Hough, Cardinal Gibbons headline Keep Pounding Classic at Bank of America Stadium
Four of the top high school football programs in the Carolinas will play in the 2026 Keep Pounding Classic at Bank of America Stadium in August.
This will be the fourth straight year that the NFL’s Carolina Panthers have hosted high school teams on its home field.
This year, a doubleheader will be held on Aug. 29.
At 4 p.m., Rock Hill-area powers Indian Land and Northwestern will play. At 8 p.m., N.C. 8A state champion Hough will play N.C. 7A state semifinalist Cardinal Gibbons of Raleigh.
Indian Land was 11-2 last season and reached the S.C. 5A state semifinals. Northwestern has won the past two S.C. 5A state championships and return after a 13-1 record in the 2025 season that included a 55-13 win over Irmo in the state championship game.
In the feature game, Cardinal Gibbons, a past N.C. state champion, will face the current 8A state champ in Hough.
Gibbons was 12-2 last season and returns many key players from a state semifinalist. Hough is expected to be ranked in many national polls in preseason after winning the 8A state championship. Among key players returning are state championship MVP, QB Ethan Royal.
Note: In 2024, the Panthers announced a multi-year partnership with Belk, which included naming rights to the annual prep football event. For the second straight season, the MVPs of both games will receive a special presentation from Whataburger.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Hough, Cardinal Gibbons headline Keep Pounding Classic at Bank of America Stadium."
