Vanhook looks to join kin with Prescott titles

Prescott running back Carlos Vanhook has rushed for 1,273 yards and 29 touchdowns on 172 carries for the Curley Wolves, and is hoping to add a Class 3A state title this season.
Prescott running back Carlos Vanhook has rushed for 1,273 yards and 29 touchdowns on 172 carries for the Curley Wolves, and is hoping to add a Class 3A state title this season.

Prescott senior running back Carlos Vanhook is quiet off the field.

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Prescott cornerback Derrick Thompson makes a catch during practice at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Thursday. The Curley Wolves will be taking on Charleston in today’s Class 3A state championship game.

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette

Charleston quarterback Jackson Rowland (right) scores a two-point conversion earlier this season against Centerpoint. Rowland has completed 189 of 288 passes for 2,960 yards and thrown for 38 touchdowns.

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But he's wanting to join his grandfather, Randolph, and father, Carlos Sr., as state champions at Prescott.

"I always wanted to win a championship with the Curley Wolves," Vanhook said.

Randolph was a state champion with the Curley Wolves in 1972 and 1973, while his son Carlos won in 1995.

Today, a third-generation Vanhook gets an opportunity to win a state championship as the Curley Wolves (14-0) face Charleston (13-0) in the Class 3A state championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Prescott Coach Tommy Poole, a 1994 graduate of the school, said players like Vanhook learn to value his family's accomplishments at an early age, which has helped him succeed with the Curley Wolves.

"Those kids, it's in their minds. It's a mindset," Poole said. "Sometimes it's hard for football programs to get into that championship mindset. When they're born and raised in it, it's a lot easier."

Vanhook leads Prescott offensively, rushing for 1,273 yards and 29 touchdowns on 172 carries. He had 116 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Curley Wolves' 41-8 victory over Newport in the Class 3A semifinals.

"He's our running game. He gets us going," Poole said. "He's so explosive when he touches the ball that you can't load up the box on him."

Prescott and Charleston are both undefeated going into tonight's championship game. It's also the first meeting between the programs, who have won nine state titles combined (Charleston with five, Prescott with four).

"It's the two best teams in the state playing," Poole said. "A lot of times, that doesn't happen. It doesn't always work out that way. There's two good football teams. You hate to see somebody lose, but somebody is going to lose on Saturday."

The Curley Wolves are playing in their first state championship game since 2009, when they lost to Fountain Lake at the University of Central Arkansas' Estes Stadium in Conway. Poole said this week that playing in a state championship is not just for the players and coaches, but for the entire community of Prescott, population 3,296 in Nevada County.

"For small schools and small towns, when you play in state championship games, you're playing for the community and the school," Poole said. "It's not like a big town that has two or three schools in it. When we play for a state championship, our city plays for a state championship.

"We've played for state championships in the '70s, the '80s, the '90s, early 2000s and now 2016. A lot of these kids' daddies played for state championships at Prescott. They talk about it a lot."

Sports on 12/10/2016

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