Roughly 38 miles north of Bank of America Stadium, where Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers hold serve on the gridiron, the glorious September sun beams through majestic, 80-year-old oak trees and blankets the 52-acre campus at Combine Academy.
The boarding school sits near the middle of Lincolnton, N.C., a city that oozes Southern charm, where chain restaurants are scarce, mom-and-pop shops thrive, and 10-foot-tall cornstalks provide an ethereal backdrop for the boundless porch swings.
The Zen vibe is a stark contrast to the organized chaos that’s ensuing inside of John Jordan Gymnasium near the back of Combine’s campus.
