By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
The conference openers for South Rowan’s varsity basketball teams were postponed Tuesday because of a band concert.
The Raiders will begin NPC play tonight against North Iredell unless inclement weather intervenes ó forecasts are calling for snow.
Today’s schedule, weather permitting, also includes noteworthy games involving a pair of first-place boys teams: North Rowan (4-1, 3-0 YVC) against West Montgomery (3-2, 3-0) in Mt. Gilead and Carson (8-1, 2-0 NPC) against East Rowan (2-5, 0-1) in China Grove.
North has beaten South Stanly, South Davidson and Gray Stone by an average of 37.7 points during its 1A debut. Javon Hargrave has averaged 16.6 points and 11.8 rebounds through five contests.
West Montgomery finished third in the YVC last season behind two schools ó Jordan-Matthews and Thomasville ó that are no longer in the league. West Montgomery defeated South Stanly, which fell 68-42 against North, by 29 points.
It should be noted that Albemarle, traditionally a strong 1A program, is scheduled to play its first YVC game tonight. The football team won the 1AA state title.
Carson’s boys are set to put their perfect NPC record on the line against a county rival. The Cougars take on an East team that lost 67-57 in its league opener to West Iredell. Darius Moose averages a county-best 20.7 points for Carson.
West Iredell is scheduled to play host to West Rowan tonight. Both teams are 1-0 in the conference ó the Falcons came back from an 11-point third-quarter deficit to win 50-47 at Statesville three days after many of their players finished an unbeaten football season. The Falcons played another low-scoring game Wednesday, losing 43-40 against A.L. Brown.
Both of South Rowan’s teams are 3-5 overall, and the girls will face a North Iredell team picked to contend for the NPC title. North Iredell’s boys put a scare into Carson on Tuesday.
In other girls action, West Montgomery is struggling heading into its matchup with North Rowan and West Iredell is 0-7 as it prepares to play a West Rowan squad looking for its first NPC victory.
East Rowan, which started 0-6 against a brutal schedule, won by 49 points in its league opener against West Iredell. Carson’s two conference losses came by a combined 20 points against NPC co-favorites Statesville and North Iredell.