Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Go-Devils fall to Prescott in season opener, 34-8

Four Go-Devil seniors went out to midfield Friday night as captains for first coin toss of the season. Only two would see the entire game to its end.

Gurdon won the toss and elected to defer until the second half. Senior Brandon Sanders kicked and Prescott made a return of 10 yards. The first play from scrimmage gave Gurdon a taste of why the Wolves are ranked so highly this season.

Prescott quarterback Zach Martin completed a 30-yard pass to receiver A.J. Lewis who took the ball 50 more yards for a touchdown. With just 21 seconds off of the clock and a successful extra point, the Devils were down by seven.

Things looked just as grim as the Devils took over on offense. A run by Marcel Johnson and then one by Hunter Johnson got the Devils negative yards. Then quarterback Barry Nolan failed to complete a pass and the Devils had to punt.

Prescott began its second possession on offense with running back R.J. VanHook running the ball twice for 40 yards. The runs took their toll, but the injury that resulted may have been worse. Senior lineman Eric McCuistion injured his ankle and had to be helped off the field. It was announced later in the game he had been taken to the emergency room and released soon after.

Prescott continued its drive with two more runs and an incomplete pass. This set up a fourth down and eight situation. The Wolves decided to go for it and it did not pay off.

Gurdon got the ball back and Nolan ran for four yards to start the drive. After a holding call against the Go-Devils and a facemask call against the Curly Wolves it was third and three. Jamelle Lacy tried to pick up the first down, but he was stuffed at the line and the Devils had to punt. The Wolves took over on the Go-Devil 40-yard line and the defense stepped up. Two Prescott runs and an incomplete pass made it nowhere and Prescott was forced to punt.

Gurdon could not get its running game going and despite and eight yard completion to junior Ben Gooding, it was three and out for the Devils.

Prescott then took over after the punt and struck quickly. Martin threw a quick pass to Lewis who took the ball 55 yards to pay dirt. The extra point sailed through and the score was 14-0 in favor of the Curley Wolves.

Prescott had a penalty on the kick, but that would not matter because the Wolves would strike the end zone one more time before the first quarter would end.

In Gurdon's first play of the drive, Lacy fumbled and Prescott recovered. The next play the Wolves quarterback Martin aired the ball out to receiver Ray Smith who made a juggling catch for a 45-yard touchdown. Another extra point was put through the uprights and the score with 3:38 left in the first quarter was 21-0.

The Go-Devils next drive would provide some glimpses of light in what was a dark quarter. A personal foul against Prescott helped Gurdon get good field position.

A nine-yard keeper by Nolan and then a short run by Lacy gave the Devils their initial first-down of the game. A big completion of 17-yards to receiver Davion Williams on the following play gave Gurdon another first down. A loss on a run and an incomplete pass left Gurdon in a third and 13 situation. Hunter Johnson came through for the Devils and made it within inches of a first down. Gurdon decided to go for it and Lacy picked up three yards and the first down. He then made another small run to get Gurdon down to the eight-yard line. The next play Marcel Johnson broke into the end zone for the first and only touchdown for the Go-Devils.

The extra point was fumbled but Nolan made up for it as he out ran the Prescott defense to the goal line for two points.

The Wolves started gaining with their runners the next drive, but Prescott back VanHook was hit hard in the backfield and fumbled. Hunter Johnson recovered the ball and Gurdon took over.

Nolan would start the drive out with a run for seven yards and a pass for a small gain. Lacy then dove for a first down, but came up short and Gurdon had to punt.

A hard hit by lineman Robert Plyler drove Prescott back five to start their drive. Another loss, an incomplete pass and a penalty would end it.

Gurdon got the ball back but went three and out and had to punt themselves.

Punter Hunter Johnson booted the ball high into the air and as soon as a Prescott player touched the ball, a host of Go-Devils were there to pounce on the opportunity for the turnover. A run by Lacy and catch by Williams gave Gurdon 10 yards and a first down. Gurdon would lose five on the following play, but made up for it with a first down completion from Nolan to Williams.

A 13-yard pick up by Marcel Johnson and a nine-yard run by Lacy would take the Devils down to the four. However, Gurdon could not capitalize on the opportunity with two runs for no yards and two incomplete passes. Prescott took over and took a knee to end the first half.

Gurdon received the kick and could not get any offense going and was forced to punt at the start of the second half.

Prescott took over on the Gurdon 42 and besides a 22-yard pass from Martin to Lewis, Gurdon shut down the Wolves. After a short pass on fourth down Gurdon took over on downs.

Sophomore Cameron Kennedy would get his only run of the night and picked up 10 and a first down. Kennedy then caught a five-yard pass. Nolan would complete another pass to Marcel Johnson and Hunter Johnson made a 17-yard run. Nolan tried his luck in the air once more and was intercepted by VanHook who took the ball to the Devil's 36.

Gurdon would shut Prescott down on the next four plays and take the ball back.

However, the Wolves did the same to the Go-Devil offense and a high snap over the head of Hunter Johnson would kill hope for a comeback. After a flag against the Go-Devils, VanHook took the ball in from the five for a touchdown. The extra point was again good and the score was 28-8.

The Go-Devils received the ball and the third quarter ended with a sack on Nolan for a big loss.

The fourth quarter picked up right where the third left off and Nolan was again sacked.

The Devils would punt, but the first play of the Wolves drive was a fumble and Gurdon recovered. The offense could not get anything going though and had to punt. Sanders filled in at punter and put the ball on the Prescott five with a nice kick.

A few short runs for Prescott would lull Gurdon into a false sense of security, but VanHook quickly made them snap out of it with a 74-yard touchdown run. The extra point was blocked and the score was 34-8.

Bad went to worse on the next drive as Gurdon was shut down on offense and their offensive leader Nolan was injured. The injury appeared to be his ankle, and he was carted off. The Devils punted but would shut down the Wolves and get the ball back. Gurdon then fumbled and Prescott ran out the clock to end the game in victory.

Next week Gurdon will have its hands full again when they take on number one ranked Charleston and may have to play them minus two starters. The game is another non-conference game and will take place at Go-Devil Stadium at 7:30 p.m.