Minter goes for 1,000 points in his basketball career

West Rowan’s Donte Minter will join Rowan County’s elite boys basketball 1,000-point club this week.

Minter, the Falcons’ 6-foot-7 junior center, has scored 973 points in his three-year varsity career, leaving him 27 short of the milestone.

West plays at A.L. Brown at approximately 7:30 p.m. in South Piedmont Conference action tonight. The Falcons also play at county rival North Rowan in a non-conference game on Thursday before hosting Concord in the SPC on Friday.

Minter, a third-year starter, scored 395 points as a freshman and 440 as a sophomore. He has 138 points through six games this season for a county-leading average of 23.0.

He’ll become the Falcons’ eighth male player to score 1,000. Scooter Sherrill, now a freshman at N.C. State, holds the school and county record of 2,469. Joel Fleming (1,357), Alphonso Keaton (1,251), Roger McSwain (1,138), Chavis Cowan (1,026), Paul Cuthbertson (1,009) and Toby Brown (1,008) are West’s other players on the 1,000 list.

Thirty-one players from West, North Rowan, South Rowan, East Rowan, Salisbury, Boyden, Price, East Spencer, Landis, Granite Quarry and Mount Ulla are on the county’s all-time list.

Coach Mike Gurley’s West’s boys go into tonight’s South Piedmont Conference contest with a 5-1 record, losing only to South Rowan. The Falcons are 3-0 in the league, tied with Sun Valley for the top spot.

A.L. Brown’s Wonders, coached by Shelwyn Klutz, are off to a 3-2 start, including a 2-0 league mark.

The doubleheader at Bullock Gymnasium gets under way at 6 p.m. with coach Angie Waddell’s West girls (5-1, 2-1) taking on coach Doug Wilson’s A.L. Brown girls (2-3, 1-1).

In other prep action tonight, South Rowan travels to Mooresville for a 6:30 p.m. non-conference twin bill.

Coach John Davis’ South boys are 3-4, while coach James Greene’s Raider girls stand 1-6.

Catawba College’s men, off to a 4-0 start under coach Jim Baker, take on tough Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte at 7:30.

East Rowan visits North Rowan, and South Rowan hosts Northwest Cabarrus in doubleheaders at 6 on Wednesday. Salisbury’s girls visit Elkin at 7:30.

The much-anticipated West Rowan-North Rowan doubleheader is set for North Rowan Thursday night.