Myers Park rolls past Chambers in second round of NCHSAA football playoffs
Josh Falzarano may have flown under the radar entering his senior season at Myers Park, but the Mustangs running back has certainly become a household name — and Friday night proved just that.
Falzarano erupted for 103 yards and a trio of touchdowns — all three coming in the first half — on just 12 carries to power No. 3 Myers Park past No. 11 Chambers 42-0 in the second round of the NCHSAA 8A playoffs at Myers Park.
“I’m really proud of our senior, Josh Falzarano,” Mustangs head coach Christopher James said. “He’s a kid that a lot of people probably didn’t know a lot about going into the season. He’s been here for four years, and he’s been the catalyst.
“He split carries the last two years with a senior, and now he gets to run the show himself. In my opinion, he’s our MVP. He’s the guy that has led us. We have a lot of flash at receiver with Brodie Keefe and Chaz [Portis], but he’s the guy. He’s the guy that makes it go.”
Falzarano started the scoring on Myers Park’s first possession of the game, scooting in from 12 yards out to cap off a 7-play, 79-yard scoring drive that took only two minutes, 18 seconds of game time.
After a Chambers three-and-out, Mustangs quarterback Ramir Watson marched his team right back down the field and threw a strike to senior wideout Brodie Keefe in the corner of the end zone that put the hosts ahead 14-0 late in the first quarter.
Another defensive stop from Myers Park, this one coming inside its own 5-yard line on a 4th-and-goal, led to a 96-yard scoring march that Falzarano stamped with a 9-yard TD midway through the second quarter.
A blocked punt recovered by Mustangs defensive back Kam Guy set Myers Park right back up in the red zone, and one play is all Falzarano needed to make it a hat trick on the night. James Remsen’s extra point gave Myers Park a 28-0 advantage with two minutes to play until halftime.
“It feels amazing,” Falzarano said of his big night. “I’ve been here my whole high school career, so it feels amazing. Our O-line was blocking their [butts] off, and even our wide receivers were blocking. So that’s what made that happen.”
Justin Westbrook put a bow on a near-perfect first half for the Mustangs, as the corner jumped a slant route and picked off Chambers quarterback Zyon Hailey and took it 40 yards to the house. Myers Park held a commanding 35-0 lead at the break.
Watson hit Keefe one more time for a 68-yard score with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, bringing his game totals to 182 yards on 9-of-14 passing with two TDs and one interception. Keefe’s four catches helped him rack up 105 yards and two scores on the night.
The dominant win gives James his first playoff victory as Myers Park head coach.
“It feels great,” James said. “I’m excited for our team, but especially our seniors. It’s been a long four years [for them], a lot of ups and downs. … The goal this week was to try to find a way to go 1-0.”
Chambers first-year head coach Captain Munnerlyn — a former Carolina Panthers defensive back — who had come back to Myers Park for the first time after spending several years as an assistant on the Mustangs coaching staff.
Friday’s result wasn’t what Munnerlyn had in mind, but returning to the place that helped develop him into a head coach certainly came with some emotional reflection.
“It was very emotional, very emotional,” Munnerlyn said. “I know all of the guys. Some of the guys when I was over there, they [were] babies. And I watched them grow up. To leave them was kind of tough, but I think my journey was to come to Chambers and help these kids out.”
They said it
Earlier this week, school officials announced that Myers Park senior Parker South died unexpectedly. Parker, a baseball player at the school, was known as a friend with loving spirit. Mustangs head coach Christopher James said his team played Friday’s contest with heavy hearts, and that his goal over the weekend is to make sure his team is in a good place moving forward.
“As everybody knows, it’s been a tough week here in the community,” James said. “I think what you saw is why Myers Park is Myers Park. Everyone showed up here tonight in support of all these kids. There’s a lot of people hurting, and my hope is that this can give us a little joy for a little bit as we deal with the tragedy.
“My focus right now, first, is to get through this weekend. I want to get through this weekend, check on [the players] and make sure they’re OK, first and foremost.”
Three who made a difference
Josh Falzarano, Myers Park — The Mustangs’ offensive line may have played a large role in the senior running back’s big night (12 carries, 103 yards, three TDs), but it was Falzarano’s speed that was too much for the Chambers defense. Falzarano scored all three of his touchdowns in the first half to bring his season total to 17.
Myers Park’s defense — Two first-half interceptions, one pick-six, a blocked punt, a fumble recovery and only 136 total yards surrendered: It didn’t matter what formation Chambers’ offense came out in, and they tried all of them, the Mustangs had an answer. Myers Park edge rusher and Notre Dame commit Rodney Dunham spent most of his night in the Cougars backfield.
Jahtavis Banks, Chambers — Despite struggling to move the ball, the Cougars’ senior tight end put forth his best game of the season. Banks came in with only 80 yards receiving on five catches in 2025. He hauled in seven passes on Friday, and tallied 56 yards including a handful of first-down receptions to keep the Chambers offense moving.
Up next
Myers Park will take on West Charlotte, the No. 2 seed in the 8A bracket and reigning state champion, next Friday at West Charlotte’s Jack Martin Stadium. The Lions are coming off a 41-0 victory over Providence.
SCORING SUMMARY
CHAMBERS 0 0 0 0 — 0
MYERS PARK 14 21 0 7 — 42
First Quarter
MP—Josh Falzarano 12 run (James Remsen kick), 9:35
MP—Brody Keefe 18 pass from Ramir Watson (Remsen kick), 2:45
Second Quarter
MP—Falzarano 9 run (Remsen kick), 4:31
MP—Falzarano 5 run (Remsen kick), 2:03
MP—Justin Westbrook 40 interception return (Remsen kick), 1:16
Third Quarter
No scoring
Fourth Quarter
MP—Keefe 68 pass from Watson (Remsen kick), 7:00
This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 8:56 PM.