SW Randolph soccer team has sights on state title

ASHEBORO — Every coach of every high school sport has expectations for the team at the beginning of the season. However, high expectations are earned. 

Factors include last year’s success, returning players, some individuals succeeding in new roles and believing what worked so well a year ago can work again this season.

The Southwestern Randolph High School boys varsity soccer team has high expectations this season. Not only high expectations, but the highest a prep sports team can have. Perhaps those expectations are even leaning toward expectancy.

The Cougars are coming off a 25-3 season, a season that saw them tie for the conference championship with Randleman, a season that saw them outscore their first five playoff opponents 28-5 and a season that saw the Cougars advance to their first state championship soccer match.

Now in 2025, SWR returns nine starters and all its top scorers from that team, which had the most successful soccer season in school history.

“I’ve been talking the last four years about this team and how it’s always been a year ahead and now there’s only one more step to take and that’s to win the whole thing,” SWR coach Jimmy Walker said. 

“The first goal is conference, but when you’re runner-up and return as many as we do, the one goal is to win the state championship. If we can stay healthy and have the mindset of that one goal, we should be okay.”

In order to prepare this very talented team for a new conference and its quest for a state title, Walker has put together a very tough non-conference season. The Cougars will be battling defending 3-A state champion Western Alamance, defending 2-A state champion Clinton (which defeated SWR 3-1 in last year’s title game), Wesleyan Christian Academy (16-3-1 a year ago) and Bishop McGuinness (16-5-4).

“We can’t get complacent and think this is going to be an easy season,” Walker said. “Our non-conference schedule is pretty brutal. It’s going to take a lot of fortitude to get there. We want that number one seed again and it won’t happen if you don’t play good competition.”

This group certainly has the capabilities to succeed despite the tough non-league schedule as this team is loaded with talent all over the field. Two-time all-state performer Fernando Hernandez returns after scoring 50 goals a year ago, all-region first-teamers Aaron Avina (36 goals) and Braydon Tyl are back as are all-region second-teamers Noah Freeman, Jonathan Lopez, Jonathan Perez and Yael Rebollar Ortiz (22 goals).

Hernandez will be a captain for the third straight year.

“He has always been the leader of this group,” Walker said. “His leadership qualities are off the chart and what he has accomplished already is amazing.”

The Cougars are now part of the Four Rivers 3-A/4-A conference, which includes North Moore, Eastern Randolph, Jordan-Matthews, Northwood and Uwharrie Charter Academy. SWR went 5-0 last year against current league opponents — beating UCA and ER twice and J-M once, outscoring  those foes 40-2 in those five wins. Northwood and North Moore combined for just nine wins last season.

“I have had to stop practice three or four times because it was not as intense as it needs to be,” Walker said. “Nothing is going to be given to you. You have to earn that again. You are going to have targets on your back all season.” 

The Cougars opened the season with a 3-1 win over Montgomery Central  last week with Ortiz scoring twice, Kevin Garcia scoring once, Hernandez getting one assist and Avina two. SWR had games scheduled with Trinity and Central Davidson this week.

“I have told them they could go down as the school’s greatest soccer team,” Walker said. “A legacy. What better way to go out than to win a state championship.”