportstone.net.

July 8, 2024 – SOFTBALL HONORS

The North Carolina Softball Coaches Association has named 15 Randolph County players to the All-District Team for District 5 and ten of those were also named to the All-State Team for the 2024 season.

The District 5 1A Player of the Year is Ziera Watson of Eastern Randolph High School and the District 5 1A Pitcher of the Year is Mollie Bulla of Uwharrie Charter Academy.

Joining Watson and Bulla on the All-District Team are Logann Beaver, Addie Flinchum and Ayanna Mears from ERHS and Kenzie Hill from UCA.

The All-District 5 Team for 2A softball includes Ruby Caudle, Devon Kelly, Callie Lambert and Gracie Smith from Providence Grove; Macie Crutchfield, Alyssa Harris and Madelyn Smith from Southwestern Randolph; and Maddie Nichols and Carmen Turgeon from Wheatmore.

In addition to the All-District recognition, Flinchum, Mears, Watson, Bulla and Hill were named to the 1A All-State Team and Kelly, Lambert, Smith, Crutchfield and Turgeon were honored as All-State performers in 2A softball.

District 5 includes schools in Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham and Stokes counties.

SPORTSTONE SOFTBALL

July 8, 2024 – UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday, July 9 - On The Ball returns to SportsTone with news, interviews with players and coaches and more to keep you informed about high school sports in Randolph County

Tuesday, July 9 - Game 1 of the Area III Championship Series at Finch Field in Thomasville. Post 87's Hi-Toms and Davidson County Post 8 will decide the Area III Championship and as well as which team will advance to the State Championship Tournament

NC Coaches Association East-West All-Star Games in Greensboro:

Monday, July 15 - Women's Basketball featuring Audra Petty (RHS); Men's Basketball featuring Jerquarius Stanback (AHS)

July 11 EDIT -- due to an injury, Jerquarius Stanback will NOT be participating in the East-West basketball game.

Tuesday, July 16 - Women's Soccer featuring Maggie Messner (WHS)

July 20-24 – American Legion Baseball State Tournament in Cherryville

Wednesday, July 31 – First day of practice for high school fall sports (NCHSAA member schools)

August 7-11 – American Legion Baseball Southeast Regional in Asheboro

Monday, August 12 – First contest date for high school sports other than football

August 15-20 – 97th American Legion World Series in Shelby

Friday, August 23 – First contest date for high school football

July 6, 2024 – AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

Here is the latest information available about the 2024 state-wide playoffs.

AREA I Semifinals (3-of-5) start Monday

#1 Wayne County vs 2/3 winner (Pitt County/Wilson)

AREA II Semifinals (3-of-5) start Monday

#1 Wilmington vs #2 Hope Mills

AREA III Semifinals (3-of-5)

#1 High Point vs #2 Mocksville-Davie; High Point leads series 2-1

AREA IV Quarter-finals (3-of-5)

#1 Shelby vs #9 Burke County; Shelby won series 3-0

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

AREA III PLAYOFFS

July 5, 2024 – SPECIAL FEATURES

Retired Trinity coach Tim Kelly spoke with Dennis Garcia about his decades-long tenure with the Bulldogs for the latest SPECIAL FEATURE from SportsTone.

July 4, 2024 – Independence Day

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

July 3, 2024 – Wednesday Schedule

American Legion Area III playoffs begin tonight with semifinal games at Finch Field in Thomasville and Catawba College in Salisbury.

AREA III PLAYOFFS

July 2, 2024 – Tuesday Result

LEGION BASEBALL

Randolph County 9, High Point 8

Randolph County recorded 11 hits on the way to their second win over Post 87 in the final five days of the regular season. There were two hits each by Grat Dalton (doubles, 2 runs), Jake Riddle, Clay Hill (double, 2 rbi, run) and Drew Harmon (rbi, run). Single hits by Caden Lasley (2 runs), Caleb Dunn (rbi) and Trey Kennedy (2 rbi).

Elijah Prince pitched five innings and gave up five runs (4 er) on three hits and six walks with two strikeouts in his first start. Samuel Asbill allowed three (earned) runs on two hits and two walks in the sixth inning and Drew Harmon pitched a perfect seventh and got the win after Post 45 scored two in the bottom of the seventh for the walk-off win.

High Point begins their Area III semifinal series Wednesday when Post 87 hosts Mocksville-Davie in Game 1 of a best-of-five series at Finch Field. The other series starts with Davidson County at Rowan County, also on Wednesday.

Post 45 will return to action on August 7 in the American Legion Southeast Regional at McCrary Park.

July 1, 2024 – Monday Result

LEGION BASEBALL

Davidson County 4, Randolph County 2

Davidson County led 1-0 from the first inning until Post 45 took a brief 2-1 lead after five. Davidson tied the game in the sixth and added two more in the seventh for the final score.

Parker Kines pitched 5.2 innings giving up 2 runs (1 er) on seven hits and one hit batter. Kines struck out five. Samuel Asbill recorded the final out of the sixth and Connor Adams took the loss giving up 2 (unearned) runs in the seventh on two hits with two strikeouts.

Caleb Dunn was 2-for-3, driving in Tate Andrews with a triple and scoring on a hit by Braxton Walker. Andrews and Dunn had back-to-back singles in the second inning.

Sam Beck got the complete game win for Post 8 on four hits, four walks and two strikeouts. The Davidson defense turned two double-plays