Providence holds off rival Ardrey Kell, wins first league title in four years
Providence completed an unbeaten Southwestern 7A/8A Conference championship run Thursday on its soggy home field, running past arch rival Ardrey Kell, 28-14.
Providence, which hadn’t beaten Ardrey Kell since a 43-13 win in 2017, took charge early and ended any ideas of a shared championship with Ardrey Kell and Palisades.
Thursday’s game started out like it might be a track meet as each team scored in the first 66 seconds. Providence’s Kaleb Vines scored on a 49-yard run and Ardrey Kell’s Jared Curtis threw an 80-yard score to Jeremiah Jones almost immediately after that.
But Providence (7-3, 5-0), ranked No. 15 in The Observer’s Sweet 16, began to settle down after that and eventually took charge of the game.
A pair of Luke Meador touchdown passes gave Providence a comfortable 21-7 halftime lead. And when Wellsman Johnson scored on an 8-yard run early in the third quarter, the Panthers had built a comfortable lead.
The Knights (6-4, 3-2) would close within 28-14 on Curtis’ second TD throw to Jones with 6:01 left in the third quarter and threatened three more times.
But Ardrey Kell was stopped on downs at the Providence 7, 22 and 25 on its next three possessions.
“I think the reason we are where we are is because of the teams we played early on,” said Providence coach Weslee Ward, whose team started 1-3 but has won six straight games. “We’ve been through some tough games. And we’ve had some injuries and some kids have left the team and we’ve had to step in at different places.
“I think us working through the season with all of that is really showing in the back half of the season. Just the maturity and getting the job done.”
THREE WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
Keland Shelton, Providence: He had 103 combined kickoff and punt return yardage in addition to making plays on offense and defense for the Panthers.
Kaleb Vines, Providence: Rushed 13 times for 76 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 22 yards. His first touchdown was a 49-yard run in which he appeared stopped at the 40 but maintained his balance and continued down the right sideline for a TD.
Jared Curtis, Ardrey Kell: Passed for 176 yards and two touchdowns and directed a 237-yard offense.
NOTABLE
— Providence’s conference title is the school’s sixth in its 37-year history — and first since 2021. Charlotte Country Day (30), Charlotte Catholic (27) and West Charlotte (22) are Mecklenburg County’s all-time leaders in conference titles.
— When Ardrey Kell opened its doors in 2006 with many students coming from what had previously been the Providence district, it instantly created a rivalry between the schools. Providence’s win Thursday night snapped a series-long six-game winning streak for the Knights, who still lead the all-time series 10-9.
— Providence quarterback Luke Meador passed for 138 yards and directed a 228-yard offensive attack that also included a trick play; Providence punter Jamison Causey completed a 28-yard pass out of punt formation to Bryce Taylor that set up the Panthers’ go-ahead score late in the first quarter.
THEY SAID IT
“It took a little while for the young kids to grow up. But once they matured, I knew we could play with just about anybody.” — Providence coach Weslee Ward, whose team has 11 seniors on its roster.
SCORING SUMMARY
Ardrey Kell 7 0 7 0 — 14
Providence 14 7 7 0 — 28
First Quarter
P: Kaleb Vines 49 run (Jamison Causey kick)
AK: Jeremiah Jones 80 pass from Jared Curtis (Drew Ludwick kick)
P: Vines 4 pass from Luke Meador (Causey kick)
Second Quarter
P: Chase Taylor 41 pass from Meador (Causey kick)
Third Quarter
P: Wellsman Johnson 8 run (Causey kick)
AK: Jones 4 pass from Curtis (Ludwick kick)
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 9:35 PM.
