Elijah Strong, Myers Park learn to ‘embrace the target’ as NCHSAA playoffs begin

The warmup shirts carry a simple message – “Embrace the Target.”

They’re worn by members of the Myers Park boys’ basketball team before each of their games, and they serve as a reminder to the players of the journey they’re traveling this season.

“We know we’re the target,” said senior Elijah Strong. “It’s been that way all season.”

Months ago, long before the leaves changed and basketball practice started, fans were talking about Myers Park.

The Mustangs were loaded. They should be a state championship contender. They’re playing a rugged schedule, with two out-of-state tournaments.

They were the target.

Now, after 26 games that provides ups and downs, Myers Park is prepared to open the chase for that state championship.

The Mustangs (22-4) will carry the No. 1 seed in the West Region into their 7:30 p.m. 4A playoff opener Tuesday against 32nd seed South Caldwell (13-14).

The biggest of the Myers Park targets – literally and figuratively – is probably Strong, a 6-8 senior who leads the team in scoring and rebounding.

Opponents have tried a variety of defenses against him, but Strong always seems to shake it all off.

Last Friday night, Strong picked up two early fouls in the SoMeck 4A Conference finals against Ardrey Kell and went to the bench.

He returned in the second half and took over the game. In 18 minutes on the court, Strong finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and a block. The Mustangs, who trailed early, won by 16 points.

For the season, Strong is averaging 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in about 20 minutes per game.

His role has shifted slightly since his sophomore season, when he averaged 19 points a game. Several other talented players joined the roster, and Strong was able to rely on others to do the scoring. His per-game scoring average dropped to 17 a game as a junior, and then a big more this season.

He says he just tries to be a part of the Mustang machine.

“Every night, we have guys who can put the ball in the basket,” he said. “It can be any of several players who can score the points. We have a lot of ability there.”

The difference, Strong said, is on the other end of the floor.

“Our strength is on the defensive end,” he said. “When we play good defense, we open things up for our offense.”

He said – as the warmup shirts say – that he embraces being in the “target” role.

“We know other teams want to knock us off,” Strong said. “We have to come to work every day, whether it’s practice or a game. We put in the work every day. The coaches are pushing us to improve.”

Teammate Bishop Boswell, whose playing status for Tuesday is uncertain after Boswell got two technical fouls against Ardrey Kell, said the Mustangs’ loss in late November to Chambers changed the course of the season.

“The Chambers game showed that we had a lot of work to do,” Boswell said. “It was a wake-up call. We learned that we couldn’t rest on our laurels.”

Myers Park coach Scott Taylor said his team “has grown up” since November. He said Strong and junior guard Sir Mohammed have been the team’s rocks.

“They’re the steadying forces for us,” Taylor said. “We know we can count on a certain level of play from them, and it’s a high level. That kind of raises the bar for everyone else. Elijah and Sir won’t let us slip.”

Strong had committed last year to Wofford, but after a coaching change at the Spartanburg school, Strong announced that he was de-committing.

“I still haven’t made a decision,” he said last week. “I’m still in the process of making that decision.”

He added that the Mustangs’ bid for a state championship is taking top precedence for him now, though.

Taylor and the players say Myers Park’s busy travel schedule around Christmas proved to be a plus. The Mustangs played before Christmas in a tournament at Fort Myers, Fla., then competed after Christmas in the Arby’s Invitational in Bristol, Tenn.

“Those trips really helped make us a better team,” Boswell said.

“We learned a lot about each other on those trips,” Strong said. “We grew closer.”

With a few bumps along the way, Myers Park has reached the postseason in a good spot. The Mustangs haven’t lost since mid-January and know they will play most of their tournament games at home.

“From the time we gathered for the preseason photo shoot, we knew we weren’t going to sneak up on anybody,” Taylor said. “We knew that nobody was going to look past us. So we embraced it – just like the shirts say.”

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle