Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Curley Wolves Squash Redbugs, 12-0, For Title

The defensive battle of the 7AAA Conference at least in the sight of Prescott fans took place Thursday night in Fordyce as the Curley Wolves took a 12-0 victory over the Fordyce Redbugs to win the district championship outright.

Prescott and Fordyce were tied for first place before the battle last week. Now it's the Curley Wolves who get the best bracket and the best opportunity to advance in the state play-off games that begin Friday night here in Prescott. (See related article below.)

Fordyce won the offensive battle on stats, but in the end it's the score that matters, and that's where Prescott came out ahead.

In the first quarter each team had to punt three times. Prescott's Brad Harris average 36.7 yards a punt on his three and Casey Turner, who did the punting for the Redbugs, averaged 27.7 yards. Prescott's punts counted quite a bit more than those of the Redbugs, because each punt gave the Curley Wolves a little better field advantage. This paid off early in the second quarter as Prescott went ahead 6-0.

The first quarter ended with a 26-yard punt by Turner and with Harris receiving it and meeting the challenge of a certainty of a tackle from a host of Redbugs. The Wolves took over on their own 42.

On the first play of this possession, Terry Woodley, who was the game's leading rusher, took the ball to the Fordyce 26-yard line for a big first down, Prescott's first.

On the next play he lost a yard, and on the next one he lost another, bringing up a third and 12 for the Curley Wolves.

Quarterback Josh Bullock attempted a pass to Andrews Fellows that fell incomplete, bringing up a fourth down. This time Bullock found Edward Glenn in the end zone, who made a leaping catch for the touchdown. The point after kick failed to keep the score at 6-0 with 10:14 left in the half.

As close as the Redbugs could get to a score was near the end of the half when they got inside the Prescott 20-yard line, their only presence during the night.

It appeared that the Curley Wolves had prevented the Bugs from so deep in Prescott territory, but a defensive pass interference call against Prescott gave the Redbugs a first down at the Prescott 15. This was the only Prescott penalty last week that gave the opponent a first down.

Then Cody Culp, the Redbugs' quarterback, fumbled the ball, but fell on it in the backfield for a big loss. The Wolves were then penalized again to move the ball to the 19-yard line as the half ended. But the half cannot end with a defensive penalty, so the Redbugs had another chance. They took the opportunity to try a field goal and missed badly to keep the score 6-0.

Prescott only netted 40 yards on the ground the first half while Bullock's TD pass added another 28 for a total of 68 yards.

By comparison the Redbugs rushed for 81 yards and Culp passed for five more.

The Curley Wolves only had two first downs during the half while Fordyce had five.

Each quarterback was intercepted once during the half for the only two turnovers. Robin Wynn stole one from Bullock and Glenn took one away from the Redbugs.

The two defenses were at war, but Prescott was winning the battle. The Wolves only gave the Redbugs one first down on penalties during the entire game, a major improvement.

The defenses went at each other again the third period. Prescott only managed 26 yards and one first down. Fordyce was held to seven yards rushing, but Culp had one pass for 21 yards. The Redbugs had three first downs during the quarter.

Two big defensive plays for Prescott in the quarter were a 12-yard sack by Woodley against Culp, and Kentrell Rogers, Fordyce's fast running back, getting caught behind the line of scrimmage twice for minus yardage.

It looked depressing for the Curley Wolves in the fourth period once, when Rogers broke away for long yardage. It appeared any time he could just go for the big score, but thanks to a stubborn defense he was stopped.

In the third period a Redbug punt was blocked by Fellows to lift the spirits of the members. However, the offense just could not take advantage of the good field position. The Wolves made a first down with Woodley carrying the ball three times, and were threatening at the 24-yard line of Fordyce. On the next play, though, Woodley stumbled as Bullock was handing off. Fordyce recovered the fumble for a turnover. But the Redbugs only made one first down and had to punt. That was it. The Wolves neither let the turnover affect their playing ability nor did it change their faith and determination.

Prescott had the ball going into the final period and made three first downs bam, bam, bam. But on fourth and 11 from the Fordyce 31, a halfback pass failed badly, giving the Redbugs the ball. Fordyce came back with the same play and were successful for a first down with the 33- yard play. They were on the Prescott 36.

A Fordyce penalty moved the ball back to the 41. Only a yard was gained on the next play, but then a five-yard penalty was called against the Wolves, moving the ball up to the 40. Enter the secret play that failed for the Redbugs. Turner hit his man down field with what some call a "hook and ladder" play. The reception was made and the receiver was supposed to 'flip' the ball to a teammate on the run. It didn't work.

The flip of the ball was made, but a Redbug wasn't running by. Glenn scooped it up for the Curley Wolves and went down the sideline to the 41-yard line, where he was knocked out-of- bounds.

Harris had to punt on fourth and seven with Fordyce beginning a drive from their 33-yard line. On the first play Rogers broke through the line, but he was finally brought down at the Prescott 35 after a 32-yard gainer.

Walker picked up three yards on the next play, then Culp tried a pass that was tipped and could have been anyone's ball, but no one knew where it was. The next one was a running play for Rogers, but Culp's connection missed on the hand-off. The ball did a basketball bounce straight up from the ground and Calvin Flemons was there to get it. He out-distanced the Redbugs 65 yards for the second TD, which called for celebration. The Wolves were flagged and Bullock couldn't move the ball in for a two-point conversion for the score to remain 12-0 with 3:13 left in the game.

On their second play the Redbugs fumbled back to Prescott, and the team knew it was time to run out the clock. Starting at the Fordyce 33, they moved the ball to the 17 before they stalled. The Bugs took over with 31 second left and on second and 10 Mark Jones intercepted a pass that put the game away for sure.

Prescott rushed for a net of 118 yards with Woodley getting 102 of them. Bullock passed for 39 more for a grand total of 157 yards and seven first downs. This, of course, does not include the 65 Flemons had on the fumble recovery-touchdown.

Fordyce rushed for 130 yards and gathered in 59 aerial yards for a total of 189. Rogers rushed for 68 yards net. The Redbugs had 10 first downs.

Penalties still plague the Curley Wolves. They were penalized nine times for 75 yards. The Redbugs had five penalties for 40 yards.

The Wolves were intercepted once and fumbled once for two turnovers. Fordyce turned the ball over five times. Turnovers will definitely hurt you. Bullock attempted six passes, completing only two, one for a TD. Culp tried 16 passes and was successful on three. He had three interceptions.

A big factor in a game is the crowd. Prescott's crowd was very noisy and succeeded, no doubt, in helping the Wolves with their win last week. Now it's time for the PHS stadium to be full and equally noisy for the play-offs. We have the home field advantage. Let's support the Curley Wolves big time.

In other conference games last week De Queen beat Fouke, 34-8, on Thursday, and on Friday Nashville easily handled Fountain Lake, 47-6, and Mena took Bismarck, 40-32.

In addition to Prescott, Nashville, De Queen and Fordyce being in the play-offs, all three non-conference teams that Prescott played the first of the season are in the play-offs

• Mineral Springs' only loss this year was to the Curley Wolves. Mineral Springs was winner of the 7AA West Conference. They will host the Camden Harmony Grove team Friday.
• Hope, one of Prescott's three losses, will travel to Harrison to meet the top-ranked team from AAAA West. The Bobcats finished fourth in AAAA Southwest.
• Gurdon, another team that beat the Curley Wolves, will travel to Smackover, second in the 7AA East Conference. The Go-Devils finished third in 7AA West.