Prep basketball: A busy week ahead

Salisbury's Darien Rankin (4) and Lexington's ade Goff (1). Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

By Ronnie Gallagher

rgallagher@salisburypost.com

Roaming the county getting ready for this week ...

How many high school basketball games will be played this week?

Only the snow knows.

And the freezing rain.

And the flooding.

Perhaps the basketball gods will have pity on us and not postpone any more games because of bad weather. With the prep tournaments set to begin next Monday, there's no other options but to get the games in.

The fans are certainly ready for an exciting finish to the regular season. While there were about 400 fans watching Catawba College on Saturday, the 1,600-seat Carson gym was packed to watch the boys from West Rowan and Carson pound away at each other.

The fans still show because the teams are keeping it exciting. Going into this week:

- Carson (18-3, 9-1) and West Rowan (12-6, 8-1) are battling for the top spot in the North Piedmont Conference.

Carson finishes by welcoming arch-rival South Rowan on Tuesday and West Iredell on Thursday.

West plays host to East Rowan on Tuesday and goes to South on Thursday before traveling to North Iredell for a makeup on Saturday.

- North Rowan's boys (16-4, 12-1) are in first place in the Yadkin Valley Conference and have three games this week.

First, the Cavs make that 84-mile drive to Chatham County on Tuesday. Friday, they play host to North Moore. On Saturday, they visit Albemarle, the only team in the YVC to beat them.

- And then, there are the Salisbury Hornets, who have four games on this week's schedule.

Jason Causby's team (11-4, 5-1) is in second behind the only CCC team to beat the Hornets — Lexington (8-12, 6-0).

Salisbury begins its grueling schedule tonight at Central Davidson. It visits Thomasville on Tuesday.

It's back home on Friday to meet East Davidson and then the marquee game of the season — Saturday at Lexington.

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Next Saturday will be a big basketball day.

Besides the three high school doubleheaders, Catawba is at home to Mars Hill at 2 and 4. Livingstone is at home against Chowan at 5:30 and 7:30.

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Salisbury isn't the only team playing tonight. South is home to Statesville.

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It has been a good year in girls basketball for two Rowan teams: Salisbury and West Rowan.

The Hornets are undefeated (17-0, 6-0) and should head into the state playoffs with an unblemished record.

West has won 16 of 20 games, making Erich Epps an NPC Coach of the Year candidate.

Carson has made marked improvement this season, standing 9-12 overall and 5-4 in the NPC. They're without a doubt the third best girls team in the county.

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The team slipping the most is North Rowan. Recently, after beating Albemarle, Symphony roberts talked about winning the YVC regular-season title.

She is now out for the season with a dislocated ankle and couldn't do anything about a winless West Montgomery team beating the Cavs over the weekend. They may miss the playoffs.

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It should be an interesting week as teams climb and fall. Of course, it all depends on the snow.

Ya know?