Wolves advance to quarterfinals with 28-14 win

By Staff, 11/19/21 9:46 PM

PRESCOTT – When the season opened, Prescott met Newport in War Memorial Stadium, where Prescott demolished the Greyhounds 56-6.

The Wolves met Bismarck for the second time Friday night and had a battle, but won 28-14. This earns the team a second date with Newport next week in the quarterfinals of the AAA state playoffs. It will be Prescott’s last game at Cummings Stadium this year.

Prescott handled the Lions, 52-14, on Oct. 22 for homecoming, but the second meeting didn’t go as easy. Bismarck did everything necessary to win but score points. Neither team had anything to brag about offensively as penalties and turnovers marred the game.

Prescott won the opening toss and elected to receive. However, offsetting penalties forced a rekick, with Jaylen Hopson getting dropped at the 18. The Wolves ran two plays before Carston Poole was picked off at the Prescott 47.

Bismarck took advantage of this, with the help of a facemask call, to cover the distance in three plays. A two-point conversion made it 8-0 with 8:41 left in the opening frame.

For the second time, Prescott started at its 18 after Hopson slipped. This time, though, Prescott put a 12-play drive together getting to the Bismarck 41 before turning it over on downs.

Rashawn Bell ended Bismarck’s second drive with an interception at the Prescott six, returning it to the 26.

Prescott drove to the 31 before Poole was picked off at the 45 with the interception returned to the 23 as the first quarter came to an end.

The Lions drove to the Prescott 10 before fumbling with the ball returned to the 36.

Hopson, on the next drive, scored the first of his four touchdowns on the night. Prescott gained seven yards in two plays before Hopson found a hole in the Lion defense and raced 57 yards for the Wolves’ first score of the night. The try for two knotted the score at 8-8.

The Lions were unable to do much, driving from the 43 to the Prescott 38 before turning it over on downs.

The Wolves opened with a reverse to Jacaylon Zachery for four before Hopson broke several tackled en route to his second score, a 58-yard scamper. The point after made it 15-8 with 3:10 to go in the half. Prescott would not look back as the Lions played catch up the rest of the night.

The Lions ran six plays after Prescott’s second score, with the drive ending the half with a sack.

Bismarck got the ball to start the third period, returning the kick to the 39 and driving to the Prescott 46 before being driven backwards to the Lion 47. The first punt of the game rolled to the Prescott 15.

Hopson got his hat trick on the next play, an 85-yard sprint to the Promised Land. The PAT put the Wolves up two scores at 222-8.

The ensuing kick was returned to the Lion 35, but the visitors benefited from a facemask call putting the ball at midfield. Nine plays later, the Lions hit paydirt on a 12-yard run. The PAT was blocked, leaving the score 22-14.

Prescott set up shop at its 35 after the kick went out of bounds. Poole connected with Zachery for three, with the quarter ending with Hopson going nowhere.

The final 12 minutes saw Prescott drive to the Lion 27 before Poole was picked off for the third time, with the ball returned to the 22. However, an illegal block call put the pigskin on the Lion 10.

It was three and out as Bismarck went nowhere. The punt rolled dead at the Lion 37.

It took five plays before Hopson scored touchdown number four, this one a 26-yard scamper. The PAT made it 28-14 with 5:17 left in the game.

Once again, it was three and out for the Lions, with the punt making it to the Prescott 41. The Wolves used most of the clock running five plays and getting to the Bismarck 48 where the team turned it over on downs.

The Lions had nothing left to lose and went airborne, something Bismarck had rarely done in the game, preferring to keep the ball on the ground and control the clock. Four passes were thrown, all four hitting the ground, giving Prescott the ball on the Lion 43 with 2:14 left in the contest.

The Wolves drove to the Lion 35 in three plays to finish the game.

Bismarck heads to basketball season while the Wolves live to fight another day. Prescott will host the Newport Greyhounds Nov. 26 at Cummings Stadium with kickoff set for 7 p.m.