On 1 leg or 2, Ardrey Kell’s Curtis shows he can dominate. QB leads blowout of Providence
It will take more than a twisted knee to slow quarterback Jack Curtis and his Ardrey Kell teammates this season.
Curtis suffered a knee sprain last week in his team’s shutout of previously undefeated T.C. Roberson in Asheville, and there were a few doubts whether he’d be able to start Friday night in the Knights’ big game against Providence.
“The docs put the knee in a brace, and I had limited mobility in practice,” he said, moments after leading his team to a 41-10 trouncing of the Panthers. “But I really wanted to be out here, playing in this game.”
The outcome spoiled Providence’s bid for a perfect regular season and left the two teams with 6-1 overall records and 5-1 marks in the SoMeck 7 4A.
Ardrey Kell’s medical staff worked wonders with Curtis, a 6-3 junior. And they created a nightmare for visiting Providence.
Curtis threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns. He even completed one pass while standing on one leg.
That came in the first quarter, on one of the few occasions when the Knights’ offensive line didn’t give their quarterback enough protection. Curtis was being chased by two Providence defenders, and as he was being dragged down, he managed to get off a pass that was caught by Quentin McCall for a 15-yard gain and a first down.
“No, you can’t practice that,” Curtis said. “I saw my man out there, and I used my body strength to get rid of the ball.”
There’s not much question about Curtis’ arm strength.
He played youth football with the South Charlotte Patriots, and the head coach – his dad, Scott – put Jack at quarterback. And there he stayed, through middle school, except for the year he missed in eighth grade due to a shoulder injury.
By the time Curtis arrived at Ardrey Kell as a freshman, he had a decision to make.
“I played baseball, too,” he said. “I would pitch for part of the game and then catch.”
Curtis had to chose between football and baseball – at a school where the baseball program is among the best in the state.
“It was football for me,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. It was a tough choice. But I’m glad I made the choice I did.”
So is Ardrey Kell head coach Greg Jachym and the rest of the Knights’ program.
“Jack has a lot of upside,” Jachym said. “He is still learning. He is a real student of the game, and he’s always picking up something new. He’s a great kid to coach.”
Curtis said Jachym has a lot to do with Ardrey Kell’s success.
“Coach Jachym lets us be ourselves,” he said. “But he’s always there to help us when we need it. I really enjoy playing for him.”
THREE WHO MATTERED
Jack Curtis, Ardrey Kell: Curtis completed 18-of-31 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns. Each of the touchdowns was for more than 30 yards.
Josh Johnson, Ardrey Kell: Johnson, a senior wide receiver, caught six passes for 121 yards. He scored touchdowns on receptions of 48 and 39 yards.
Eddie Czaplicki, Providence: The Panthers’ standout senior kicker punted nine times for an average of 40 yards. Twice, his kicks pinned Ardrey Kell inside its 15. He also connected on a field goal of 40 yards.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Friday’s outcome left Ardrey Kell. Olympic and Providence tied atop the SoMeck 7 4A with 5-1 records. Each team is 6-1 overall. A draw was scheduled late Friday night or early Saturday to determine which teams would get the conference’s two guaranteed playoff berths. But with a 5-1 conference record, even the third-place team is in line for a wild-card playoff berth.
Ardrey Kell athletic director Brian Knaub said a hat draw was held to determine seeding. Providence got the 1 seed and Ardrey Kell got the 2. Both teams will get automatic playoff bids. Olympic, which is now seeded third, will have to hope for a wild card.
▪ Ardrey Kell has the conference’s top offense, but the Knights’ defense was superb Friday night. They held Providence’s standout running back, Jamar Price, to 26 yards on 19 carries. “They have a really good ground game,” Ardrey Kell coach Greg Jachym said of the Panthers. “The idea of stopping them really fired our guys up.”
▪ Ardrey Kell junior defensive back Jayson Angulo set the tone in the first quarter. Three times, he stopped Providence’s Price for a loss or no gain.
▪ Curtis’ four long touchdown passes gave the Ardrey Kell crowd plenty to cheer about, but the Knights had another big play too. In the fourth quarter, Jamier Moten picked up a Providence fumble and dashed 38 yards for a touchdown.
Providence 0 10 0 0 -- 10
Ardrey Kell 7 6 14 14 -- 41
AK – Brevin Caldwell 31 pass from Jack Curtis (Alex Chillcott kick)
AK – Josh Johnson 48 pass from Curtis (kick blocked)
PR – FG 40 Eddie Czaplicki
PR – Jamar Price 1 run (Czaplicki kick)
AK – Quentin McCall 40 pass from Curtis (Chillcott kick)
AK – Johnson 39 pass from Curtis (Chillcott kick)
AK – Jamier Moten 38 fumble return (Chillcott kick)
AK – Beylor Morgan 1 run (Chillcott kick)
