Carolina Panthers bringing more high school football to Bank of America Stadium in fall

For the second straight season, high school football will be played at Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

The second Keep Pounding High School Classic will kick off Thursday, Aug. 22, and will feature two games.

North Carolina 4A regional finalist Independence will play regional power Myers Park at 4 p.m.

At 8 p.m., N.C. Independent Schools state champion Providence Day will face N.C. 4A public schools champion Weddington.

Providence Day was named champion of The Observer’s Sweet 16 regional poll, as well as champion of the Carolinas Top 25 rankings of the best teams in North and South Carolina. Weddington was No. 2 in both polls.

“The Carolina Panthers are thrilled to kickoff the start of the high school football season with two high-powered matchups, as well as celebrate the important role high school football plays in communities across our region,” said Riley Fields, the Panthers’ director of community relations. “Anticipation will be high for this year’s Keep Pounding High School Classic and we are excited about the new double-header format, which will provide a memorable experience for the high school football community.”

▪ Providence Day defeated Rock Hill’s Northwestern High, 42-35, in the 2023 edition of the Keep Pounding High School Classic. More than 10,000 fans attended that game.

▪ A press conference will be held Tuesday at Bank of America Stadium and each school has selected a celebrity captain for two coin tosses that will be held during the meeting to determine which school gets to wear its home jersey in each game.

Those captains are: Thomas Davis (Weddington); Ikem Ekwonu (Providence Day); Captain Munnerlyn (Myers Park); and Hakeem Nicks (Independence).

Davis is a former star linebacker for the Panthers. His son, TJ, is a defensive star for Weddington and a national recruit. Ekwonu, a Providence Day grad, is the Panthers’ starting left tackle. Nicks, an NFL world champion, is a former Patriots star who just made The Observer’s 40-year All-Anniversary team. And Munnerlyn, the former Panthers player, is an assistant coach at Myers Park.

Want to go?

General admission tickets for the doubleheader are $8 and go on sale at noon on February 13 through Ticketmaster.