High school football in Bank of America Stadium makes for a magical night
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Grimsley edged West Charlotte 28-27 in overtime at Keep Pounding Classic.
- West Charlotte coach Sam Greiner's two-point gamble fell short in overtime.
- Bank of America Stadium drew 12,942 fans and showcased elite high school talent.
One of the best things they do every August at Bank of America Stadium is give the place over for one night to high school football.
That happened again Friday night, with an absolute gem of a Keep Pounding Classic doubleheader that featured four of the best high school teams in the Carolinas. Hough held off South Pointe, 14-10, in the opener, followed by Grimsley edging West Charlotte, 28-27, in an overtime thriller of a nightcap.
The second game, in particular, was monstrously good. Grimsley and West Charlotte both won North Carolina state championships in different classifications a year ago, and they had a devil of a fight in the season opener until the final play of overtime.
Grimsley scored on the first possession of overtime to take a 28-21 lead. West Charlotte coach Sam Greiner then decided to go for two points after the Lions scored their own overtime TD — this decision coming after West Charlotte had already had one extra-point attempt blocked earlier in the game.
Even after an illegal motion penalty on West Charlotte put the ball back at the 8, Greiner decided to still go for two points to win the game outright and to put the ball in the hands of his terrific quarterback, Jamouri Nichols.
“I — 100 percent — was going for two,” Greiner said, adding he still would have gone for two points even if his team had continued to get backed up to the 20-yard line with penalties.
Later, Greiner predicted another state championship for West Charlotte, saying: “I’m going out on a limb — I don’t plan on losing another football game this year.”
He certainly has a good enough quarterback to do that. West Charlotte’s Nichols went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 player in the country — Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon — all night. Nichols accounted for all four of the Lions’ TDs (three rushing, one passing).
But on the deciding two-point conversion, Grimsley brought the blitz, Nichols couldn’t squirt out of it and his desperation pass fell incomplete. Grimsley had survived, by a point.
Brandon (headed to Tennessee in 2026) ended up with modest statistics for the nation’s No. 1 player — 171 yards passing, 67 rushing — and two total touchdowns compared to Nichols’ four. But Grimsley was also the much cleaner team, turning the ball over once compared to West Charlotte’s three and getting penalized for only 10 yards compared to West Charlotte’s 97.
The numbers on the gigantic scoreboard were only part of the experience, though. You could see this in the players’ eyes as they took in the enormity of the field and the locker rooms at an NFL stadium.
“I told the boys that 100 yards is 100 yards,” Hough head coach DeShawn Baker said after his team won the first game. “It’s just that there’s 80,000 seats in here.”
It’s closer to 74,000, but you know what he means. While all four of these teams sometimes play in college stadiums when contending for state championships every year, it’s rare that any of the players have come to Bank of America Stadium to do anything other than sit in the stands.
“All of my Panthers field experiences have been just watching their games until now,” said Hough defensive back Drew Johnson, who had the game-clinching interception against South Pointe Friday. “To play here, with my guys? It was a blessing.”
Absolutely, which is why Bank of America Stadium shouldn’t just be hosting the Keep Pounding Classic as a high school season opener each year. With there now being eight state championship football games rather than four due to the recent (and complicated) North Carolina public high school realignment, there are now more than enough contests for the Panthers’ stadium to be the site for at least two of the eight state title games.
That hasn’t happened yet, but it should. And don’t give me the “Charlotte is too far west” excuse. You’ve got an NFL stadium here and a stadium owner in David Tepper who is willing and able to host high school games. You don’t think some players from eastern N.C. would happily drive an extra hour or two for that?
But let’s not go so far down that road lest we forget what happened Friday night, which was just about exactly what you’d want. A crowd of 12,942 fans, which was the most in the Keep Pounding Classic’s modest three-year history. Vibrant bands. Pumped-up cheerleaders. Friday night lights. Plenty of room and energy for everybody. And four teams playing their hearts out, trying to shine on the big stage.
I had come to the same stadium only 24 hours before, and the atmosphere was far different. The Panthers’ third preseason game, featuring a mishmash of reserves, was inconsequential and quite boring. The players on the field who were attempting to make an NFL roster were trying hard, of course — it’s just that the game’s ultimate result, vs. Pittsburgh, mattered to absolutely no one.
In this case, though, the outcome was essential. Hough players celebrated after the game as if they had won a championship, dumping a cooler on their coach and gleefully taking team photos. It was a tremendous night. The only thing that would make it better? Doing it again, at the end of each high school football season, with state championships at stake.
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This story was originally published August 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
