Providence Day hosts Charlotte Christian in Panthers Big Friday series tonight

Oct 14, 2022 at 10:06 AM

CHARLOTTE – The Providence Day Chargers will host the Charlotte Christian Knights this Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Overcash Stadium. The two teams will compete in the second matchup of the Carolina Panthers' 2022 Big Friday High School Football Series.

Throughout the 2022 high school season, the Panthers will spotlight select high school football games in North and South Carolina.

Selected games will receive pre- and post-game coverage on Panthers.com, promotion and engagement through the team's new youth and high school football Twitter account (@PanthersYouthFB), in-game enhancements including honorary coin toss captains from the team's active roster and Legends community, appearances by Panthers personalities, grant funding to support high school athletic departments and other game day elements and social media interaction.

"The Carolina Panthers are thrilled to support high school football through the team's Big Friday series," said Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields. "The opportunity to engage with the high school football community in this new on-campus Big Friday format is exciting, as is the ability to immerse in the unique energy that Friday nights on campus deliver. We look forward to amplifying and celebrating the important role high school football plays in communities across our region at this week's Charlotte Christian vs. Providence Day match up."

Game Preview

The 5-2 Charlotte Christian Knights travel to Mosack Field at Overcash Stadium to take on the 7-0 Providence Day Chargers.

As the #3 ranked team in North Carolina, Providence Day comes in as the favorite, riding high from a 40-point victory last week against Trinity Christian. The Chargers have an electric offense which features playmakers all over the place, led by the #2 overall 2024 player in the nation, quarterback Jadyn Davis keeps the offense rolling with poise as he orchestrates the Providence Day attack. On the defensive side of the ball, the Chargers surrender less than 14 points per game and have forced 9 turnovers to go along with 5 blocked field goals.

As for Charlotte Christian, the veteran-led team will lean on senior running back Kyron Jones for offense and who posted a 299-yard, four touchdown performance earlier this season against Cuthbertson. Jones has run for over 100 yards three times this season for the Knights strong ground game.

Knights head Coach Jason Estep believes his team is more than ready for this big-time matchup, as he said, "we have had a great week of preparation. Our guys know what's on the line and now it's time to go get it."

The game always seems to have conference championship ramifications and this year is no different. Providence Day head coach Chad Grier said, "The winner of this game typically earns the Big South championship and in addition has significant state playoff seeding implications." Grier continued, "This is THE rivalry game. We enjoy rivalry games with Latin and Country Day as well, but this one is similar to Duke – Carolina. They are literally right down the street from us, our kids and families know each other."

Although the rivalry is strong, both sides respect what the other has accomplished and what they stand for, as Grier said, "we have a great respect for the Charlotte Christian coaches and their program. Winning this game means we have beaten a very good football team; it means a lot to our entire community."

Players to Watch

Providence Day Chargers

QB #1 Jadyn Davis (Junior) – The #1 QB in the class of 2024 has completed 77% of his passes for 1,671 yards and 22 touchdowns in 6 games. He averages a 139 QBR and has multiple FBS scholarship offers.
Junior WR's (#7) Channing Goodwin and (#3) Jordan Shipp – The 4-star duo has a combined 66 catches for 1,047 yards to go along with 8 touchdown receptions each.
CB/RB #12 Chris Peal (Senior) – The #1 Cornerback in the state has short area quickness, is great in man coverage, and at 6-foot-2 180-pounds, he plays with major college physicality. He also plays on the offensive side of the ball where he's accounted for 809 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns.
OL/DL #70 David Sanders (Sophomore) – The 6-foot-6 255-pound sophomore is considered the #1 prospect in the country in the 2025 class. On offense, he's recorded 15 pancake blocks. On defense, he's been just as disruptive with 22 total tackles and 4 sacks and 3 QB hurries.

Charlotte Christian Knights

RB #5 Kyron Jones (Senior) – The 3-star NC State commit averages a gaudy 13 yards per carry and 123 rushing yards per game and has hauled in 12 catches for 160 yards in 6 games this season.
QB #2 Cam Estep (Senior) – The Appalachian State commit has 1,350 yards passing and has completed 56% of his passes for 19 touchdowns this season. The Charlotte Christian leader was a perfect 9/9 with 275 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win over Harrells Christian Academy last week.
DE #99 Brock Benton (Senior) – The 6-foot-4 235-pound Duke commit comes in with 31 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 5 QB hurries.

Providence Day Keys to Victory