Wolves honored at banquet

By Staff, 01/13/17 11:14 AM

PRESCOTT – Football season may be over, but accolades for the Curley Wolves continued Thursday night with an appreciation banquet for the team.

The banquet was a joint effort by the Prescott Lions and Rotary clubs and held at the Prescott High School cafeteria and was also a fundraiser to help purchase championship rings for the team. Eddie Jackson, former Wolf coach, was the featured speaker.

Jackson said he wasn’t a public speaker but loves to talk football, especially Curley Wolf football. He coached the Wolves for 28 years. “There’s nothing like Curley Wolf football.” He talked about coaching teams in Texas and said Texas football has nothing on the Wolves.

“We’re here to honor these young men. They did a great job.” He told the packed house, he breaks everything he does into four quarters. “We’re here to honor the coaches, players, band, cheerleaders and community. The ones on the field win the titles, but everyone shares in it.”

The program Prescott has, he said, has been improved upon each year, and this is a good thing. Because of this, he continued, Prescott is known as a football town and school. He pointed out Prescott also has something unique in the fact that players from one family, the Vanhook family, have had players on three championship teams.

“You have to have two things to be a great team,” he said, “leadership and effort. You had that.”

Jackson called Head Coach Tommy Poole to the podium and talked about leadership. Poole said coaches get awards for being coaches, but all he worried about was winning the 2016 state title.

To have a successful program, Jackson said, requires support from the school’s administration, school board and teachers. “There’s no free lunch and the superintendent and school board know this. Teachers and coaches learn it.”

During his coaching career, Jackson stressed trust, commitment to excellence, being able to care, doing what’s right, doing the best you can and following the golden rule.

Poole followed saying Jackson made Prescott football what it is today as he set the groundwork for the program. “This is a celebration of winning the state title, a great accomplishment. What the Wolves did on Dec. 10,” he said, “will be with them the rest of their lives.”

Poole told the players they need to be better people than football players and they will be a success in life. He thanked everyone who helped and supported the Wolves throughout the season, and recognized the special team players.

Brian Glass, offensive coordinator provided statistics for the 2016 Wolves. He said the team rushed for 3,368 yards, a new school record, passed for 2,429 yards, putting this seventh on the list all time, and had a total of 5,797 yards, which is the fourth most all time. The 2016 Wolves averaged 388.6 yards per game, fifth overall; scored 592 points, fourth overall; and averaged 39.47 points per game, sixth overall.

He pointed out Carlos Vanhook was the first player in Prescott history to rush for more than 1,400 yards in two consecutive seasons.

Jason Patrick, defensive coordinator, said he knew the Wolves had a chance to be good on defense and heading into the season the idea was for the defense to keep the Wolves in the game until the offense got going. The offense got going in week one and didn’t stop.

He said the defense’s mottos was “do your job” with the players taught to do what they were supposed to do and trust the other to do what was expected of them. Patrick pointed out the Wolf defense forced a lot of turnovers, and was tops in the state on interceptions in a single season with 26, the last three coming in the title game on Dec. 10.

He and Glass gave the audience encouragement for the 2017 season saying they have a good nucleus coming back. On offense, four of the seven linemen will be returning, with six coming back on defense.

Charles Haynie, a member of the Prescott Lions, presented offensive awards to individual players, while Lee Walker, president of the Rotary Club, did the same for the defense. Traci Rucker recognized the PHS cheerleaders, pointing out they finished second in competition for the state title.

James Cannon gave the closing remarks, saying around $1,500 was collected for the rings from the banquet.