Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Curley Wolves End Season With Loss To Ashdown

All hopes for a state play-off berth quickly died last Thursday as the Ashdown Panthers took control of the last scheduled football game for the Prescott Curley Wolves and went home with a 33-6 victory.

It wasn't a contest to see which team would wind up in the cellar, but it was close. The winner came in fourth, getting the last spot for the play-offs; the loser stayed home. As it turned out the Curley Wolves finished fifth in the 7AAA Conference behind Nashville, De Queen, Mena and Ashdown. The last three teams were Bismarck, Fouke and Fountain Lake, all taking beatings last week against Nashville, De Queen and Mena.

Prescott coach Kirk Armitage said his players were ready for the Panthers prior to the game. However, the team could never get going offensively, and the defense made a big mistake the first half when it let Kendrick Gulley slip through for a big 65-yard touchdown run. A few moments later a pass interception went 35 yards for another touchdown against the Wolves.

The Prescott offense only rushed for 75 yards the entire game. Josh Bullock, quarterback for the Curley Wolves, only completed one pass for three yards during the game, which made a total of 78 yards for the entire game. He attempted 12.

Ashdown first scored with just under nine minutes left in the half. Gulley broke through the right and went down the sideline for the TD run. After getting past the defensive line there was no one to stop him. Alan Gentry added the extra point to make it 7-0.

Prescott's Mark Jones took the Panthers' kick-off at his 25 and was stopped at the 33-yard line.

On first down Rafael Marlow rushed for two yards to his 35-yard line. On the next play Bullock attempted a quick pass for Decolen Prater that was intercepted by Gulley, who was untouched again as he went into the end zone. This time Gentry missed the extra point for the score to remain 13-0 with 8:32 left in the half.

Marlow took the next kick-off at his 10 and was determined that he would give the Wolves a better field positionand he was determined to hold onto the football. He was finally stopped at his 48 after a gain of 38 yards.

Bryan Joseph gained two yards on first down; Marlow picked up another four; then he was stopped just short of the first down near the Ashdown 42-yard line. Marlow was able to pick up the first down at the Ashdown 38.

Jones then gained 11 yards for another first down at the Ashdown 27-yard line.

Marlow gained five yards on the next play, then gained nearly five more, coming up a foot short of the first down. However, he managed four yards on the next carry and would have gotten more if he had not fallen down. It was enough for a first down at the 14.

Marlow got the next three calls, picking up two, six and one. From the five Joseph went in for the TD with 3:06 left in the half. The point after try by Jesse Wright missed, leaving the score 13-6 in favor of Ashdown.

Each team only managed four first downs during the half. However, Prescott was not to get another as the Panthers completely dominated the second half.

The Curley Wolves rushed for 73 yards the first half (and only two yards in the second) with Marlow getting 53 yards on 19 carries.

Bullock attempted five passes the first half, completing one for three yards and having one interception. The other three fell incomplete.

Marlow opened the second half with a kick-off that was taken by Gulley at the 10-yard line. Gulley went to the 33 before he was stopped. Ashdown's next scoring drive started from that point.

The drive climaxed eight plays later when Gulley went up the middle from 20 yards out for the touchdown. The extra point kick was good to make the score 20-6.

Prescott was forced to punt on fourth and six with Bullock's punt just netting nine yards.

However, the Curley Wolves got a break on the first Ashdown play. Matt Metzger was carrying the ball and, after getting to the Prescott 31, he was hit and fumbled the ball with Joseph falling on it for Prescott. But three plays later Prescott fumbled the ball on a pitch back with the Panthers taking over on the Prescott 35-yard line.On third and three Prescott lined up offsides to give the Panthers a fist down at the 23.

Ashdown drew a five-yard penalty on third and four, moving the ball back to the 22, but on the next play, a reverse, the Curley Wolves were fooled and Jonathan Scott picked a first down at the five.

Metzger managed one yard on the next play, then Stevin Britt took the ball on a delay play and went in for another TD. This time the extra point kick was good for the Panthers to go up 27-6.

After this score Prescott had two more possessions without getting a first down. The second Bullock punt, from his eight, was ruled dead at the 32. Once more the Panthers went to work to score.

The score came from seven yards out six plays later, when Metzger took the ball in. The extra point kick missed for the score to remain 33-6.

The Panthers had 12 first downs the second half. They gained 156 yards on the ground.

In all the Panthers had 288 net yards, 269 on the ground and 19 passing. Wes Aylett, the Ashdown quarterback, attempted five passes.

Gulley was the game's biggest rusher with 130 yards on eight carries.

The Curley Wolves were penalized five times for 35 yards. Ashdown was flagged eight times for 55 yards.

Prescott suffered from three turnovers while capturing one Panther fumble.

This week the Panthers will have to travel to Paragould to play Rivercrest.