Through tragedy & triumph, first-year head coach continues Myers Park basketball dominance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — “I feel like I’ve found a home here at Myers Park,” says Andrew Glover.

The 29-year-old Glover has had a whirlwind season, winning the South Meck 4A basketball regular season title in his first year as Myers Park’s head coach. It’s an incredible feat – but he gives all the credit to his team.

“I’ve got a locker room full of winners and hard-nosed dudes,” Glover beams, “These guys have become family to me.“

They’re on top of one of the toughest conferences in the Carolinas, but it didn’t start that way. The Mustangs opened the season losing five straight and six of their first seven – an inauspicious start for a team looking for its third-straight conference championship.

But Glover and his stable never lost hope.

“Through all the doubt and everything, you have a choice,” Glover explains, “You can either feed into it or use it.”

And boy, did they use it.

Myers Park revved up their horsepower, winning 12 of their final 16 regular-season games en-route to a 9-3 first-place finish in conference play.

“It was a good feeling,” says senior guard/forward AJ Jamison.

Jamison says the early-season struggles molded this team into the powerhouse they’ve become.

“Just being able to play a game with your friends, people who you call your brothers, and get the win after, it makes it all worth it,” says Jamison.

It’s been a season full of triumphant highs and emotional lows. A few weeks ago, assistant coach Zailan Peeler was killed in a car accident at 25 years old. Peeler, a 2017 Myers Park graduate, was a former star player for the Mustangs and meant a lot to players like senior point guard Bram Early.

“It was rough, you know? But we came together and supported each other through it, and we’ve just been playing for him, and he means a lot to this school,” Early says.

The team dedicated the season to Peeler – tonight, and every night, they’re playing for Zay.

“His picture’s in our locker room, in the office, and everything,” says Glover.

“Just a daily reminder to continue to work hard for him, to honor him and his memory, and just make him proud.”

The Mustangs definitely made Peeler proud Thursday, beating Olympic High School 68-58 and advancing to the championship round of the conference tournament.