Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wolfpack "D" returns, leads team to 7-0 win

One mistake was all it took for the Curley Wolves to post a 7-0 win over a tough Mineral Springs team Friday, Aug. 31.

It was a fans kind of game as the vaunted Wolfpack defense returned to Cummins Field and shut down highly-touted Cortez Swopes. In fact, Prescott's defense made Swopes ineffective throughout the game.

The season got underway with an off track as rains fell throughout the day, slacking off shortly before game time.

Mineral Springs won the opening toss and elected to receive the ball. Shortly thereafter, though, the Hornets would regret this decision.

The Hornet receiver was nailed at the 25 by the Prescott defense.

Mineral Springs gained a yard on first down, running out of the Wing-T formation, but fumbled on the second play from scrimmage, with the Wolves recovering it at the Hornet 24.

Decolen Prater was the workhorse early for Prescott, as he carried twice to the 20, before Damarcus Craven added three.

Facing a fourth and three, Prescott Coach Kirk Armitage elected to go for the first down instead of attempting a field goal on the wet turf. His gamble paid off as Prater bulled his way to the seven.

Prescott's offense relied on nothing more than smash-mouth football, pounding the middle of the Hornet defense.

Prater fought to the one on first down, with R.J. Vanhook finding the promised land on second and goal. The point after was good and Prescott had a 7-0 lead.

From then on it was defensive plays dominating the action.

The kickoff was a mirror-image of the opening boot, with the Hornets taking over at their own 24.

After a gain of one on first down, the Wolf defense was called for being offside, thus moving the ball five yards in the wrong direction. Still, it took the Hornets two more plays to get their initial first down of the game at their own 35.

For some reason, the Hornets had the idea they could pass the ball in the inclement conditions, but were proven wrong time and time again.

The first Hornet pass fell incomplete, but this was negated by a 15-yard run to the 49 on second down after a pass attempt was faked and the ball given to the back on a delay.

For a short while, it looked as though Mineral Springs may be en route to a tying score as they moved down field to the Wolf 48 before making a mistake and being flagged for lining up offside.

After the penalty, the Wolfpack defense tightened, thereby strangling the Mineral Springs offense.

In fact, the Hornets wound up punting from their own 47 because of the defense and penalties.

Vanhook took the punt deep in Prescott territory and almost broke the return for a touchdown. However, he was brought down at the Wolf 49, needing but one more block for the score.

Prater was caught for a yard loss on first down, but the Hornets had no idea what hit them when Craig Teague bulled through the middle of the line to the Mineral Springs 32.

Unfortunately, from there the Wolves went backwards. This wrong-way march began with a holding call, followed by two plays going nowhere.

On third and long, Zach Martin winged a pass toward Jarrod Norwood, but had too much on it.

Fourth down saw Prescott line up in punt formation, with the snap going to the up-back, Prater, who managed to get to the 38 where Mineral Springs took over on downs.

The Hornets, though, went three and out as they were unable to either run or pass against Prescott's defense.

The first quarter ended with Mineral Springs ready to punt.

Prater fell on the punt at the Prescott 25 to get the second quarter underway.

Two plays netted five yards, but third down saw the Wolves lose four and have to punt the ball back to the Hornets.