Poole, Curley Wolves hungry for championship

PRESCOTT, Ark.-Prescott has won 11 games and four conference championships in Tommy Poole's five years leading the Curley Wolves, and he's the first to say that's not nearly enough.

A shot at a state title is what Poole is after, and the 2016 Prescott squad might be good enough to get there.

"For us, success is defined as winning, and we're not satisfied with winning conference championships," said the veteran coach, who has averaged 10 wins a year at two schools over the the past eight years. "We made the state semifinals in two of the past three years, the quarterfinals in three of four.

"We expect to be practicing during Thanksgiving week. In fact, if we don't, I'll be real disappointed."

Last year, the Curley Wolves' season lasted until the first week of December. Kadarius Pearson's 68-yard TD reception from Trevor Pipkin gave Prescott a 36-30 lead going into the fourth quarter of the Class 3A state semifinal.

An interception for score and a pair of TD passes from Alex Francis to Travis Turley let the Wildcats put up 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and pull out a 49-36 win. The next week, Harding rolled over Rivercrest, 33-18, to claim a state championship.

Gone from that Prescott team is Pipkin, who completed 74 percent of his passes for 4,218 yards and 46 touchdowns. Among seven departing seniors were all-state linebacker Maleric Butler and all-conference receivers Brandon Walker and Dequan Malone, both 1,000-yard receivers."

"We're going to miss that group of seniors we had last year," Poole said. "They weren't all great football players, but they had a tremendous work ethic. We're very lucky to have the type of kids we have to represent our school and 0ur community."

That's a lot of talent to lose, but this is Prescott and there's plenty of competition for those starting jobs. There may not be a 4,000-yard passer in the group, but there are plenty of football players.

"We have a chance to have a very good football team this year," Poole said. "On the other hand, if we're not focused and ready to play, we could lose some games."

On offense, Poole envisions a more balanced offense, with an offensive line that might be better than last year's blocking for senior Carlos Vanhook, (5-7, 180, 145 carries, 1,507 yards and 26 TDs). Talented junior MyKal Burns (5-7, 160) returns after missing all of 2015 with a knee injury. Junior Laroderick Walker, a 5-10, 235-lb defensive lineman) may give Prescott some thunder to go with Vanhook's and Burns' lightning.

On the outside, returning starters and Tyler Rucker and Kadarius Pearson are dangerous receivers, especially Pearson, who the coaches say has the tools to emerge as a big-time receiver. Both earned all-conference honors last year.

There's also plenty of receiving depth on a team known to throw the ball. Senior Deonte' Jamison, for example, hauled in a screen pass and went 73 yards for a score last year. And Bailey Adams, a tight end who moved in from Hope, figures to see some action.

All-conference senior guard Hunter Grimes and center Alex Forbes are returning starters on the line. Senior tackle Taylor Draper (6-2, 305) Junior Jaylon Marshall (6-4, 260), and sophomores Kobe Gillard (6-1, 305) and Riley Robbins (5-11, 205). are in the mix for extensive playing time.

That same group will man the interior defensive line.

"We feel real good about where we are up front," Poole said.

"Offensively, we will be better balanced. We have a chance to be just as good as we were last year, just from a different aspect."

About the only position where the Curley Wolves lack proven experience is at quarterback, where senior Derrick Flynn, junior Cade Haynie and sophomore Ryan Johnson are competing for the job.

Each brings a slightly different skill set. Johnson led the junior Wolves to an 8-1 record. Flynn, a 4.0 student, backed up Pipkin. Flynn, an all-conference linebacker last year, looked more polished and comfortable in the spring and has been a team leader throughout the summer.

"I feel comfortable going into a Friday night with all three," Poole said.

There's plenty of talent on defense, too, including a pair of feisty defensive ends, both seniors. Last year, Jay Marks had 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, while Chris Cowling has 13 tackles for loss and five sacks from the other side.

The linebacking corps is solid. Besides Flynn, Senior Nikkell Davis won all-conference recognition with 42 solo tackles and 101 assists. Senior Chris Cowling is a returning starter, and Pearson may be the best athlete of the bunch.

In the secondary, Jamison and senior safety Ja'Mozia Williamson bring game-breaking playmaking ability. Jamison had 54 solo tackles and nine pass break-ups at corner.

"Defensively, this year could be one of the most athletic units we've ever put on the field," Poole said. "We're returning a lot of experience on that side of the ball."

Last year, the Curley Wolves ran the table in Conference 5-3A., which opens the season with four teams ranked in the top 10: No. 1 Glen Rose, No. 5 Prescott, No. 9 Centerpoint and No. 10 Haskell Harmony Grove. With the addition of Gurdon, moving up from 2A, the league has five teams that last year posted a winning record and a playoff appearance,

"We'll be battle-tested when the playoffs get here," Poole said. "We are very optimistic about this team. The potential is there. They sky's the limit for them, but you still have to make blocks and make tackles on Friday night."