Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Newsom: Wolves end season with 24 wins

The Prescott Curley Wolves basketball team returned to Prescott Friday after a loss to Rose Bud, but head basketball coach Larry Newsom said the team is to be commended for their efforts.

The kids played hard, he said.

There were several issues facing the undefeated team as they headed into the state playoffs. Newsom said the age of the players was one, while illness and fatigue also took a toll.

The kids were getting pretty tired by the end of the week, he said, citing their week-long stay in a motel in Harrison.

The team took an easy victory over Marmaduke, with an 81-47 win that put them into the second round of state conference play. When they faced Rose Bud, the Wolves simply couldnt gain the lead. With several turnovers and foul trouble that put the Curley Wolves on the defensive, the Rose Bud team managed to stay at least two points ahead of the Wolves throughout the majority of the game.

Newsom said Rose Bud lost six games over the course of the season with four of those to the same team.

They a really good team, Newsom said.

Another issue facing the Wolves during the conference play was the fact that several of the players were fighting off symptoms of the flu.

Newson also cited the brief practice season as an issue against the Wolves. Because several of the teams players also play football, practice didnt begin in earnest until after football season ended. With the Wolves push to the state finals in football, basketball practice began in mid-December.

Newsom said he holds high hopes for the coming year. He said the team will lose two key players. B.J. Benell and Alex Sandler will graduate.

But weve got some post players who can step in, Newsom said.

The Wolves run to the state playoffs was their first since 2002 and only their second since 1980, Newsom said.

We were 24-1 for the season, he said. Hopefully, next year we can get back in there.