Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Injuries, penalties, turnovers too much for Wolves to overcome

Three turnovers, 10 penalties and a makeshift lineup proved to be the downfall for the Wolves as Prescott dropped its second conference game, 35-7, to De Queen.

The game was evenly played throughout the first half, in spite of the wet, muddy conditions. However, what ultimately proved to be the difference was injuries to Prescott players. The loss of experience could not be overcome.

De Queen won the opening toss and deferred until the second half. This gave Prescott the ball first, but the Wolves could only watch as the kick sailed into the end zone for a touchback.

Starting at the 20, the Wolves were three and out as a miscue second down put Prescott in a third and 15 situation. The pass from A.J. Lewis to Ben Smith was incomplete.

The punt attempt was tipped with the ball rolling dead at the Prescott 35, giving the Leopards a short field.

De Queen stayed in a double wing formation the entire game, making it difficult for the Prescott defense to figure out which back had the ball at times. The Leopards took eight plays to score, grinding the yards out and eating the clock. The 35-yard drive took more than five minutes.

The point after made it 7-0 with 5:48 remaining in the opening quarter.

The ensuing kick again went into the end zone for a touchback, putting the Wolves 80 yards away from the promised land.

Prescott ran 11 plays, getting to the Leopard 10 as time expired in the first quarter. However, the Wolves faced a fourth and five to keep the drive alive.

Again, the Lewis to Smith combine failed to make connection and Prescott turned the ball over on downs.

It was three and punt for De Queen, with the ball rolling dead at the Leopard 41. This was the only time during the night the Wolves had a relatively short field to work with.

Prescott took advantage of its field position, using a scant nine seconds to tie the game. Lewis found a gap in the defense and outran the De Queen players to the end zone.

From there, neither team was able to mount a successful offensive drive, as the game was played between the 20 yard lines, for the most part. Halftime arrived with Prescott turning the ball over on downs at the Prescott 45 and the Leopards gaining nothing.

The third quarter was a mirror of the first two, with both defenses tagging the ball carriers and making life miserable for the other squad.

De Queen took the kick, returning it to the 43, got to the Wolf 37 and turned the ball over on downs.

Prescott ran six plays, was hampered by a fumble (recovered by the Wolves) and an illegal shift call. The Wolves punted to the Leopard 14 with 5:44 left in the period.

The Wolves were nailed for having too many men on the field before play began, giving the Leopards a first and five. De Queen completed its only pass on second down, surprising the Wolf defense and gaining 61 yards. From there, Prescott was hit with a personal foul call, moving the ball from the eight to the four. One snap later and it was 13-7. The PAT made it 14-7 De Queen with 2:43 left.

Prescott's first kickoff return saw the Wolves start at the 19, but get moved back 10 yards on a holding call.

Prescott kept the ball the rest of the third, getting to the Leopard 45 as the quarter came to an end.

Facing a fourth and two, the Wolves opted to go for it, but lost back to the Prescott 47, giving the Leopards the ball.

The Leopards were hit with a holding call moving the ball back 10 yards to the De Queen 37. Three plays later, however, the Leopards found a seam in the Prescott defense for a 39-yard touchdown run. The point after made it 21-7 with 9:46 to go in the game.

The kick was another touchback, putting the ball on the 20. Roger Muldrow lost two yards on first down, with a flag being thrown for holding against Prescott. De Queen declined, taking the down and loss of yards instead.

The Wolves fought to the Prescott 31 before getting flagged for holding again, costing the home team 10 valuable yards. This was followed by a fumble (recovered by Prescott), another holding penalty against Prescott and an offside call against the Leopards.

Following the miscues, Lewis was hit as he went to pass, with the ball being intercepted and returned to the Wolf 17.

Seven plays later, the Leopards scored De Queen's fourth touchdown, this one from the two. The PAT made it 28-7 with 3:20 left.

Following another touchback, the Wolves fumbled with De Queen recovering at the Prescott 37.

The Leopards covered the distance in three plays, scoring on a 32-yard run with 1:32 to go. The PAT made it 35-7.

Statistically the game was relatively even. Prescott was three of nine in passing for 20 yards and one interception, while De Queen was one for one for 61 yards.

Prescott rushed for 231 yards, with the Leopards gaining 234 on the ground. Prescott totaled 251 offensive yards, while De Queen had 295.

The Wolves were flagged 10 times for 75 yards, with the visitors penalized seven times for 50 yards.

Prescott fumbled five times, losing the ball twice. De Queen had no turnovers in the game.

Prescott managed to lead in first downs, 12-11.

Meanwhile, in other 7AAA games, Nashville posted a come-from-behind, 15-12 win over Ashdown in a game of unbeatens, with Fountain Lake remaining undefeated with a 21-14 win over Mena.

The Wolves will be on the road Friday night to try and derail the Cobras. Gametime is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.