The 2024 high school football season will be kicked off in fashion. The Carolina Panthers are hosting a two-game Friday night event for the second straight year at Bank of America Stadium. The Myers Park Mustangs, Independence Patriots, Weddington Warriors, and the Providence Day Chargers will all have the opportunity to duel underneath the brightest lights in town at the Keep Pounding classic on August 22 2024.. Tickets are already available for fans to purchase as the clock ticks down till the official kickoff for high school football.
At the Keep Pounding Classic press conference that took place on Feb 13, 2024 players, coaches, and former alumni came together to celebrate the exciting return of high school football. NFL athletes Thomas Davis Senior, Captain Muunerlyn, Ikem Ekonwu, and Hakeem Nicks were in attendance supporting their respective schools. Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekonwu, a tackle for the Panthers, played his high school ball at Providence Day. Super Bowl champ Hakeem Nicks got his start playing at Independence. Captain Munnerlyn, a former standout defensive back for the Panthers, currently works as the defensive backs coach for Myers Park. Lastly, Panthers legend Thomas Davis Senior is a Weddington supporter as his son is a sophomore phenom for the Warriors. These icons of the game were selected as honorary captains for the games in August. Panthers Director of Community Relations Riley Fields stated, “Anticipation will be high for this year’s Keep Pounding High School Classic, and we are excited about the new double-header format.”Fields is expecting a “memorable experience for the high school football community”. Mecklenburg County Athletes have dreamt to play under the same lights as NFL stars such as Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, and Christian McCaffrey, and now this dream is going to be a reality. Between the four teams, the talent is deep, and each school is loaded with stars at every position.
The four o’clock undercard game is the Myers Park Mustangs versus the Independence Patriots. Seven-time state champions, the “Big I” Independence Patriots are led by head coach DJ McFadden. His offensive expertise was once at Myers Park, where he called the plays for future first-round draft pick Drake Maye. Now his powerhouse offense is led by rising senior quarterback Justin Little and sophomore All-American running back Jayden Jones, a combo that makes the offense a threat. The Patriots made a deep playoff run, losing to the state-champion Weddington Warriors. Independence is a physical, strong, well-coached team looking for another deep playoff run in 2024. The Myers Park Mustangs offense returns with their most dangerous weapons. Rising Junior Brody Keefe is due for another monstrous season, and last season, the wide receiver caught a dozen touchdown passes and for over 600 yards. Rising senior running back RJ Alexander will lead the ground game for the Mustangs. Second-year head coach Chris James looks to lead the team to another conference championship and another playoff appearance.
The primetime matchup at 7:30 between the Weddington Warriors and Providence Day Chargers could be dubbed “game of the year,” as both of these teams are coming off state championship seasons in 2023. The Chargers have won the last three NCISAA titles, and the Warriors had a historic season en route to a state championship. David Sanders is the most highly touted prospect in North Carolina, as he is ranked as the second-best player in the nation according to 24/7 Sports. Sanders plays offensive tackle and defensive end for the Chargers. Other Chargers include rising senior running back Ian Cline and defensive back Cairo Skanes. The Weddington Warriors rising junior trio, Thomas Davis Junior, Aiden Harris, and Drew Harris, terrorize opposing offenses. Questions remain on who will be the starting quarterback for the Warriors next season. Weddington has been a powerhouse for a decade, and Head Coach Andy Capone is a strong leader with an intelligent sense for the game of football. The primetime matchup will have everyone watching in August.