The Monticello Billies hosted their first 4A State Championship Playoff contest for the first time since the 2020 season when the Billies defeated Gentry at Hyatt Field.
Finishing the regular season in second in the 8-4A Conference, the Billies are guaranteed at least two home games in the playoff bracket.
Drawing the fourth seed from the 2-4A, the Forrest City Mustangs, the Billies would kick the ball off to begin the contest after Forrest City won the coin toss and elected to receive the football.
The Mustangs would begin their first drive from their own 22 and would move the ball into Monticello territory in six plays.
Nehemiah Stone would connect with Vonterrious Williams with 7:36 on the clock for a 27 yard touchdown pass.
The two-point conversion attempt was intercepted by Jackson Hines with the Mustangs leading 6-0.
The Billies would get a quick strike on the kickoff after Curtis Barrow took the ball at the Monticello 18 yard line, returning the ball 82 yards for the Billie touchdown.
Joseph Rojas added the extra point to give the Billies a 7-6 lead.
The Monticello defense would force the Mustangs to punt on their next possession with the Billies taking over at the Forrest City 40 yard line after an eight yard punt.
Joseph Accelus would advance the ball to the 14 on the first carry and down inside the 10 to the nine on the next play.
With 4:27 remaining in the quarter, Tye Guthrie would take the ball in from nine yards out for the Billie touchdown.
Rojas added the extra point to put the Billies up 14-6.
Forrest City would begin their next drive at their own 32 yard line and would move the ball into Monticello territory in two plays on a 29 yard run by Kevin Young.
The Mustangs would advance the ball down to the five and after an offsides call against the Billies the ball was placed on the Monticello two.
On the next play, the Mustangs would get the touchdown and after the failed two-point attempt, the Billies led 14-12.
Accelus would get the ball into Forrest City territory on the kickoff to the Mustang 40.
A false start penalty moved the ball back to the 45.
After a two yard run by Accelus, Jayden Rhodes would get the next carry, a 34 yard run to the Forrest City nine.
Jackson Hines advanced the ball to the five as the quarter ended.
Hines would take the ball into the endzone on the first play of the second quarter.
The extra point was not successful as Monticello extended the lead to 20-12.
Monticello forced the Mustang’s to turn the ball over on downs at the Monticello 23 and would advance the ball to the Forrest City 49 in two plays.
After advancing the ball to the Forrest City 33, Guthrie would connect with Jax Rawls for the Monticello touchdown.
Rojas added the extra point to give the Billies a 27-12 lead.
Forrest City added a score before halftime to trail Monticello 27-18 at the half.
Returning from the break, Accelus would get a 53 yard kickoff return and would get the touchdown two plays later from 17 yards out.
After the Rojas added the extra point, the Billies led 34-18.
Monticello would add two more scores in the contest with Jackson Hines getting touchdown runs from six yard and from seven yards out to extend the Monticello lead to 47-18.
Forrest City would add one more score to set up the final of 47-26.
With the win, the Billies will advance to the second round and will host 8-4A Conference opponent, the Hamburg Lions on Friday night.
Hamburg entered the tournament as the fourth seed from the 8-4A and defeated the second seed from the 1-4A, the Gravette Lions, 28-28 on the road to advance to Friday’s contest at Hyatt Field.
Monticello defeated Hamburg 45-42 in conference earlier this season.
Kickoff is set for 7 pm.
