Hough took down Chambers in a battle of the top two high school football teams in NC

Langston Wertz Jr.
·2 min read

Hough’s defense was really tough on the two-time state champions from Chambers High School Friday night.

The Huskies got some key stops and took advantage of a few Chambers’ miscues in an 16-10 win.

Hough, No. 2 in the Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, and No. 1 Chambers played for the third time in five months Friday.

North Carolina pushed back the previous football season to the spring, and the teams played twice in three weeks.

Hough won a regular-season game, 29-22, on April 9 before Chambers won a second-round playoff meeting 24-10 two weeks later en route to a second straight state title.

Friday, Hough (5-0) got its revenge with defense. The Huskies got a big stop late in the third quarter, which turned the game.

Chambers (5-1) drove from its 1 and appeared to score — and potentially take a 14-13 lead — on a short pass from QB Anshon Camp to KC Concepcion. But the play was called back for holding.

On fourth down, Hough’s defense got the stop.

Later, Hough drove and got another short field goal — after a Chambers defensive stand. Nolan Hauser’s kick gave Hough a 16-7 lead with 10:29 left to play.

Hough turned the ball over late in the fourth quarter, deep on its side of the field, but the Huskies defense forced a field goal with 80 seconds left.

Down 16-10, Chambers tried an onside kick that failed.

Early on, Chambers’ defense kept them in the game.

Hough got on the board with a 25-yard Nolan Hauser field goal for a 3-0 lead with 7 minutes, 10 seconds left in the first half. Then, Hough’s defense got a big special teams play, blocking a Chambers’ punt and recovering at the 8.

But Chambers defense forced another field goal. Hough led 6-0 with about four minutes left in the first quarter.

On Chambers next punt, a high snap forced an issue and the punter was tackled at the Chambers 14. But the Cougars got an interception on the next play to end the threat.

Later in the second quarter, Daylan Smothers got Chambers on the board with a 16-yard scoring run. Chambers got its first lead at 7-6 in the second quarter.

Next, Hough had issues with its snap on a punt and Chambers got the ball deep in Hough territory. Chambers didn’t score, but Hough get a short run before the half to lead 13-7.