RISON - Asked what the message to his team would be this week, Rison head coach Clay Totty said he wants to emphasize that when you get down to the final eight of the playoff quarterfinals, then you have to almost look at each game as if it's for the state championship. Bottom line, from this point forward, all of the games are big.
And so Friday night at George Walker Field of Champions, the Wildcats will have their biggest challenge so far in 2022, when they meet the top-ranked Prescott Curley Wolves in the Class 3A quarterfinals. Kickoff time is scheduled for 7 o'clock. Both teams are undefeated - Rison, 10-0; Prescott, 11-0. And both schools are heavy in football tradition; 13 state titles between them. Prescott started this season ranked number one after going 14-1 a year ago, falling to Harding Academy in the state championship game.
The first thing Totty spoke of when questioned about Prescott was a very quick response speed, lots of speed, on both sides of the ball.
The Curley Wolves' closest contest of the 2022 season was against Homer, Louisiana, back on October 14, a 9-0 win. Other than that, the next closest margin was a 47-28 victory against Bismarck in their season opener. Prescott breezed to victories in their first pair of playoff games, blanking Drew Central, 35-0, and then Salem, 41-6, last Friday in the second round.
In Prescott's win over Salem last week, quarterback Carston Poole passed for 222 yards and three touchdowns, completing 13 of 28 attempts that included TD passes to P.J. Gulley for 25 and 45 yards and a 9-yarder to D'Wayne White. Meanwhile, running back Travion Davis rushed for 116 yards and a pair of TDs, as Prescott piled up 469 yards of offense.
'They (Prescott) have really good skill players, and Poole is a good quarterback,' Totty remarked. 'It will be a challenge for our defense. And defensively, they use their speed to fly to the ball. Their linebackers are fast.'
A...
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.