Staff report

The high school football teams of West Rowan and East Rowan will try again today to play their season-opening games.

East’s game at North Stanly (New London) is set for 5 p.m. this afternoon. West is at Mooresville and game time is 7 p.m. Both games were set to begin at 7:30 on Friday night, and warm-ups were underway when lightning and heavy rains forced postponements by 8 o’clock.

Other games in the area were also postponed, including Davie County, which is hosting Page High School from Greensboro. That kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. this evening.

Four Rowan County schools managed to get their openers in on Thursday night. Fearing Friday’s weather, Carson moved its game with South Rowan up a day. Salisbury and North Rowan did the same thing.

Carson ran past South, 56-20, as running back Hunter Courtney set a new school record with 346 yards rushing on 38 carries. He scored three touchdowns, the first one being a 90-yard gallop. Courtney’s effort was the second-biggest rushing performance in county history, only topped by West Rowan’s KP Parks in 2009 (356 yards).

Carson quarterback Alex London, in his first varsity start, passed for 80 yards and three TDs.

Meanwhile, Salisbury hosted North Rowan in a defensive struggle. The Hornets won, 9-7, the winning margin provided by a safety when Salisbury’s Blaine Shellhorn sacked the Cavs’ QB Kyree Sims in the end zone.

Shellhorn’s play gave Salisbury a 9-0 lead in the second quarter, following a 24-yard scoring run by quarterback Vance Honeycutt — the only offensive touchdown for either team.

The Cavaliers scored just before halftime, a 60-yard fumble return by safety Zay Davis.

Salisbury will host Carson this Friday at Ludwig Stadium. North Rowan hosts West Rowan and East Rowan has its home opener against East Lincoln. South Rowan has a second-week open date.