High school football will return to Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers, this August.
The Panthers will again host the Keep Pounding High School Classic on Thursday, Aug. 22. This year’s event will be a double-header involving some of the state’s powerhouse programs from the Charlotte Metro.
Game one will pit Independence vs. Myers Park at 4 p.m. The nightcap will feature a pair of state champions: Providence Day vs. Weddington at 8 p.m.
“The Carolina Panthers are thrilled to kick off the start of the high school football season with two high-powered matchups,” Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields said in a release. “Anticipation will be high for this year’s Keep Pounding High School Classic and we are excited about the new doubleheader format.”
Independence finished 11-4 in 2023, while Myers Park posted a 7-4 record. Independence dominated the NCHSAA 4A ranks in the early 2000s, claiming seven state championships and one runner-up finish. The Patriots woke up the echoes this past fall, rolling through the brackets as a lower seed into the state semifinals.
Providence Day won the NCISAA Division I state title for the third year in a row in November, while Weddington earned the NCHSAA 4A crown in December. Weddington, which knocked Independence out of the post-season in 2023, has captured four state championships since 2016.
Providence Day won the inaugural Keep Pounding High School Classic last summer, defeating South Carolina’s Northwestern High 42-35.
