Myers Park High, which opened in 1951, wins its first NCHSAA state basketball title
Myers Park High School finally did it.
The Mustangs, at long last, are N.C. basketball state champions. Myers Park made its first appearance in the NCHSAA state championship game since 1966 Saturday and the Mustangs beat Richmond Senior 74-60 at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Myers Park, which opened in 1951, made its third state finals appearance after losing in the 1961 and ‘66 state championship games. The Mustangs (28-4) also won their 15th consecutive game and ended Richmond Senior’s 21-game win streak.
The Raiders (28-3) lost in the 1988, 1996 and 1997 state finals and were seeking their first state title.
“It’s crazy to see how far the program has grown since I’ve been a freshman,” center Elijah Strong said. “Just to see how much more talented guys can get and adding new pieces. We added (point guard) Bishop (Boswell) over the summer and it wasn’t easy to add him because we already had so much talent, so like figuring out how to work together throughout the fall. It was an honest journey and it’s so surreal to be in this position. It’s just crazy.”
Myers Park shot 56.5 percent for the game, scored 44 points in the paint, and held Richmond Senior to 33.3 percent shooting. Strong had 22 points, seven rebounds and made 8-of-13 shots. Championship MVP Bishop Boswell had 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Myers Park held the lead for most of the game but didn’t really pull away from Richmond until the fourth quarter, when the Mustangs pressure defense led to some easy baskets and run-outs.
“Obviously this wasn’t the outcome we wanted,” Richmond Senior coach Donald Pettigrew said. “But I’m so proud of these guys. I know how hard they fought. Even at the end of the game we still kept playing. I told them, ‘We’re not going to stop.’ I’m so proud of these guys and how they came together as one group.”
Richmond star Paul McNeil, who fouled out with 3:46 to play, kept his team close early and got some help from JV Drake (10 points, two rebounds) and Jullien Cole (seven points, seven rebounds) in the latter stages of the game. McNeil, an N.C. State recruit, started out making 4-of-5 shots but finished 6-for-16 and had 21 points, six rebounds.
And, in the end, the Mustangs began to get rolling with sophomore AJ White (15 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, two steals) tossing in a few major-league slam dunks in a decisive fourth quarter spurt that put the game away — and made Myers Park’s dream come true.
“When people say dreams to reality, you don’t know what that feels like,” Mustangs senior Sam Walter said, “and now we know what it feels like, and words can’t describe how happy (we are). We’ve all earned this and to say we’re state cahnpions is crazy.”
▪ Myers Park’s Elijah Strong was named Western most valuable player and Richmond’s McNeil was named Eastern most valuable player.
Game Summary
Myers Park 17 19 16 22 -- 74
Richmond Sr. 14 11 14 21 -- 60
MYERS PARK 74 -- AJ White 15, Bishop Boswell 22, Mohammed 9, Elijah Strong 22, Walters 2, Lynch 4
RICHMOND SENIOR 60 -- Paul McNeil 21, Jv Drake 10, Baldwin 9, Chavis 7, Cole 7, Wall 6
PHOTOS: Myers Park vs. Richmond Senior
This story was originally published March 11, 2023 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Myers Park High, which opened in 1951, wins its first NCHSAA state basketball title."
