Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott stomps Magnet Cove Panthers

By the standards of the previous two ball games, the victory over the Magnet Cove Panthers was a small let down for the fans of the Curley Wolves. The team did not break any scoring records, and looked a little flat early on. But you must hand it to the young men that they continued to fight and came away with a 54-13 win in the last regular season meeting between these two teams. Magnet Cove will move into another conference next year and will probably not factor into the Curley Wolves seasons again.

Uncharacteristically for the Wolves, they did not take the opening kick-off in for a touchdown. In the last two games, Kalin Hall has done just that. Coming close at Centerpoint and making it against Fouke. The Prescott offense took over with good field position however, and three plays later, in a fourth and 4 situation, Termaine Henderson hit Jermaine Henderson for a 53-yard touchdown strike. Two unfortunate penalties moved the ball to the 23-yard line to set up a 40-yard extra point try by Jordan Banks. Banks did not have his magic on this kick, and Prescott led 6-0 with 10:04 to play in the first.

Magnet Cove received Banks kick and started on their 30-yard line for their first offensive drive of the night. The Panthers were trying the Prescott defense with fullback and halfback runs up the middle all night. This offense was a carbon copy of the schemes seen the last two weeks, a multiple Wing-T attack, with miss-direction, hard hitting fullbacks up the middle and waggle passes in the flats. Not many teams have tried to keep their quarterbacks in the pocket against the Prescott defense this year and they have not had much luck sprinting outside either. Magnet Cove managed 16 yards in four plays before punting to Prescott .

Prescott took over on their 26, but could not manage much as the Panther defense sacked the quarterback for losses, coupled with penalties, to force Prescott to go backwards, losing 11 yards in seven plays to punt the ball away on fourth and 45 from their 15-yard line. Of course Magnet Cove got great field position, and promptly marched the ball in for a four-play, 31-yard drive to score with 4:14 to play in the first quarter. The extra point was no good, and the score was tied at 6-6. Prescott got a good return to their 39, and DeMarcus Collier promptly put the ball down on the Panther 38 on the next play. After losing a yard on first down, T. Henderson scored from 39 yards out to take the lead 12-6 with 3:11 to go in the first. Banks was good, and Prescott led 13-6.

Magnet Cove again got good field position from the return team, and started the drive from their 40-yard line. On the third play of the drive, Hall intercepted a pass and went 63 yards for the score. Banks was good, and Prescott led 20-6 with 1:37 to play in the first. Magnet Cove did not fair as well on the next return, and took over on their 29. The Prescott defense dug in, and forced a three and punt for the Panther offense. The punt was short, but Prescott s return man fumbled the ball back to Magnet Cove for a first down on the Prescott 49. This ended the first quarter and Magnet Cove promptly put together an 11-play, 49-yard scoring drive to bring the score to 20-12 with 7:57 to play in the second. The extra point was good and the score moved to 20-13. That would be Magnet Coves last score of the evening.

Prescotts next possession featured Hall, James Threadgill and Collier doing what they do as the Curley Wolves put together a six-play, 73-yard drive to score from 31 out by Halls explosive running abilities. Banks was good and Prescott led 27-13 with 5:39 to play in the half. Magnet would put together an 11-play drive, ending on an ill-advised fake punt option on fourth and 15 from the Prescott 44-yard line. Prescott took over on their 45-yard line and Henderson hit Henderson on the first play for a 55-yard touchdown strike with 1:11 to play in the half. Banks was good, and the score moved to 33-13. Magnet Cove would get three more plays in before the half, but never really threatened to score.

Magnet Coves first drive of the third quarter was a four and out, as the defense gave the ball back to the offense on the Magnet Cove 35-yard line. On the second play, a 33-yard touchdown was wiped away with a clipping penalty and Prescott had to settle for a first and goal from the 9-yard line. But the young man who got them there got the call again and Threadgill bulled his way in for the score. Banks was good, and Prescott led 40-13 with 9:18 to play in the third.

Magnet Cove only managed another four and out, and Prescott took over on the Panther 49. Travaro Coulter, B.J. Haynie and Henderson put together a five-play drive that ended with Coulter going in from the 1-yard line to score. Banks was good, and Prescott extended its lead to 47-13 with 5:36 to play in the third.

The Panthers could only manage three plays before punting to Prescott on a fourth and 20. Haynie took the return all the way in for the score, Banks was good, and Prescott had the 54-13 lead to put the game into the Mercy Rule. The game goes pretty fast after this, with Magnet Cove only mounting three more drives that all ended with failed fourth down attempts. Prescott would mount one more good drive, ending with a 47-yard field goal attempt by Banks. The kick had just enough distance, but was slightly outside. Banks seemed to be pushing the ball all night, and just could not get this long kick to draw back.

Prescott ends the season with the second seed from the 7-3A, and will play the Piggott Mohawks on Friday night at Cummins stadium in the first round of the 3A play-offs. Piggotts last trip to Prescott ended with Prescott hanging 62 points on them. Piggott, in 1999, ran a double tight, double wing offense that was picked apart by the defense after the second drive of the night. We will have to wait and see if Piggott has learned any imagination in the last eight years.