Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Hughes Runs Over Curley Wolves; PHS Now 0-3 After 30-22 Loss

For the third consecutive week, the Prescott Curley Wolves have taken a defeat. The first time anyone at the ballgame can remember it happening.

The Gurdon Go-Devils, who trounced the Wolves 30-22 Friday night, are now 3-0. As someone asked at the game, "When was the last time Gurdon was 3-0 and Prescott was 0-3?" No one remembered.

What will be remembered, though, is that Gurdon won and Prescott lost.

And it could have been the other way. A lot of ifs entered into the game: If the Wolves could have just made the first down in the last period; or: If the Wolves had not tried to make a first down on fourth and 18 deep in their own territory; or If the call had gone as an incomplete pass instead of a fumble, etc.

Of course, what coach David Bennett was attempting to do was to come out of a bad situation with a win. Backed up to the his own 12, quarterback Al Johnston had no one to throw to on first down. He had to run around in the backfield, amd finally was stopped for a loss of one yard. Then a five-yard penalty set the Wolves back to the six. Then Johnston was hit for a loss at the four. He barely got the ball away on fourth down, but not to anyone.

And that was it for the Wolves. It was easy for the Go-Devils to score from four yards out, and that's what they did to make the final score 30-22. Time was running out for the Wolves.

In all three games it has been catch-up for the Wolves. In the first two, it was catch-up from the beginning. Friday night Prescott scored first, giving them the momentum they needed against the undefeated Go-Devils.

And it seemed to work.

After the Wolves scored, Gurdon moved to the Prescott 18, but were stopped short of a third first down. Prescott had to punt back to end the first quarter, but Gurdon then had to punt.

The Wolves were putting up a good defense. The momentum was theirs.

Once more Prescott had to punt and the momentum balloon was burst.

The ball was on the Gurdon seven-yard line. Justin Jernigan took the snap and the punt went out to the 35, where it was caught by Eric Hatley, who saw open room and weaved his way for a Gurdon touchdown.

Gurdon coach John Pace could see no reason to have a tie with Prescot. He elected to go with the two-point conversion, and quarterback Jarrod Toland went in to make the score 8-7.

The momentum had been given to Gurdon. This was the turning point for the Wolves. It was Gurdon's game the rest of the night, although time after time the Wolves kept fighting back, keeping the Go-Devils from running away with the game; and, finally, coming within two points to tie the game in the final period.

Prescott's first quarter appearance looked very good. They had taken the opening kick-off, made a first down, but had to punt on fourth and eight. That's when the defense went to work.

Gurdon, which does not have an effective passing game, attempted a pass on first down. It was deflected big time and Al Johnston caught it for the turnover. After gainig around 12 yards with it, Prescott took over at the Gurdon 30.

Staying on the ground, the Wolves made a first down in three plays, then another in two plays. They were withing striking distance at the Grudon four, where Carlos Van Hook had the privilege of scoring. The point after try by Mike Fountain was good and Prescott led 7-0 with 6:53 left in the quarter.

But the momentum is now in the hands of the Go-Devils, who were ready for revenge after two big losses. Prescott took a 16-0 victory in 1995 and 14-0 last year in 10 and one-half minutes before Gurdon called it quits during a thunderstorm.

Though Gurdon hadn't won many games in recent years, in 1994 they spoiled Prescott's homecoming with a 14-6 win.

Prescott made a first down with a 12-yard run by Van Hook, putting the ball on their 44. Then Van Hook gained nine more, but two yards were lost on the next play. That's when the fumble, as the officials called it, was made.

Johnston went back to pass, but was hit and lost the ball. Prescott's fans and coaches thought it should have been called an incomplete pass, but Hatley had picked it up for Gurdon and went the 50 yards or so for the TD. Another Toland two-point conversion and the Go-Devils led 16-7 with 7:31 left in the half.

Prescott drove the ball into Gurdon territory on the next series, but were stopped on fourth and eight at the 27. Then Gurdon was stopped at the Prescott 33 on downs. So both teams were doing a good job of keeping the other from scoring.

In the third period, Prescott was stopped on the first series. Gurdon on the other hand began a scoring drive at their 40-yard line with Kenny Hughes, Kaleph Williams and Chauncey Charles getting the rushing call down to the Prescott 21.

At the 21 Toland completed a pass to Hatley that netted 20 yards. From the one Williams went over for the TD. Hughes went in for the two- point conversion to make the score 24-7 with 5:56 left in the period.

Each team then swapped punts with Prescott starting a scoring drive at the 28.

On first down a pass was attempted for Douglas Flenory with the officials calling an interference call against Gurdon. This moved the ball to the 43.

Johnston then connected with Jason Morrow with a pass that moved the ball to the Gurdon 13.

The Prescott offensive line then let Johnston get sacked for a five yard loss. A penalty against Gurdon moved the ball closser, however. Johnston then hit Morrow with another pass, this time in the end zone for the for the TD.

Coach Bennett elected to go for two points with Van Hook taking the ball across and making the socre 24-15 with 1:09 left in the third period.

Gurdon had the ball when the quarer ended, but punted on fourth and six when the final period had just begun.

On first down, Johnston attempted a pass to Morrow that was intercepted by Hatley, blowing Prescott's chances of catching up at this point.

Gurdon made a first down, but had to punt on fourth and eight on the next series. On the two previous punts, Prescott had let the ball bounce around and be blown dead by the officials.

This time the Wolves were to do it again. However, the ball took a sideways bounce that was chest high to Mike Fountain. He detected the Gurdon players had slowed down and were not pressing, so he grabbed the ball and ran.

Running down the left sideline he went 57 yards for the touchdown. He also kicked the extra point to make the score 24-22 with 9:13 left in the game, enough time for Prescott to score if the they could stop the Go-Devils.

Gurdon was quick to make two first downs and then a third with the help of a Prescott penalty. But the Prescott defense forced Gurdon to punt on the next series on fourth and three. That's when Prescott was backed up