Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

PHS Seniors Sweep Blevins In First Basketball Homecoming

A first occurred Tuesday, Jan. 25, at Prescott High School as the Wolves and Wolverettes enjoyed their inaugural basketball homecoming.

While tradition has held homecoming is for football, with the exception being those schools without a football program, all this changed at Prescott.

Parents and students seemed to enjoy the spectacle, but the Blevins Hornets and Lady Hornets were none too pleased.

This is because they were demolished on the hardwood when play began.

Taking the floor first, the Curley Wolves demolished the Hornets 67-47.

However, at the start the Wolves had their hands full with Blevins.

Early on the Hornets played step for step with Prescott, with neither squad shooting well. With 5:25 showing Prescott held a slender 6-4 lead.

Blevins made use of the long pass to help stay with Prescott, firing the ball downcourt to open players for reasonably easy baskets.

However, the Wolves started to pick up the pace midway through the first period, bulling their way to a 13-8 lead with 3:19 left.

The Wolves forced Blevins to turn the ball over time and again during the mid-part of the opening frame, and used a full-court press to keep the Hornets off balance offensively.

Prescott built its lead to 19-10 with 1:45 showing, and looked to be in complete control of the game.

But, the Hornets weren't ready to roll over and play dead. Blevins began fighting back and cut the margin to 21-18 by the end of the frame.

Blevins scored first to get the second quarter underway, making the score 21-20. This, though, was as close as the Hornets would get for the rest of the game as Prescott kicked its game into another gear.

The Hornets looked to run early, but Prescott had superior speed, making this an effort in futility for Blevins.

Meanwhile, the Wolf offense began to click with the rock finding the bottom of the net time and again.

Prescott edged to a 25-22 lead with 6:07 left in the half, stretching this to a 30-22 margin with 4:40 showing. The 3-2 zone Blevins was in had little effect on the Wolves' game.

Smelling blood, the Wolves began their attack in earnest, ending the half with the score 40-25.

Neither team was smooth at the start of the second half, though Blevins did open with a trey.

However, the biggest problem the Hornets had was keeping up with Prescott's speed. The Wolves ran the court as if they were running track.

Prescott pushed its lead to 51-34 with 2:58 showing, and then got a bit lax, slowing the pace.

The period ended with Prescott holding a 55-38 lead.

The final eight minutes saw Blevins launching bombs in an attempt to get back in the contest, while the Wolves simply put their game on cruise control.

Both coaches cleared their benches to get everyone into the game.

WOLVERETTES 59

LADY HORNETS 33

There was nothing pretty or nice when the Wolverettes took the court in the night's finale.

Prescott's senior girls simply whipped the Lady Hornets up and down the hardwood, ending the game with a 59-33 win, though it could have easily been much worse.

It did take Prescott a while to get warmed up, though. In fact, Blevins held the early lead at 2-0 and stayed close at 6-5 with 5:13 showing.

Then, however, the Wolverettes began pressing and pressing hard. This forced turnover after turnover, which lead to easy buckets for Prescott.

From the 5:13 mark until there was 1:14 showing in the first, the Wolverettes went on a 21-0 run, with the Lady Hornets wondering what had hit them.

The first frame ended with Prescott up 23-5.

The second quarter was no better for Blevins as the Wolverettes were merciless, pushing their lead to 31-11.

Prescott had the Lady Hornets on the ropes and was ready to deliver the knockout punch, as the Wolverettes remained aggressive on defense, though no longer pressing.

Blevins paid dearly for each mistake made, as the Wolverettes would race downcourt looking to drain two or three.

When halftime arrived Prescott held a comfortable 35-16 lead.

During the shoot-around at halftime the Wolverettes were relaxed and having fun. Blevins, though, didn't leave the locker room until halftime was almost over.

Prescott took up where the team had left off in the second period, playing a tenacious defense and solid offense.

At times the Lady Hornets were flatfooted, watching the Wolverettes play as they were unable to keep pace with Prescott.

However, the Wolverettes showed kindness and didn't run up the score, though they could have. Instead the team worked the ball looking for good shots and taking time off the clock.

Period three came to its conclusion with the score 48-24.

The only question remaining at the beginning of the fourth quarter was what would the final score be. The outcome had already been determined.

Officials let both teams play, with Prescott lightening up somewhat early on