Nic Stephens Powers Arab to 41-21 Win Over Ardmore

ARAB, AL – Junior quarterback Nic Stephens accounted for four touchdowns Friday night, leading Arab to a 41-21 victory over Ardmore and pushing the Knights to a perfect 2-0 start in Class 5A, Region 8.

Stephens completed 11 of 17 passes for 220 yards and three scores, then added a rushing touchdown of his own. His steady hand in the pocket, paired with a punishing ground game, proved too much for a scrappy Ardmore squad that fought hard but couldn’t keep pace.

First Half Action

Arab set the tone early. Stephens found sophomore Julian Borjas on a sharp strike downfield, one of three grabs on the night for the young receiver that totaled 80 yards. That connection put the Knights on the board and signaled a long night for the Ardmore secondary.

The visitors didn’t fold. Ardmore answered with a scoring drive of its own, mixing the run and pass to trim the deficit and remind everyone why the program entered the night at 1-0. But Arab kept punching. Mason Ingram, a workhorse from the opening whistle, chewed up yardage between the tackles and set up short scoring situations. Ingram finished with 144 yards on 18 carries, giving Stephens plenty of room to operate through the air.

By halftime, Arab had built a comfortable lead, thanks in large part to a balanced attack that kept Ardmore’s defense guessing.

Key Turning Points

The tide turned decisively when junior Tucker Willis got involved. Willis touched the ball just twice all night, yet turned both catches into touchdowns, racking up 80 yards in the process. Those explosive plays swung momentum firmly in Arab’s favor and stretched the margin beyond reach.

Defense sealed it. Senior Landon Pitt did his damage on both sides of the ball, rushing nine times for 49 yards and two touchdowns while also snagging an interception that shut down an Ardmore drive at a critical moment. Pitt’s pick was the kind of two-way effort that flips games, and it drained any hope of an Ardmore comeback.

Stephens capped his big night with a rushing touchdown, adding to his three scoring throws and putting an exclamation point on a complete quarterback performance.

Final Outlook

Ardmore has plenty to build on despite the loss. Now 1-1 in Class 4A, Region 7, the team showed fight and moved the ball at times against a strong opponent. Cleaning up a few defensive lapses will be the focus heading into next week’s road trip to Hamilton.

For Arab, the win keeps the season rolling. The Knights improve to 2-0 in Class 5A, Region 8 and travel to Albertville next Friday, carrying the confidence of a balanced offense and an opportunistic defense. If Stephens keeps distributing the ball the way he did against Ardmore, and Ingram keeps grinding out yards on the ground, Arab looks like a team ready to make noise in the region race.