Chambers High shakes off rust, beats West Charlotte 25-20 

HERBERT L. WHITE | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Chambers High shook off a slow start to beat Meck Power Six rival West Charlotte 25-20 in the second round of the North Carolina 8A playoffs. The Cougars host Mallard Creek next week in the West Region semifinals.

The bye week rust showed but didn’t stop the Chambers Cougars.

The Cougars went down 13-0 to Meck Power Six rival West Charlotte in the first quarter but dug in for a 25-20 win in the second round of the North Carolina 8A West Region playoffs. 

“It happens in football,” Chambers coach Captain Munnerlyn said. “But it’s how you respond, and I think my team responded great tonight. … It happens but we can’t keep letting teams punch us in the mouth. [West Charlotte] is a good team, a young team. They are going to be good.”

Cougars quarterback Jamouri Nichols admitted to dealing with a few ailments, but it didn’t stop him from playing. He scored a touchdown to bring Chambers within a point in the third quarter and made plays with his legs down the stretch. 

“I called the play and coach was like, ‘Do it,’” Nichols said. “I ran the play and scored, and I just thanked God. I went over to the sideline and thanked my coaches for trusting me.” 
Nichols said the bye week caused more harm than good and the Cougars had to refocus quickly. 

“We just weren’t thinking right,” he said. “Going into the second half we just told everyone to calm down, we got this game and just came out in the second half and dominated.” 
Munnerlyn said having a competitor like Nichols is beneficial because he not only has talent but knows how to rally teammates.

“[Nichols] has been battling through injuries for the past four or five weeks,” Munnerlyn said. “He is a winner; he is a fighter and I’m just really glad he is on my team.” 

The Cougars will welcome another conference rival in Mallard Creek to IBM Drive next week in the regional semifinals. The Mavericks, who beat Pinecrest 37-0, beat Chambers 17-7 in the regular season finale to claim the conference title. 

Nichols and Munnerlyn want their “get-back.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Munnerlyn said. “They beat us for the conference, but it’s at my house this time. So, on this grass, let’s see if we can get back.” 
Said Nichols: “I’m going to be on the team hard this week. I know we are going to be running because we had a lot of penalties … but I know our guys are going to be ready for a fight.” 

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