A winning tradition
Published 11:08 am Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Most of the time that anyone has gone to watch Randolph-Henry High School’s varsity baseball team over the past four years, they have been treated to a Statesmen win.
The squad has been on an extraordinary run, going 75-17 from 2014-2017 while claiming three conference tournament championships — two in Courthouse Conference 37 and one in Quad Rivers Conference 34.
In 2014, the Statesmen went 20-5, were Region 2A West runners-up and advanced as far as the Virginia High School League Group 2A state semifinals.
In 2015, they went 15-6, advancing as far as the Conference 37 semifinals.
In 2016, they went 20-3, winning the Conference 37 tournament and advancing as far as the Region 2A West semifinals.
The Statesmen were just as successful this year in a new region and a new conference, going 20-3, winning the Conference 34 tourney and reaching the Region 2A East semifinals.
Several key individuals have contributed to Randolph-Henry’s impressive tradition over the past four years, including Eric Jones, Joseph Reed, Cameron Vassar, Carter Strickland, Raleigh Duffer and Josh Jones.
The only player to have been a part of the Statesmen varsity squad for all four seasons was Josh Jones, a 2017 all-region first team selection and the 2017 Conference 34 baseball Player of the Year.
Randolph-Henry Head Coach J.R. Allen praised the entire group of players from the past four years who have made all the success possible.
“They worked really hard together,” he said. “It was a tight-knit group of guys, and it all started at the Dixie Youth level with Gary Walker and those guys who developed them into the players that they were when they got to me. So, I’ve got to give the Dixie Youth coaches their props, because they worked really hard to mold those guys into good ballplayers.”
Titus Mohler is sports editor of The Charlotte Gazette. His email address is Titus.Mohler@TheCharlotteGazette.com.