Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Curley Wolves Defeated By Mena Bearcats

Friday night was a prime example of how mistakes can lose a ball game.

The Prescott Curley Wolves had seven turnovers against Mena with the Bearcats coming out on top 25-14 in the 7AAA Conference race.

The win will put Mena in third place in the conference. For the Wolves to get in the state play-offs in three weeks they must beat Fouke next week and Ashdown the following week.

Both games will be played in Prescott, so the field advantage should be in favor of the Wolves.

An easy win should be in store Friday against Fouke. The Panthers are 1-4 in the conference race and 2-6 overall.

Ashdown on the other hand is a large Class AAA school (as is Mena), just dropping down from the Southwest AAAA Conference, where the Panthers played such teams as Hope, Arkadelphia, Magnolia, Malvern, Lakeside, etc. They will the team to beat, and a tough one at that with a 3-2 conference record and 3-5 overall.

Statistically, Prescott beat the socks off the Bearcats. But only the score counts.

Prescott finished the game with 17 first downs to Mena's 11.

Offensively, Prescott had 174 yards rushing and 63 passing. Quarterback Josh Bullock only passed once in the first half, incomplete. In the last half he threw 15. Six were caught and eight fell incomplete. One was intercepted.

Briefly the first quarter went like this: Prescott kicked off to the Bearcats. The Curley Wolf defense forced a punt after seven plays. The Wolves were then stoppedand had to punt on fourth and six. On the next Mena possession the Bearcats, who took a short punt from Bullock, drove to the Prescott 24, where they were stopped by the Prescott defense. Now the turnovers.

On second and seven Rafael Marlow couldn't hold onto a wet football and fumbled it away at his 26-yard line. However, the Curley Wolves forced a punt, but Mark Jones let the ball get away from him and Mena recovered on the five.

The Prescott defense pushed them back five yards on the first play, then Jones deflected a pass and on third down the Mena pass fell short. On fourth down, however, the Bearcats were able to take it home with a reverse that went to Mark Davis and he went in for the touchdown. (A defensive team can only stop them just so many times.) The point after try was good for the Bearcats to lead 7-0 with two minutes left in the quarter.

The Mena kick-off went out bounds with Prescott getting the ball at the 35-yard line. It was time for the offense to put a drive together.

Marlow got the first call and gained six yards. Bryan Joseph managed to get two more on the next play, and then Marlow got two more for the first down.

Bullock scrambled for three yards as the quarter ended, then Marlow went right on the first play of the second quarter and gained nine yards for a first down near the Mena 43-yard line.

Joseph broke away and rushed for nine yards on first down and Marlow finished the first down on the next play with a one yard gainer.

Marlow lost a yard on the next play with Joseph getting it back on the next. Bullock then went to the air for Jones and it fell incomplete. On fourth and 10 Coach Kirk Armitage knew his team had to go for it. This time Marlow swept right and found running room to go in for the TD. The extra point kick by Jesse Wright was good to tie the score at seven.

Starting on their 38 after the kick-off, the Bearcats were stopped by the Prescott defense around mid-field, forcing a punt that Decolen Prater fair caught at his 18.

Marlow and Joseph managed a first down on the next two plays, but on the next series Marlow fumbled again. However, the Prescott defense once more came to the rescue and the offense took over after a turnover on downs to stop the drive before the half ended.

Prescott's defense permitted Mena three first downs the first period and only two the second. The Curley Wolves went to the locker room at the break with six, one in the first and five in the second.

Prescott's offense rushed for 109 yards the first half with Marlow getting 76 of them. Mena only rushed for 43 the first half and picked up another 15 through the air in a time frame where the quarterback attempted 10 passes.

In the third period the two teams exchanged punts on fourth down, then Prescott had another possession.This time Marlow got four yards on the first carry, and then he rushed for nine on the second down for a first down at the Mena 47.

On the next play the ball was fumbled on the hand-off for a turnover near mid-field that would become a score. But the score did not come then. It would take another mistake.

On second and nine the Wolves were flagged for a pass interference. Then the yellow flag was thrown for an offsides penalty. The Bearcats were moving the ball  thanks to penalties. Another call went against Prescott two plays later: a pass was intercepted, but the officials ruled the player out of bounds.

From 29 yards away Jared Johnston went left and broke away for the score. The point after try was missed for the Bearcats to lead 13-7 with 3:59 left in the quarter.

It was time for Prescott to do it again, fumble that is. On the kick-off Johnny Rodriquez's kick was taken by Joseph around the 10. He was hit around 10 yards later with Mena recovering at the Prescott 21.

On two plays the Bearcats moved the ball 15 yards, getting a first down at the six.

Mena was then hit with a five-yard penalty, then the Bearcats lost another yard, thanks to Martel Woodley, who stopped Mark Davis at the 12 on the next play. On the next play Davis scrambled nearly to the goal line with the officials placing the ball about a foot away.

On first down Johnston easily got the TD. Once more the PAT was missed and the score remained 19-7.

Prescott got good field advantage after the kick-off. Taking over on their 48 Marlow got a first down at the Mena 41-yard line.

As the third period was coming to a close the ball was fumbled once more, on the hand-off, but Bullock recovered it for the Wolves, losing a yard in the process.

Bullock connected with Jones on the second play of the quarter for a first down at the Mena 30. The Wolves were getting close, but it wasn't to happen on this series of downs.

On the next play Marlow fumbled with the Bearcats taking advantage of the turnover. And once more the Prescott defense had their work cut out for them. Mena had to punt after being penalized five and Jones taking care of the Mena passing game.

On Prescott's next series, after making a first down, it was catch-up time, but not for the Wolves. On fourth and long yardage Coach Armitage called for a fake punt. Bullock's pass intercepted with the Bearcats taking over on the Prescott 38-yard line.

Even though the Bearcats were penalized 10 yards for holding on the first series, Davis broke tackle and was barely stopped before getting in the end zone. From the one yard line Johnston took it in for the TD and once more the point after kick missed to keep the score at 25-7 with Mena ahead.

Rodriquez's kick was downed at the Prescott 26-yard line. The Wolves were ready to drive and ready to score.

On first down Bullock hit Jones with a pass that netted 17 yards and a first down at the 43.

Bullock then missed a pass after getting a high snap from center. The ball was tipped and Jones could not catch it.

On the next play the ball was fumbled again, but Bullock captured it and rolled out before attempting a pass that fell incomplete. He completed one to Prater for a gain of seven yards and then Bullock completed one to Jones for a pick-up of nine and a first down at the Mena 41-yard line.

Bullock missed with a pass on first down, but Marlow got the next call and gained 10.

Bullock had to run some on the next play before attempting a pass to Jones that fell incomplete. Marlow then got the call and gained eight on the round. On his next pass attempt Bullock found Jones open for another nine yards and a first down at the Mena 14.

Joey Wyman in the end zone was Bullock's next target, but the pass was off and fell incomplete. However, one second and 10 Bullock had to run again and picked up the first down at the two-yard line.

Marlow scored the TD with less than a minute remaining in the game. The PAT by Wright was good, but the game was over with Mena winning 25-14.

In the third period Prescott rushed for 23 yards and Bullock passed for 12 more for a net of only 35 yards and three first downs.

In the final period Bullock passed for 51 yards and the rushing side of the offense netted 42 yards for a total of eight first downs.

The Curley Wolves were penalized five times for 45 yards during the game. Mena had the flag thrown against them eight times for 50 yards.

Football fan or not this Friday night you could benefit the Future Business Leaders of America students by eating chicken spaghetti in the Prescott Elementary School cafetorium.

The meal costs each person $5.

Serving time begins at 4:30 and ends at 7:00 p.m.

The Curley Wolves need the support of the home folks. Go out to give them your moral support and also enjoy a halftime program by the band.