Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Curley Wolves Are Champions!

The Prescott Curley Wolves are definitely number one now.

In a great defensive battle in the Class AA state championship title game Saturday afternoon in War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, the Wolves beat the Nashville Scrappers, 14-8.

This is Nashville's second defeat by the Wolves this year.

The Prescott defense outperformed the Scrappers in the very beginning when the Wolves stopped Nashville on fourth and one inside the 5-yard line. Then they did it at the end when Prescott quarterback Barrett Yates, playing free safety on the defense, intercepted a pass as the Scrappers were trying for one more do-or-die attempt.

And the offense did its part by running out the clock with the ground game in the second half -- just as coach Eddie Jackson at halftime said they would do.

The game was all Prescott's -- offensively and defensively.

The victory belonged to the Wolves and with it the state championship trophy. This was the first championship for Jackson in 20 years. The last was in 1975.

The game also proved that the first victory in the regular season -- on September 29 -- was no fluke as many of the Scrappers thought. The Wolves are for real.

When asked at halftime, with the Wolves leading 6-0, how or if the game would be played the same in the second half, Jackson responded, "We are going to try to keep it on the ground and run some time off the clock." And that he did, keeping the ball out of the hands of the Scrappers.

The Nashville Orange and Black did not even make a first down in the third period. Quarterback Jared McBride attemped only one pass; it was incomplete. In all there were only six offensive plays in the third period by the Scrappers. The Prescott defense held them to a minus 5 yards rushing during the period.

Unlike the September 29th game McBride did not pass for 300 yards. The Wolves held him at bay, but he did complete 12 of 29 passes for 193 yards. In September against Prescott McBride passed for 317 yards.

But, like the September 29 game, the Wolves did sack him. In September it was 8 sacks. Saturday it was only 3, but it was enough that he was gunshy until the fourth period when he had to put the passes in the air in an attempt to get some points on the scoreboard. From the sacks and tripping up himself, McBride finished the game Saturday with a minus of 16 yards rushing. In September it was 76.

And, like the September game, the Curley Wolves wouldn't let the Nashville running game get started. The Scrappers had a net of 23 yards in the four quarters. They rushed for 15 in the first, 4 in the second, minus 5 in the third and 9 yards in the fourth period.

That's defense.

And the Prescott offense came through as they were coached.

Even without running back Courtney Bryant the Wolves were able to move the ball. In all they rushed for 155 yards in 43 tries.

Barrett Yates as quarterback passed 15 times. He only completed 5 passes for 89 yards, but it was yardage when yardage was needed to keep the ground game going. He passed for the first touchdown, and he later passed for the 2-point conversion. While he missed with two-thirds of his passes, you have to give credit to the Nashville defense, which was much better than it was in September.

It appeared that maybe the Scrappers thought the Prescott team was centered around only one player. Not so. Jackson's team this year was complete. His defense complemented the offense as did the offense with the defense. It was a good solid team all the way, with outstanding players on defense and offense.

The all-district and all-state players will be announced soon and don't be surprised to find a lot of Wolves on it, including the most valuable players (offense and defense) as well. We certainly could name some.

Prescott won the coin toss and elected to kick the first half and receive the second half. Nashville started on their 26-yard line. In this game penalties were virtually nil. No first down was made with a penalty as was the case in the semi-finals.

As expected McBride came out passing, and again on the third play for the first down at the Prescott 44. The Scrappers were out early to prove why they were there.

A running play began the next series, then a sack at the hands of Stan Koger had the Scrappers at the Prescott 49 with a third and 15. McBride found his receiver on the next play and had a first down at the Prescott 13 with Al Johnston and Sam Marlow covering up Greg Washington, the receiver.

McBride then ran on the option play and gained 5 yards. Lavell Leeper picked up 3 on the ground, Cleotus Hughes got another one, and then Brian Dougan was stopped solidly by the Prescott defensive line just inches away from the first down.

Prescott had to punt on its first possession. The Wolves made three first downs before doing so, however.

The punt moved Nashville back. McBride started on his 7 and the Scrappers had to punt later from their 14 with Prescott taking over on the Nashville 34, very good position for a score that was not to come yet.

On the first play Montra Montgomery fumbled with Hershel Taylor getting the ball for Nashville. In all Prescott would fumble twice in the game, losing both of them. The Wolves would also lose the kickoff in the fourth period when the Scrappers went for an onsides kick and captured the ball.

Nashville, however, had to punt the ball again, as did the Wolves on their next possession. Prescott's punt went into the end zone, giving the ball to Nashville on the 20.

Thanks again to the defensive efforts of Koger and to Rashad Johnson and Larry Henderson the Scrappers had to punt on their 28 on fourth and 14. The punt was partially blocked and Prescott had the ball at the Nashville 44-yard line, a good beginning for the first scoring drive of the day.

On the first play Yates kept the ball on an option, and everyone got to see a different side of the Prescott quarterback. He twisted and turned and carried defenders with him as he gained 9 yards on the play. The Wolves were penalized on the next play, moving the ball back to the 40.

A fumble on the next play was recovered by Yates, who gained four yards with it. Then Carlos VanHook picked up 6 yards and a first down at the Nashville 30.

Yates attemped a pass to Al Johnston, then one to C.D. Flemons. Not one to give up Yates went again to Flemons who caught the pass for a first down at the 13.

He tried a short screen pass to Flemons on first down and missed, then one to Rashad Johnson in the end zone that missed. The next pass went to Flemons in the flats at the 13, who got past one tackler and into the end zone for the touchdown. The point after try by Yates was wide left and the score remained 6-0 with 1:06 left in the half.

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