Pandemic ruined prep football history at Panthers’ stadium. Can 2021 finally be the year?
Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers, won’t host its first-ever high school football game this year.
But officials hope to have that historic kickoff in the 2021 season.
On Sept. 5, Charlotte’s Myers Park was scheduled to play Rock Hill’s South Pointe High in uptown, marking the first time a high school game had been played on the Panthers’ field. But when the N.C. High School Athletic Association pushed back the start of fall sports practice in North Carolina from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1 this month, playing that game became impossible.
Carolina Panthers officials met with staff from both schools Thursday to discuss ways to potentially keep the game this year.
It just couldn’t happen, said Panthers spokesperson Riley Fields.
“Based on important safety guidelines that have been set forth by the NCHSAA and (the S.C. High School League),” Fields said, “including the start date for the first day of full practice and first allowable game dates, the decision has been made to cancel the inaugural Keep Pounding High School Classic.”
This was the second straight season that Myers Park had tried to play that historic first high school game at Bank of America Stadium.
Mustangs coach Scott Chadwick said the team had a tentative agreement in 2019 but couldn’t find a playing partner. Games with Charlotte Catholic and Rock Hill Highh couldn’t be worked out, Chadwick said, and a potential game with Gaffney didn’t happen because Gaffney was unable to get special permission to add a 12th regular-season game from the S.C. High School League.
Before COVID-19 turned everything on its head this spring, Chadwick thought he had the game set up, along with season-opening matchups in August against national power Mallard Creek and Texas’ Trinity Christian School, which features Deion Sanders son, Shedeur, at quarterback.
ESPN was going to televise the Trinity Christian game at Myers Park.
Now those two games, along with the South Pointe showdown, will not happen.
“It’s very disappointing,” Chadwick said. “It’s a missed opportunity, and like so many things that have gone on over the last couple of months, whether we play next year or not, for those kids that are seniors, it’s a lost opportunity. They won’t get to have that experience. That’s what I keep trying to tell people. So many kids are missing out on stuff. They won’t get to go back and do it.”
Fields said no discussions have been held regarding potential teams for next year’s game.
Chadwick said he hopes for his Mustangs to be in it.
“Well,” he said, “we certainly want to be a part of that. And maybe the third time will be the charm.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 4:55 PM.
