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Timber Creek's Chambers looks to cap career with elusive crown

Cameron Chambers said the secret is to "make a plan and execute it." That has worked for Chambers throughout his football career. The Timber Creek senior wide receiver and Michigan State recruit has been meticulously mapping out his future "since I was in sixth grade."

Timber Creek'snCameron Chambers.
Timber Creek'snCameron Chambers.Read more(Elizabeth Robertson/Staff Photographer)

Cameron Chambers said the secret is to "make a plan and execute it."

That has worked for Chambers throughout his football career. The Timber Creek senior wide receiver and Michigan State recruit has been meticulously mapping out his future "since I was in sixth grade."

That's worked for his team, too - for the most part.

Timber Creek is 29-6 in Chambers' three seasons (he spent his freshman year at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia). The Chargers also are 6-2 in the state tournament, advancing to the South Jersey Group 4 championship game in Chambers' sophomore, junior, and senior years.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Chambers will play his last high school game Sunday night in the sectional final against Shawnee at Rowan University.

"Sunday night, that's different," Chambers said during a break in a weightlifting session the other day at Timber Creek.

Chambers hopes that something else will be different, too: the result.

Shawnee beat Timber Creek in the last two South Jersey Group 4 championship games.

While the Renegades are looking to become the first team from the traditional South Jersey area to win three straight Group 4 sectional crowns, the Chargers and their star athlete are seeking something else.

"I want to finish this the right way," Chambers said. "In some ways, it's just another game and I'm trying to treat it that way, just preparing the same way I always prepare.

"But I know it's my last game, and I want to go out with a win."

Chambers is finishing one of the best careers by a wide receiver in South Jersey history.

He will enter Sunday with 2,844 career receiving yards in three seasons, second on South Jersey's all-time list to 2000 Holy Cross graduate Isaac Irby's total of 3,088 yards.

This season, Chambers has 58 receptions for 946 yards and eight touchdowns. Beyond the numbers, he's been the savvy senior who has helped sophomore Devin Leary develop into one of South Jersey's most prolific passers.

"When I met him in eighth grade, I knew he would be a phenomenal football player and good kid because of how his parents raised him," Timber Creek coach Rob Hinson said. "That being said, he has far exceeded my expectations on and off the field."

Things are happening fast for Chambers, the son of former Winslow Township and Temple wide receiver Chris Chambers.

Last week, Chambers signed his national letter of intent with Michigan State, which will enable him to enroll at the school in East Lansing, Mich., in January.

Chambers said his first class at Michigan State is Jan. 11. Two days before that, he will finish a week in San Antonio, Texas, by playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in the Alamodome.

Chambers said he will leave for Texas soon after the new year and travel straight from Texas to Michigan to begin his college career.

"I have a relaxed feeling about it," Chambers said. "It's something I've planned for and worked for since I was in the sixth grade.

"I knew it was coming. I just knew I had to work hard and that things could happen and I would have an opportunity to take advantage of them."

A top student - "straight A's in the first marking period," he said - Chambers said his plan to graduate from Timber Creek in December and enroll in college in January was as much about his academic future as his athletic career.

He wants to get started on earning his degree, with an eye on postgraduate work.

"That's very important to me," Chambers said.

Beyond his athletic ability, Chambers excels because of his measured approach to football. He's a highly focused route-runner whose concentration level allows him to avoid drops. He also analyzes defenses through intensive film study.

"That's something I've stressed with some of the younger guys, the importance of preparation," Chambers said. "You have to put in the time. You have to figure out what other teams are trying to do and what you can do to counter that.

"You have to make a plan and execute it."

Chambers has one game remaining in one of the more accomplished careers by a wide receiver in South Jersey history.

He intends to go out with a victory.

That's the plan, anyway.

panastasia@phillynews.com