Every team has its go-to player or players, but every successful team has those who are willing to do the little things without any glory.
That’s why Kinston’s boys are a win away from yet another state championship.
Tiquan Canady, Qwarri Ham and Jeremy Taylor are three who know their roles, stick to them, and enjoy getting down and dirty while the rest of their teammates fill up the stat sheet.
Canady, a junior, is known as the enforcer, whose sole purpose is to provide valuable minutes off the bench banging in the paint. Ham, a junior, is known as Mr. Hustle, whose job is to be a sparkplug and to energize the team and the crowd with his no-holds-barred approach to defense. And Taylor, a senior starter, is known as the doorman, whose job is set screens and box out.
“We do whatever it takes (to win),” Taylor said.
When Kinston, which will face Waxhaw Cuthbertson at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill for the NCHSAA state 2A title at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, suffered its last loss 19 games ago, Canady, Ham and Taylor weren’t relishing their roles.
The loss — a 50-47 setback to Cuthbertson in the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational — was a wake-up call for the trio. Ham didn’t play, Taylor played only one quarter and Canady wasn’t his usual self.
Since then, they — and their teammates — have been rolling.
“The hustle comes from running in practice, wanting to go to the state championship game — just wanting it all — and thinking about what happened during the Christmas tournament,” Ham said.
Ham showed his improvement and responsibility when his hustle against SouthWest Edgecombe in the semifinals of the Eastern Plain 2A Conference tournament got coach Perry Tyndall off the bench and electrified the crowd in the Vikings’ win.
Ham forced a steal on the defensive end then chased down the loose ball to the wing, fell on it, did a somersault, then kicked it out to Brandon Ingram while lying on his back.
Ingram caught the ball near his ankles, dribbled it loosely then passed back to Ham, who stepped up and drained a 3 that sent Tyndall into a frenzy of excitement.
On more than one occasion, Taylor has been the one to seal off the lane as Denzel Keyes comes flying through for an alley-oop from Josh Dawson in either an out-of-bounds play, a set play or in transition.
In the second round against Pittsboro Northwood, Canady got his much-deserved first varsity dunk that brought cheers from the Kinston bench.
The excitement came because usually it’s Canady who’s keeping the opponent from getting to the rim.
“It’s all about being tough — that’s my role,” Canady said.
Odds are, Canady, Ham or Taylor won’t be the ones who fill up the stat sheet against the Cavaliers on Saturday.
But if the Vikings win, they will be a big reason why.
“I think any team that makes it this far has those guys that are willing to do anything you ask of them,” Tyndall said.
“When you’ve got guys who are willing to accept those roles and not play outside of that too much, that’s what helps you have success.”
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.