For Hough High football, its tough 2026 schedule includes the Keep Pounding Classic
This fall, Hough football will play its season-opener against two-time defending South Carolina state champion Northwestern, followed by a game against North Carolina 7A semifinalist (and perennial power) Cardinal Gibbons.
That’s a tough opening two weeks for the Huskie’s 2026 season, and the degree of difficulty in those games isn’t lost on head coach David Baker.
“We want that nonconference schedule to be tough,” Baker said Monday, during a news conference to promote the annual Keep Pounding Classic, a high school football doubleheader sponsored by the Carolina Panthers.
This year’s event, set for Aug. 29 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, opens at 4 p.m. with two-time defending S.C. state champ Northwestern facing rising power Indian Land, a team that reached the S.C. semifinals a year ago.
Then at 8 p.m., defending 8A state champion Hough faces Cardinal Gibbons, the Raleigh powerhouse that won a state crown in 2021 and reached the semifinals last fall.
When asked how he felt about going up against Cardinal Gibbons, a team that will return much of its defense from last season, Baker said the Huskies will be facing a team that is always a handful.
He added, “Of course, we’ll also have to deal with coach Wofford in Week 1,” referring to Northwestern coach Page Wofford. “So we’ll have a tough couple of weeks.”
Each of the four head coaches participating in this year’s Keep Pounding Classic was accompanied by two of his team’s top players at the media event on Monday, and it was obvious that coaches and players are excited about competing this fall.
Keep Pounding Classic’s second game
Here’s some of what coaches and players said Monday about the nightcap of this year’s Keep Pounding Classic, a first-ever meeting between Hough and Cardinal Gibbons.
Hough: Quarterback Ethan Royal and linebacker Ryan Peterson joined Baker at Monday’s media event. Both players are among more than a dozen Huskies expected to play FBS football.
“It’s a great opportunity to play in a game like this,” said Royal, who led his team to a 14-10 victory over another S.C. power, South Pointe, in last August’s Keep Pounding Classic.
“Winning that game last season definitely got us started on the right track,” he added.
The Huskies finished 14-0, outscored opponents 518-93, and beat Millbrook 21-0 in the 8A state championship game.
“I just remember how exciting the whole thing was last year,” Hough linebacker Ryan Peterson said. “Once the game started, we focused on winning. But the whole event is special.”
Cardinal Gibbons: The Crusaders are making their first appearance in the Panthers’ kickoff event, but they are no strangers to tough games.
“The way we approach scheduling is that we’re going to be in the playoffs in our nonconference schedule,” Cardinal Gibbons coach Steven Wright said. “Then we’ll play our conference schedule, and then we’ll get into the real playoffs.”
“I want to find out early where the holes are,” Wright said. “That’s not something I want to find in Week 13.”
Crusaders’ defensive back Xavier Hasan said playing at Bank of America Stadium will be a thrill.
“I grew up watching this team,” he said of the Panthers. “It’s something special to play a game in their stadium.”
Opponents in the opener
The first-game opponents are no strangers to each other. Indian Land and Northwestern played in the same region last season, and Northwestern beat the Warriors twice – including a 51-19 decision in the state playoff semifinals.
This year, realignment has left Northwestern in Class 5A and Indian Land in 4A. So the two teams will meet only in Charlotte in the upcoming season.
Indian Land: Adam Hastings, accompanied by quarterback Matt Kucia and linebacker Jackson Connor, remarked about how the school has grown in recent years.
“Some people here ‘Indian Land’ and they think it’s a small stop on (U.S.) 521,” he said. “But we’ve grown, and we’re working for regional recognition.”
Indian Land, in the northern neck of Lancaster County, has exploded with growth as an extension of the Ballantyne area. The Warriors return most key players from an 11-2 team.
“It’s kind of surreal, playing a great opponent in a setting like this,” Kucia said of the game. “I’m proud of our guys for working to get here.”
Hastings said the Warriors don’t see themselves as an outsider, because they’re the only team in the event without a state title. “We know we belong,” he said.
Northwestern: Trojans’ starting quarterback Xavier Means, who joined defensive back Jaylon Richardson and Wofford at Monday’s event, recalled the school’s first appearance in the Keep Pounding Classic.
“I was a freshman, and I was a ballboy on that team,” said Means, recalling the Trojans’ 42-35 loss to Providence Day in the 2023 event. “I did a lot of running.”
“I was just a spectator,” Richardson added. “But I remember what a big deal it was. That’s why I’m really looking forward to this.”
Means said his team’s goal this year is the same as always – a state title.
“But our other goal is to become better people,” he added. “That’s something Coach Wofford instills in us.”
The 2026 Keep Pounding Classic
For additional information about this year’s Keep Pounding Classic and a link to ticket sales, check the Panthers’ website.
This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 5:04 PM.
