Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Curley Wolves Score 5 TDs; Roll Over Panthers, 34-12

In a game full of fumbles and interceptions the Prescott Curley Wolves managed five touchdowns to easily handle the Ashdown Panthers, 34-12.

The Panthers lost the ball to Prescott seven times on turnovers; four were fumbles, the others were pass interceptions. The Wolves lost the ball four times on turnovers, two fumbles and two interceptions.

Courtney Bryant of Prescott was the game's leading rusher with 169 yards, including two touchdowns with a 43-yard dash and one from 93 yards out.

Rashad Johnson also scored two Prescott TD's. One was on a 46-yard pass from quarterback Barrett Yates and the other from an interception immediately following the preceding TD catch.

Montra Montgomery provided the Wolves with the other TD with a rush from five yards out.

Prescott ended the game with 17 first downs to Ashdown's 11.

The Wolves had their best night this season with a total of 330 yards; 244 on the ground and 86 from passing.

Ashdown took the opening kickoff, but punted after losing ground on three tries. The Curley Wolves managed two first downs, driving to their 47 before fumbling to Ashdown for the first turnover. Two plays later the Panthers fumbled with Steve Neece getting the ball for Prescott at the Ashdown 45-yard line.

On the next play each team had offsetting penalties, then Montgomery gained two yards to the 43 setting up the first TD. On a tightend reverse Bryant went 43 yards for the score. The point after try (PAT) was missed. (To this point the Wolves had not made a PAT all season.)

Prescott's defense kept Ashdown from getting past the Wolves' 15-yard line on the next Panther drive, but the same thing happened to Prescott then, with the Wolves punting on the first play of the second period.

Then, on Ashdown's second play of the quarter they lost a fumble to Prescott. Turn-around is fair play. On Prescott's second play the Panthers came away with an interception that was bobbled by Ashdown's Barry Gaddis with Dylan Bowman getting the pass.

Ashdown succeeded in getting another first down before losing the ball on another fumble. Ditto Prescott.

Then the Panthers, working from their own 21-yard line, lost another fumble with Larry Henderson picking it up at the 20 and getting it to the five before being stopped. From that point Montgomery took it in. Yates connected with C.D. Flemons for a two-point conversion, making the score 14-0.

Ashdown's first kickoff of the night began the third quarter with the ball beging taken by Johnson at his three. He managed six yards on the return. Two plays later Bryant, after he was nearly taken down at the line of scrimmage, got a good block and down the sideline he went for 93 yards and a score. The PAT was missed again, leaving the score at 20-0.

Then came the turnovers again.

Ashdown was able to get a couple of first downs before Johnson intercepted a pass. A late hit had the Wolves at the Ashdown 44-yard line, and on the first play Yates was intercepted.

Panther quarterback Joe Jester missed with a pass then Willie Duckett broke loose with a 11-yard gainer for the first down.

Duckett again got the call and gained eight yards, moving the ball into Prescott territory. Fullback Doug Dunn plowed through for a 34-yard gainer at the Prescott nine.

However, Duckett lost two on the next play, but Bary Sanders managed to get into the end zone for Ashdowns first TD. The PAT was blocked by the Prescott rush, leaving the score at 20-6.

Rashad Johnson took the Ashdown kickoff at the 10 and moved it to the 33 for Prescott's next scoring drive.

It was Bryant ending the third quarter on a five-yard run. Montgomery then got the call and enough for the first down at the 43.

Mongomery again got the call and moved the ball four yards, then sophomore Heath Duke got the first down at the Ashdown 46, setting up the next touchdown.

Yates hit Johnson around the 38-yard line with Johnson get past the secondary for the TD. Coach Eddie Jackson let John Cornelius attempt the PAT this time with Cornelius getting the ball over for the extra point. The Wolves led 27-6 with 10:10 left in the game.

Ashdown took Mike Fountain's kickoff at the 10 and returned it to the 30 before he was stopped.

Ashdown came out passing with Johnson intercepting the ball around the 35 or 40 and running it untouched into the end zone for the fifth TD. This time Fountain attempted the PAT and it was good to move the score to 34-6 with 9:44 left in the game.

Fountain's kickoff went to the 16, but the return brought it back to the 48 with coach Jackson putting the reserves in.

Jason Northcross got the call and picked up a first down for Ashdown at the Prescott 32 before he was stopped.

He got the call again and picked up another first at the Prescott seven.

Surprise! Northcross once more took the handoff and went in for the score with 8:58 left in the game. The fake kick for the extra point failed, and the score remained 34-12.

In just over two minutes Prescott had scored twice and Ashdown once.

Prescott's reserves had the ball on the Ashdown 26 when the game ended.

Tate threw nine passes, completing four for 86 yards; two were interceptions and three incomplete. Reserve quarterback Al Johnston attempted three passes, but all were incomplete.

Jester attempted 13 passes for Ashdown, completing two 56 yards.

The Curley Wolves were penalized four times for a total of 30 yards. Ashdown was penalized five times for 52 yards.

In all Prescott had 43 offensive plays; Ashdown had 52 for a total of 245 yards, 189 rushing and 56 passing. Ashdown's biggest gainers were Dunn and Northcross with 59 and 63 yards respectively.

This week the Curley Wolves will open the 7AA Conference with Junction City at the PHS stadium. Game time is 7:30.

While the Dragons are 1-2 the Wolves don't need to think they will be pushovers. It must be remembered that many of the students who would normally attend Junction City have been excluded from attending again, as long as they live in Louisiana.

The State Department of Education `discovered' last year that Junction City had many Louisiana students in attendence. Louisiana was unwilling to reimburse the state of Arkansas for educating their children so the students can no longer attend school at Junction City.

For this reason Junction City will drop down to Class A next year.