Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Curley Wolves Pluck Owls In Second Round Of Play-Offs

There are eight teams left in the Class AA state play-offs, and Prescott is one of them after soundly taking out McGehee, 34-12, last Friday.

This Friday is the quarter-final rounds for these teams. Prescott will play at home. The Wolves will host the Atkins Red Devils (finishing third in the 5AA Central Conference), who upset the Dover Pirates last week, 13-12.

After the initial possession of the Owls, the Curley Wolves controled the game until the reserves went in the game in the final period.

However, the Owls were no slouches. They were tough, especially on the defense. But their offense moved freely on that first possession.

Once more Prescott won the coin toss and elected to receive beginning the second half.

The Owls began the first drive on their 25-yard drive and moved the ball down to the Prescott seven-yard line in seven plays, almost flawless. In fact, C.D. Flemons probably saved a touchdown when tailback Donnie Blackmon broke away for a big gainer. He was stopped after a 21-yard run.

After the Owls reached the Prescott seven, Terence Spratt received the ball on the handoff. He was tackled around the four, but stretched out for just a little more ground. He may have thought he could stretch into the end zone, but he didn't. When he extended the ball to arms' length, it came out of his hands and rolled around in the end zone.

Prescott's Rashad Johnson fell on it for a touchback to end the drive for McGehee.

However, six plays later Sam Marlow fumbled with the Owls getting the ball back at the Prescott 32. This time the Prescott defense knew the program of the Owls. They stopped them at the 16-yard line, 84 yards away from a Prescott score.

However, the Prescott offense had not learned the McGehee defense. All through the first half, the Prescott running game was almost shut down. This drive was crucial, then, even though the score came from a field goal -- a first in several games.

On first down, Carlos Vanhook was stopped for no gain. Quarterback Al Johnston carried the ball next on an option and came up just a few inches short of the first down, which Vanhook got on the next play.

Johnston again gained nine yards, getting to the 35, and again Vanhook picked up a first down, this time gaining 11 yards.

Johnston then surprised the Owls with a bomb. Channing Butler surprised the McGehee defender as well. Johnston rolled to his left and saw Butler wide open toward the center of the field. His pass, however, was directly toward the defender. Butler went over and took the pass over the head of the Owl for the completion at the McGehee 13.

On the next play the ball was fumbled, but Prescott recovered back at the McGehee 20. Johnston then handed off to Flemons, who was caught in the backfield for a loss; then Prescott was penalized five yards for a delay of game. Johnston, however, connected with Johnson on a pass that netted 16 yards, setting up the field goal.

The ball was on the 15 and the kick was back about seven yards, so the field goal traveled approximately 32 yards through the uprights for the first play of the second quarter.

No doubt the field goal inspired the Curley Wolves, who only allowed two first downs the entire quarter for the Owls. Prescott didn't do much better. They only had three. The quarter was definitely a defensive game.

With 1:54 left in the half, Prescott punted with the ball rolling dead at the eight. A pass for Blackmon fell incomplete. On the next play Aaron Taylor was hit as he was trying to pass again and the ball fell free. This time, however, he was in the end zone. Tobias Tidwell fell on the ball for the safety, making the score 5-0 with 1:39 left in the half.

The `free' kick by McGehee was taken by Rashad Johnson at his 39 and he managed 10 yards before being stopped.

Al Johnston went into shotgun formation for better passing maneuverability. His first pass for Johnson fell incomplete. He had to come out of formation on the next play and run, losing ground. However, his next pass was caught by Flemons at the Owl 29 for the first down.

His next pass, again for Johnson, fell incomplete in the end zone. However, his next pass was caught by Flemons among the defenders for the touchdown.

Coach Eddie Jackson elected to go for two points. Johnston connected with Justin Jernigan with a defender all over his back, but the officials ruled Jernigan was out-of-bounds. The score was 11-0 to end the half.

Prescott only had 38 yards rushing the first half, but Johnston had completed four passes for 98 yards, which would be his total for the night. The third quarter, however, was Prescott's -- the Wolves were in control.

On the kick-off to begin the third period, McGehee was penalized, because Aquila Johnson's kick went out of bounds. Prescott got the ball at their 35.

Once more Marlow was stopped for no gain, but Johnston gained nine yards on an option play. On third down his pass fell incomplete, so Prescott had to punt. Their game plan fell into place.

Coach Jackson in every game has encouraged his punting team to get down in a hurry. It paid off. The ball was fumbled by the receiver and Tidwell recovered the ball for the Wolves at the 32 of McGehee.

This time when the ball was given to Marlow, he knew what to do with it. He went left and up the sideline. There was no stopping him as he went into the end zone for the TD. The 2-point conversion, a Johnston to Vanhook pass, worked and Prescott led 19-0 with 10:47 remaining in the third.

Prescott had capitalized on a big mistake, but it wasn't over yet.

The Wolves stopped the Owls again and McGehee had to punt, but an Owl got in the way and the punt hit him in the back. The officials penalized the Owls for the re-kick. This time Prescott got the ball at the McGehee 37. Enter Tracy Stafford for some surprises for the Owls.

Stafford gained two on the first play, and Vanhook got five more. On the next play Vanhook picked up two more, but a major penalty against the Owls moved the ball to the 13.

Stafford gained three more yards, and on the next play he picked up eight yards and a first down at the McGehee two.

Vanhook got the call and the touchdown from the two. The point after try by Mike Fountain missed, but Prescott led 25-0.

Terrell Burton's kick went out of bounds, causing a penalty. Burton knows how to handle this situation. His next kick went into the end zone. Now for more defense.

The Owls managed a first down -- to their 35. They lost one yard on a fumble, then Flemons got to him on the next for a nine-yard loss. On the next play Flemons got to him again for another nine-yard loss.

From their 14 -- fourth and 31 -- the Owls decided to kick with the punter in the end zone. The snap was