For the first time since the 2009 season, the Monticello Billies will have a football game during the Thanksgiving Holiday break after advancing to the 4A State Football Championship Quarter-Finals with a win over the Hamburg Lions on Friday night.
Before Friday’s contest, most media outlets across the state that cover high school football were picking the Lions to come into Hyatt Field and eliminate the Billies from the playoffs after going to Gravette and eliminating the second seeded Gravette Lions the week before 48-28.
Hamburg would win the opening coin toss and elected to receive the football to begin the contest.
Hamburg would start their first possession at their own 40 yard line and on the first play would run a little trickery with quarterback Kaden Thomas connecting with Anthony Smith at the Monticello 45, who immediately flipped the ball to Ni’Kel Lewis in the old “Hook and Ladder” play with Lewis advancing the ball to the Monticello two yard line.
Thomas would cover the two yard line on the next play.
Alberto Aguilar added the extra point to give the Lions a 7-0 lead.
Jayden Rhodes would receive the Lion kickoff at the Monticello two, returning the ball 18 yards to give the Billies possession at the 20 yard line.
Joseph Accelus would lose six yards on the first two carries of the contest but would advance the ball to the Monticello 49 on a pass from Tye Guthrie on the third play of the contest for a first down.
Accelus would advance the ball into Hamburg territory on the next play to the Hamburg 36 and over the next few carries would advance the ball down to the 17.
The Billies would advance the ball down to the Hamburg seven but the drive would stall after a loss of yardage with the Billies turning the ball over on downs at the Hamburg 12.
Hamburg would advance the ball to the 50 yard line in four plays and would advance the ball down to the Monticello 21 before attempting a field goal that was missed with six seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Accelus would get the call from the 20 yard line on the final play of the first quarter but the Billies would be flagged for a holding penalty to move the ball back to the Monticello 10 yard line to begin the second quarter with a 1st and 20.
Monticello would be able to advance the ball out to their own 37 yard line, but the Hamburg defense would force the Billies to punt with the Lions taking over at their own 28 yard line.
The Billie defense would also force the Lions to punt on their first possession of the second quarter with the Billies taking over at their own 46.
After a four yard gain by Accelus, Jackson Hines would pick up seven yards to the Hamburg 43 on his first run of the contest.
Accelus would get the next five carries to advance the ball down to the Hamburg 16.
After an incomplete pass by Guthrie, Guthrie’s next pass would connect with Accelus for the 21 yard touchdown reception.
Joseph Rojas would add the extra point to tie the contest at seven with 2:47 remaining in the half.
The score would remain after time expired in the first half with a tackle for a two yard loss by AJ Robinson.
The Billies would receive the kickoff to begin the second half with Curtis Barrow taking the kick at the Monticello one and returning the ball out to the Monticello 17.
Accelus would pick up five yards to the Monticello 22, and on the next carry would gain 78 yards for the Billie touchdown.
Rojas added the extra point as Monticello took a 14-7 lead.
Monticello would force the Lions to punt on their first possession of the second half with Hamburg forcing Monticello to punt on their next possession.
A second punt by the Lions on the next Hamburg possession would give the Billies a starting possession at their own 26 yard line.
Accelus would advance the ball out to the Hamburg 38 before a personal foul/sideline warning against Monticello moved the ball back to the Monticello 23.
Monticello would get a first down on the next play after an incomplete pass by Guthrie was negated by a pass interference call against Hamburg to give the Billies a first down at the Monticello 38.
Accelus would advance the ball to the Monticello 44 where Curtis Barrow would get the call, taking the ball around the right side for 56 yards and a Billie touchdown.
Roajas added the extra point as Monticello extended the lead to 21-7 with 1:59 remaining in the third quarter.
An unsportsmanlike penalty would be levied against Hamburg on the touchdown run to give the Billie a short field on the kickoff.
Monticello would attempt an onside kick with Hamburg’s Lawson Carter receiving the kick at the Hamburg 40, returning the ball back 60 yards for the Hamburg score.
Aguilar added the extra point to cut the Billie lead to 21-14 with 1:51 remaining in the quarter.
Monticello would start their next possession inside Hamburg territory at the 46 yard line and after an offsides penalty against Hamburg would run their first play from the 41.
Accelus would advance the ball down to the 34 as yellow flags started falling like rain onto the turf.
After several meetings amongst the officials, it was determined that during the run that Monticello would be flagged for holding to bring the ball back to the Monticello 49 yard line.
There would also be two unsportsmanlike penalties against both teams that were offsetting.
Accelus would carry the ball back into Hamburg territory but on the next play, Guthrie’s pass would be intercepted by Key’Vion Duckery at the Hamburg 12 and would return the ball back to the Hamburg 43 yard line before being stopped with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter.
On the first play after the interceptions, Thomas’ pass would be intercepted by Monticello’s Laytn Nichols at the Monticello 30 yard line with 15 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Monticello’s next drive would carry over into the fourth quarter with the Billies being forced to punt the ball away.
Hamburg would also be forced to punt on their next possession with the snap going over Aguilar’s head but he was able to regain possession to get the punt the ball away but the Lion Punt would be attempted to be field with the ball going through the returners hand, fumbling the ball with Hamburg recovering the fumble to take possession at Monticello 41 yard line.
Hamburg would advance the ball down to the Monticello 31 where they would fumble the ball with Monticello’s AJ Robinson coming up with the recovery to give the Billies possession at their own 31.
Accelus would get the first carry of the contest and would break free for 55 yards down to the Hamburg 14 yard line.
Jayden Jones would add two yards to 12 with Jackson Hines carrying the ball to the Hamburg four.
Hines would take the next carry up the middle through the Hamburg defense, stretching out to the endzone for the Monticello touchdown with 2:31 remaining in the game.
Rojas added the extra point to extend the Monticello lead to 28-14.
Monticello’s defense continued to put pressure on Hamburg with AJ Robinson getting his second fumble recovery of the contest on Hamburg’s next possession at the Hamburg 21 yard line.
Accelus would get the call on the carry, running untouched through the Hamburg defense for the 21 yard rushing touchdown.
It would be Accelus’ second rushing touchdown of the contest and his third overall.
Rojas added the extra point to give the Billies the 35-14 lead with 1:30 remaining in the contest.
Hamburg would get a good return on the kickoff to advance the ball into Monticello territory to the Monticello 27 yard line.
The Lions would run the ball down to the Monticello 12, but on the next play, Blaine Hayden would strip the ball from Lawson Carter, recovering the fumble at the Monticello 22 but after an unsportsmanlike penalty the Billies would start their possession from the seven yard line with Guthrie taking a knee to end the game with the Billies advancing to the quarter-finals.
For the Billie, Joseph Accelus would lead the team in rushing yards with 267 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. Accelus would also have 51 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Curtis Barrow would have two carries for 59 yards and touchdown including a 56 yard touchdown run.
Jackson Hines recorded 25 yards on four carries with a touchdown.
Ty Guthrie was 4 of 12 passing with 66 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
The Monticello offensive line was able to create enough space for the Billie running game to amass 353 total yards in the contest.
Defensively, the bIllies forced four turnovers with AJ Robinson recovering two fumbles, Blaine Hayden with a fumble recovery, and Laytn Nichols with an interception.
The Monticello defense also held Hamburg, who rushed for over 2oo yards the previous week to 166 total rushing yards with 95 yard in the first half, 43 being on a trick play, and 71 yards in the second half, forcing three fumbles.
Trey Riley, Blaine Hayden, and Laytn Nichols led the team in tackles.
Monticello also racked up 60 plus yards in penalty yards in the contest.
The Billies will travel to Batesville on Friday, November 29, to face the Southside Southerners at 7 pm.
The Southerners are the number one seed out of the 3-4A and come into the contest with a perfect 12-0 record.
Entering the tournament as the 3-4A Conference Champions, the Southerners defeated the Benton Harmony Grove Cardinals 42-0 in the first round and got past the Heber Springs Panthers 42-34 in round two.
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