Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wolves Burn Dragons in 7AA Opener

Three touchdown passes helped clinch a fairly easy win over the Junction City Dragons by the Prescott Curley Wolves Friday night. The final score was 34-14.

Now Prescott, Gurdon and Stamps are in the lead in the 7AA Conference race. However, this week will change the scene.

For one thing Nashville has not played a conference game. They will be here Friday night to show the Wolves what they are made of. The Wolves could show them a thing or two, as well.

Next, Gurdon and Stamps, both 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference, will clash at Gurdon.

While Prescott has not lost a game, it has tied Hope, a Class AAA team. There will be no ties this Friday. It will be play ball until a winner is declared at Prescott and Gurdon. So, a change in the league's leadership will be made.

Everyone expected Nashville to go undefeated this year through the regular season. Some said that Fordyce and Gurdon, and maybe De Queen, should be watched, but no one said very much about Stamps, and now here they are 4-0 with a big win against De Queen last week.

Yeah, next week will be different.

Friday night's game was no surprise in Prescott. The Wolves' offense is looking good. It could use some improvement, in some cases a lot of improvement, because most of the easy stuff is over with. The defense will have to play tough all four quarters and dig in to stop the bigger boys from the bigger conference schools, such as Nashville, De Queen and Fordyce. There will be no easy going from here on out.

Prescott only got 15 first downs Friday night from a total of 295 yards (222 yards rushing, 73 passing), but a lot of the yardage was picked up on big gains -- 34 yards, 39, 18, 14, 22, 11, etc. Therefore, while it would appear that many more first downs should have developed it did not.

On the other hand Junction City had a total of 220 yards (215 on the ground, 5 passing) and 11 first downs.

Courtney Bryant was Prescott's leading rusher with 110 yards net for the night. He carried the ball only six times, scoring the first time he got the ball from 34 yards away. This came in the first quarter on the second offensive play for Prescott.

By comparison, Karllance Grimes of Junction City rushed 21 times for 140 yards. His biggest run was 70 yards and a TD in the third period. Grimes had also scored the other Dragon TD on Junction City's last possession.

The Other Prescott TD came from Montra Montgomery from 7 yards out in the third period.

Prescott quarterback Barrett Yates attempted two passes in the first period, but both were incomplete. In the second quarter he threw seven, completing four for 73 yards and the three TD's. He was on target for several of the incompleted passes, but the receivers just couldn't hold on to the ball.

Thanks to a good kickoff return by Heath Duke, Prescott was in good position to start the game. He took the kickoff at the 20 and was finally stopped at the Junction City 34.

Yates came into the game ready to pass. On the first play he nearly connected with Rashad Johnson at the end zone, but Joey Allen of Junction City spoiled his plan.

However, he came up with a delay on the next play and handed off to Bryant. The play was executed perfectly as Bryant went for the Wolves' first TD. Yates added the extra point to make it 7-0.

The rest of the quarter went along with both teams exchanging punts or fumbling. Near the end of the period Junction City attempted a fourth down situation from the Prescott 29, but couldn't convert. This began Prescott's next scoring drive.

On the first play Bryant went 39 yards to the JC 32-yard line.

Montgomery then gained 10 yards for another first down at the JC 22.

He then gained two yards on the next play, which ended the quarter. Then Yates went to the passing game again, hitting Bryant with a 20-yard TD pass. And Yates kicked the extra point for a 14-0 lead with six seconds gone in the second period.

Once more the two teams exchanged punts with Junction City getting the more yardage on the offensive plays, but Prescott getting the best field position on the kicks.

The Curley Wolves began their next scoring drive at the JC 41-yard line with Bryant picking up six of the 10 needed for a first down. Yates again passed and hit Johnson for a first down at the 30.

Junction City was penalized for five yards giving the Wolves a first and five at the 25. Yates had his target at the 13, hitting Cedric Flemons with a pass with Flemons going in for the touchdown. This time Mike Fountain kicked the extra point, making the score 21-0 with 3:53 left in the half.

And once more the Prescott defense did their part by making the Dragons punt on fourth and 12. This set up the Wolves next touchdown.

Beginning at the JC 49, Montgomery gained six yards, then Tracy Stafford got the first down at the 33-yard line.

Next, Bryant rushed for 18 yards for a first down at the 15.

Butterfinger time. Yates fumbled the ball once, getting the ball back, and he began to scramble, but was tackled behind the line of scrimmage, where he fumbled once more, but luck was with him again as he fell on his own fumble at the 23-yard line.

The defense just shouldn't have made him mad.

Yates went into the shotgun formation and threw a pass for Johnson in the end zone, but a defender was in the way. However, the defender couldn't hold on to the ball and in the meantime Johnson was on the ground on his back. The ball fell into his hand for the TD. The PAT by Fountain was good for a 28-0 lead.

Jerry Stegall, JC's quarterback was beat and knew it. With the clock running out he took the snap and went to his knees. However, they tried a surprise pass on the quick snap next, but it didn't fool the Prescott defense. Scott Graham intercepted the pass to end the half.

The scoring wasn't over. Prescott kicked off to begin the second half, but once more Junction City stalled with a fourth and 12.

The punt was taken by Al Johnston at midfield and returned to the JC 21-yard line. Braynt picked up the first down at the seven on a pitchback play.

Then Montgomery got the ball and went in for the TD. The point after try was missed by Fountain. The score was 34-0.

However, the Junction City players weren't finished. With coach Eddie Jackson substituting some off the bench the Dragons moved the ball 70 yards in 13 plays for their first score of the game.

The series of plays were climaxed when Grimes scored from the Prescott seven-yard line. JC went for the two-point conversion and Jewel Easter took it in to make it 34-8.

Prescott got two more first downs and were as close as the two-yard line, but finally attempted a field goal from the seven. Flemons' kick was blocked, so the score remained the