Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Bobcats Bite Curley Wolves, 45-20

When you bleed all you got you can't bleed anymore.

The Curley Wolves gave it all they had, but it wasn't enough to win Friday night against the Hope Bobcats. The final score was 45-20.

Prescott just doesn't have the depth or the talent to go up against in the schedule this year. Not that the Wolves don't have the will power or the determination or the want tothey have all that. It's just that there are not enough experienced players, not enough big ones, not enough depth.

When a team has to play both waysoffensively and on the defense, they wear down. Against a much bigger team they wear down in a hurry. Although, surprisingly, they stuck with it longer than some could have. It was tough hitting, just the kind of game that takes everything out of you.

They tried, but just couldn't do it.

And the officiating wasn't necessarily the best either. But the calls went both ways. Each team had 13 infractions, Prescott for 85 yards and Hope for 100. As one coach remarked during the game, "They're trying to make it a three-hour game."

Prescott had 30 players listed on the roster in the program and Hope had 61. Hope also had the height and weight. So, combined, and no matter how gutsy they were, Prescott was beat all the way around. No matter who has the potential or the strength, the weaker challenger always puts up a good fight. And that can be said about last week's contest.

One would hope that the Bobcats did not take everything out of the Wolves. Homecoming is this Friday and horror of horrorsagainst another old enemy, the Gurdon Go-Devils.

There is a prize that goes with this game, though. The winner gets to keep a traveling trophy awarded by the Nevada County Picayune and The Gurdon Times. Last year the Go-Devils took it. The Prescott players will play their hearts out Friday to try to get it back.

Prescott won the coin toss to begin the game and elected to receive the second half and letting Hope start the game offensively. Prescott's defense let the Bobcats have six yards before they had to punt. A fumbled reception (and a recovery by Prescott) had the Wolves backed up at their one.

On Prescott's first play someone lined up offsides to set them back a half-yard. Then quarterback Josh Bullock tried to hit Decolen Praetor with a pass around the nine. The ball was off the mark and Isaac Hendrix grabbed the interception and went in for the score. The point after try was good to make it 7-0 with 9:33 left in the quarter.

Bullock threw another interception three plays later, but once more the defense held and the Wolves took over on downs. Backed up again, the Wolves had to punt on fourth and 15. It was a good Bullock punt from the end zone with the ball rolling dead at the Prescott 44.

Prescott gave the Bobcats a first down with a penalty and three plays later Jeris White went through the Prescott defense from 21 yards out. The kick for the extra point missed for the score to remain 13-0 with 3:47 left in the period.

Once more the Hope defense held and once more Prescott was backed up near the goal line. This time Bullock barely got the punt away and it was taken at the Prescott 33.

And, once more, the Prescott defense got anxious and jumped offsides to give Hope a first down at the 19-yard line.

D.D. Holyfield got another first down and then went in for a TD as the quarter ended. This time the kick by quarterback Michael Neathery was good to make the score 20-0.

Again the Curley Wolves were stopped without a first down, but this time something else happened. Bullock's punt put the Bobcats in their own territory for the first time in the game.

Hope started this drive at its own 42. On the first play Neathery was nearly sacked, but escaped. A clipping penalty at the 39 moved the ball back to the 24. However, Neathery connected with Hendrix near the Prescott 40. Neathery out-ran all Wolves for the score. This time Neathery's kick was partially blocked for the score to remain 26-0 with 9:53 left in the half.

Prescott's Decolen Praetor bobbled the kick-off and didn't make any headway. The Wolves took over on their 11, with their backs against the wall again.And once more the Hope defense came through. One fourth and 12 Bullock went back to punt, but the snap went over his head, into the end zone and out for a safety. The score was 28-0 with 7:53 left in the second period.

Prescott's defense toughened up and Hope had to punt. With the ball on their own 47-yard line in a fourth and two situation, Coach Kirk Armitage had his team attempt a fake punt. It worked. Instead of the snap going to Bullock it went to Bryan Joseph who got Prescott's first first down of the night.

A personal foul penalty against the Bobcats on the next play gave the Wolves another first down at the Hope 34, the first time in the game that Prescott's offense had gotten that far down field.

However, on fourth and eight at the Hope 36 the team had to turn the ball over when a pass for Rafael Marlowe fell incomplete.

Hope's next scoring drive began at the 36. Hope was penalized with a clip and two plays later Prescott was penalized with a face mask call. The Bobcats, thanks to White managed to get to the Prescott 33 in two more plays. Then C.J. Ellis got the ball, broke several tackles and went into the end zone for the score. The extra point kick made it 35-0 with time running out for the half.

Prescott only came up with two first downs during the half while Hope had seven. The Wolves netted a minus 34 yards the first two periods thanks to the Hope defense getting to Bullock behind the line of scrimmage three times. Prescott netted 13 yards in the air during the same half. Hope in the meantime came up with 149 yards rushing and 76 through the air.

To begin the second half Joseph took the Hope kick-off at his 12 and got a nice returnout to the 43 before he was stopped.

On first and 10 Bullock then connected with Joseph with a pass. The ball very well could have been intercepted, as Hope's Ryan Neal tipped it with the ball coming down in the waiting arms of Joseph, who was ahead of the two defenders. Joseph out-distanced the pair for the score. Armitage decided to go for two points and Bullock hit Praetor with a pass in the end zone to complete the scoring drive and making the score 35-8 with 11:38 left in the period.

The quarter ended without the Bobcats scoring, but threatening at the Prescott 15. On the first play of the fourth period Carlos Bautista kicked a field goal to make the score 38-8.

On the next series the Bobcats had the Curley Wolves backed up to the one. Bullock managed to punt from the end zone on fourth down, but Hope took over only 27 yards away from another score. On second down Ellis took the ball in from the Prescott 23. The PAT was good to make the score 45-8 and 10:12 left on the clock.

Prescott went 74 yards on its next scoring drive, thanks in part to Coach Kevin Stamp substituting. But one cannot take anything away from the subs. They are part of the reserves that help out when called upon. And they gave the Wolves a hard time too.

Bullock tried to pass on first down, but couldn't find anyone open so ran and picked up 15 yards.

Two more attempts fell incomplete, but a Hope penalty moved the ball five yards before another incomplete pass went to the field. Then on fourth and five from the shotgun, where most of the action took place on Prescott's offense, Bullock hit Joseph for a first down at the Hope 43.

A bad call penalized the Wolves on the next play, but another Hope penalty moved the ball to the original line of scrimmage. Bullock then lost three yards in the backfield. On third and 21 Bullock tossed Marlowe a screen pass. Marlowe scampered to the Hope 28 before he was stopped.

A pass to Praetor got another first down at the Hope11.

Another pass missed, then a short one gained six yards. Bullock managed to get to the one on the next play, but a delay penalty on the next play moved the ball back. Bullock had to run again on the next one and a face mask penalty against Hope moved the ball near the two. Another delay was called against the Wolves, moving the ball back to the seven. Bullock then found Praetor on the end zone line for the TD. The after point try failed to keep the score at 45-14 with 4:43 left in the game.Prescott's defense stopped the Bobcats on fourth and seven at the Prescott 40, giving the Curley Wolves another opportunity to score from 60 yards away.

But first an illegal procedure against the Wolves moved the ball five yards farther away. However, Bullock connected with Mark Jones for a first down at the Hope 41.

A bad snap back to Bullock in shotgun formation had him scrambling for the ball. When he caught up with it he barely got the ball away, but connected with his Praetorer brother, Toby, at the Hope five-yard line.

Pass interference was called against Hope on the next play, moving the ball to the 2=-yard line, where Bullock found Joseph in the end zone for another score. The point after try was missed for the score to remain 45-20 in favor of Hope.

Thanks in part to Coach Stamp the difference very well could have been more.

Prescott had a net of minus 30 yards on the ground while the Bobcats finished with 227.

Bullock attempted 30 passes, completing 15 for 206 yards. Hope's quarterback attempted 10 passes, completing four for 91 yards. Neathery's longest went 76 yards and a touchdown. Bullock's longest went 57 yards and a TD.

The fourth quarter was Prescott's best by far, getting seven first downs to Hope's one. In all Prescott finished with 10 and Hope had 12.

Prescott was penalized six times in the final period while Hope received five during the same period.

There were two turnovers in the game, both by Prescott and both by Bullock passes in the first period. In addition, however, Prescott's defense was able to stop the Bobcats twice on downs; Hope stopped the Curley Wolves once on downs.

While Gurdon is no longer in the 7AAA Conference with Prescott, this week's game is still an important one. The rivalry goes back a long time. It is very important for the team to be up when they take the field after homecoming ceremonies.

It's just as important for another large crowd to be present to root for the home team. The team players are always sparked by the presence of its supporters, and they will certainly need your support this week against the Go-Devils.

For those who follow the band it certainly looks like a good show coming up with music from the 70s.