The West Charlotte Lions held off the Seventy-First Falcons 14-7 on Saturday afternoon in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 3A Football Championship Game at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The win marks the second NCHSAA Football Championship for the Lions, who last won in 1995. West Charlotte finished the season 13-2 and is now 2-6 in its eight Championship Game appearances.

West Charlotte took the lead in the first quarter with a six-yard pass from Jamouri Nichols to K.D. Cotton midway through the first quarter. Cotton, who also had 39 rushing yards, was named the West Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game.

Seventy-First tied the score just before the half with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a five-yard touchdown run from Jayson Franklin.

Falcon quarterback Deandre Nance, who was battling a knee injury suffered in the Regional Final, finished the game 10-for-20 for 142 yards and was named the East Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game.

The Lions nearly stole the lead back before the break as Davion Jones returned the ensuing kick-off for a touchdown, only for it to be nullified by a holding penalty.

West Charlotte eventually pulled back in front early in the fourth quarter as Nichols found Donte Nicholson for a 10-yard touchdown strike.

Nichols finished the game 12-for-13 for 94 yards and a touchdown and was named the Carolina Panthers Most Valuable Player of the Game.

Seventy-First’s Nryus Moore was named the East Most Outstanding Defensive Player as he recorded a pair of sacks and West Charlotte’s Noah Collins was named the West Most Outstanding Defensive Player as he had a team-high 10 tackles including four for loss.

The loss ended Seventy-First’s season at 15-1and is the second year in a row that the Falcons have finished as NCHSAA 3A Football State Runner-up. Seventy-First is now 2-2-1 in NCHSAA Championship Games.

The NCHSAA is committed to recognizing outstanding sportsmanship in each of our State Championship events. The Association has partnered with the North Carolina Farm Bureau to award a pair of Sportsmanship Awards at each championship event, recognizing players who have demonstrated the ideals of outstanding character and sportsmanship throughout the 2024 season. The winners of the 3A Football NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Awards were Jytavius Whitted from Seventy-First High School andMike Kpuih West Charlotte High School.