Wolves escape Knights, 50-41

By Staff, 10/8/21 10:30 PM

PRESCOTT – It literally took Prescott’s final offensive possession for the Wolves to take the lead for the first time in the game against Centerpoint at 42-41 with 52 seconds left. The win was sealed with a pick six by Jerry Glass with 15 seconds left to make it 50-41 and keep the Wolves perfect on the season.

The win puts Prescott at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play. It drops Centerpoint to 5-1 and 2-1.

The victory was anything but easy as the Wolves trailed by as many as three possessions during the game against the larger Knights. Centerpoint dominated both sides of the ball until the 5:57 mark of the fourth when Prescott found another gear offensively against the worn out Knight defense. The Knights has a short bench, requiring its starters to play both sides of the ball the entire game. Another turning point came in the third period when Centeroint’s quarterback went down with a knee injury with less than four minutes left. A tangle of players rolled into him as he stood there. Prescott was flagged for a late hit on the play, with the ball moved to the four. Centerpoint scored on the next play and led 35-12 at the time.

From there, though, Prescott outscored the visitors 38-6 for the remainder of the contest.

If nothing else, Friday’s game showed the Wolves have no quit in them. It would have been easy for the squad to give up when trailing 35-12 late in the third, but Prescott didn’t. Instead, the Wolves bared their fangs and dug their claws into the turf, fighting back from oblivion for the win.

Centerpoint won the opening toss and deferred. Each team went three and out on their first possession as neither offense could get anything going.

Carston Poole was picked off on Prescott’s second possession, with the ball returned to the Wolf 19. Centerpoint needed four plays to punch it in from the four. The point after made it 7-0 with 6:24 left in the opening period. This was the entirety of scoring in the frame.

Period two opened with Prescott in possession on Centeroint’s one after Travion Dickens picked off a Knight pass and returned it to the visitor’s 29. Prescott scored on the third play of the second quarter on a one-yard run by Jaylen Hopson. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the score 7-6.

Centerpoint scored on its next two possessions, the first an eight play 73-yard drive. The first came on a 16-yard pass with a successful two-point conversion to make it 15-6. The second score came on an eight play, 68-yard drive with the try for two failing, leaving the score at 21-12.

Prescott sandwiched a touchdown in-between the two the Knights scored. The Wolves had a three-play, 52-yard drive, with Jacaylon Zachery scoring on a 38-yard run. Again, the try for two was no good, but the score was 15-12 at this point. Prescott disdained kicking extra points all night, opting, instead to go for two after each score.

Prescott got the ball back with 54 seconds left in the half at its 39, but was unable to score as a pass from Poole to Caleb Harris fell incomplete as time ran out.

Centerpoint started the third at its 39 and drove 69-yards in 11 plays, scoring on a one-yard dive. The PAT made it 28-12.

A pooch kick was fielded by Glass at the Prescott 40, but the drive ended five plays later when Poole was picked off a second time with the ball returned to the Wolf 40.

Three plays later, the Knights were again in the Prescott end zone, but at the cost of the team’s starting quarterback. The PAT made it 35-12 with 3:29 showing.

A pooch kick was fielded at the Prescott 47 and the Wolf offense showed up. Prescott relied heavily, almost exclusively, on its ground attack with Hopson and Zachery carrying the load. Hopson carried four of the five plays on the drive, scoring  from 12-yards out. The try for two failed, leaving the score, 35-18 with 2:27 showing.

Prescott recovered an onside kick at the 2:24 mark at the Wolf 47. Seven plays later, with three runs by Zachery, one by Eric Grigsby and three by Hopson, the Wolves were again in the Promised Land, as Hopson scored from 14-yards out. This time, the try for two was good, making it 35-26 with 32 seconds left in the frame.

The ensuing kick was returned to the 35, with the Knights gaining seven as time ran out. The final 12 minutes saw the Knights drive 42-yards in 10 plays, scoring on a fourth and two from the 24. The try for two was stopped, leaving the score 41-26. This was the last time the Knights would put points on the board.

With 5:57 left in the contest, the Wolves set up shop at the Prescott 45 after another pooch kick. Five plays later Hopson scored again, this time on a 15-yard run. With 4:27 to go, the Wolves trailed 41-34 after a successful try for two.

Centerpoint was hit with an offside call on the kick, but recovered the onside attempt at the Knight 44. It was three and out for the Knights as the Prescott defense rose to the occasion and stopped the Centerpoint offense. The punt rolled to the Prescott 15 with 2:05 on the clock.

It took six plays for Prescott to score, with Hopson carrying five straight times. Grigsby finished the drive with a seven yard run up the gut. The two-point conversion gave the Wolves the lead for the first time of the night at 42-41.

Prescott was tagged with a delay call on the kick, but Harris booted the pigskin to the Knight two, with the ball returned to the 14 with 46 ticks on the clock and the outcome far from over.

At least until Glass got his pick six four plays later to seal the win. The conversion was good, making it 50-41.

Centerpoint, knowing the game was over, simply took a knee with 15 seconds left.

Prescott will be on the road next week, as the Wolves travel to Genoa Central for a date with the Dragons. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.