Four N.C., S.C. state champions to play in season-opening football tripleheader in August
Four state champions are among six teams that will kick off the high school football season in Matthews this fall, the Observer has learned.
The new Charlotte Kickoff Weekend, sponsored by OrthoCarolina and the Teall Properties Group, will feature three games in 48 hours. All three games will be played at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, a source with direct knowledge told the Observer.
An official announcement will be made Friday.
The first game will be Wednesday, Aug. 19, when Myers Park faces three-time N.C. 4AA state champion Mallard Creek. Both teams were nationally ranked for most of last season. Those teams will play at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Aug. 22, S.C. 5A state champion Dutch Fork will play N.C. 4AA state champion Vance. That game will kick off at 5 p.m. Dutch Fork, which has won four straight 5A state titles, is coached by Tom Knotts, who led Harding, West Charlotte and Independence to state championship games while coaching in Mecklenburg County. Knotts won N.C. championships at West Charlotte in 1995 and he won six at Independence from 2000-06.
The final game of the tripleheader will kick off at 8 p.m. Aug. 22. Two-time N.C. 3AA state champion Weddington, from Union County, will play Mecklenburg County rival Ardrey Kell. Ardrey Kell won the SoMECK 7 conference title last season. The Knights finished 11-2 and set a new school-record for wins.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 8:26 PM.
