For the second consecutive 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 begin Thursday, August 22, with two games. Independence, a North Carolina 4A regional finalist, will face regional power Myers Park at 4 p.m. Providence Day, the state champion of North Carolina Independent Schools, will meet Weddington, the champion of North Carolina 4A Public Schools, at 8 p.m.

Providence Day won both The Observer’s Sweet 16 regional poll and the Carolinas Top 25 rankings of the best teams in North and South Carolina. Weddington was ranked second in both polls. “The Carolina Panthers are excited to kick off the high school football season with two high-powered matchups, as well as to recognize 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.”
▪ A news conference will be place Tuesday at Bank of America Stadium, with each school selecting a celebrity captain for two coin tosses to determine which school will wear their home jersey in each game. The captains are: Thomas Davis (Weddington), Ikem Ekwonu (Providence Day), Captain Munnerlyn (Myers Park), and Hakeem Nicks (Independence).
Davis is a former Panthers great linebacker. His son, TJ, is a defensive standout for Weddington and a national prospect. Ekwonu, a Providence Day graduate, is the Panthers’ starting left tackle. Nicks, an NFL world champion and former Patriots great, was just named to The Observer’s 40-year All-Anniversary Team. Munnerlyn, a former Panthers player, is now an assistant coach at Myers Park.
General admission tickets for the doubleheader are $8 and will go on sale through Ticketmaster at noon on February 13.