‘We just fed him the ball:’ West Virginia high school basketball player’s record-breaking night

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — The current national record for points scored by a player in a single high school basketball game stands at an impressive 135 points, a record that has been held by a West Virginian for over 60 years.

Danny Heater was born in Braxton County on February 27, 1942 , and was a senior forward for the Burnsville High School Bruins when he played his record-breaking basketball game against Widen High School on January 26, 1960.

Prior to the game, Heater averaged 27 points , but his coach and team came up with a plan to bring him into the spotlight. As the son of an unemployed coal miner, Heater needed a scholarship to attend college, so his team decided that they would focus on giving him as many opportunities to score the ball as possible to throw more attention his way.

“We just fed him the ball and let him try for a record,” Burnsville Coach Jack Stalnaker told local news outlets at the time .

The night ended with a final score was 173-43, and for added context, this was before the adoption of the three-point line . The second highest scoring player in the game only managed 20 for Widen.

The previous state record for points scored by a player was 74 points, while the national record was set at 120 points.

While the opposing coach from Widen, Robert Stover, lamented the loss, he still said that Heater was “one of the best around these parts.”

Heater himself wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the plan.

“You know what I found out he did after we had our plans set? He went around to each boy and asked them if they’d get mad. When he had 53 points at the half, he wanted to quit there,” Stalnaker said.

It wasn’t the only record Heater managed to break that night. He also holds the record for most points scored in a quarter (46), most field goals attempted in a game (70), most field goals made in a game (53), most free throws attempted in a game (41) and most free throws made in a game (29).

Besides his record breaking statistics, Heater also managed 32 rebounds and seven assists. He was also the top scorer during Burnsville’s next game against Tanner High School, though this time he managed a more comfortable 21 points during his 10 minutes of play.

Heater was later offered an academic scholarship to the University of Richmond. He now lives in Martinsburg.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.