Coming off a loss to conference leading Warren the following week, the Monticello Billies returned to Hyatt Field on Friday night to host the Star City Bulldogs.
Entering Friday’s contest, Star City would enter having won only one conference contest with a record of 1-6 with the Billies coming into the contest with a 4-2 conference record and tied for the third seed out of the 8-4A with the Crossett Eagles.
Star City won the opening coin toss and elected to receive the football with Monticello’s Joseph Rojas kicking the ball off 40 yards to the Star City 20 yardline with Caleb Williams taking the ball seven yards to give the Star City their first possession at their own 27.
Monticello would be penalized five yards on an offside penalty to help Star City reach the 32.
After a three-yard gain by Williams to the Star City 35, Peyton Taylor would break free to move the ball into Monticello territory to the Monticello 40.
Williams would get the next carry and would cover the 40 yards for the Bulldog touchdown.
Javier Magana added the extra point to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 10:01 remaining in the first quarter.
Monticello would take over at their own 24 yardline after Curtis Barrow took the Magana kickoff for no return.
Brooks Bowman began the Monticello drive with a completed pass to the Monticello 31 followed by two consecutive carries by Jon Jackson to move the ball to the 39.
Quay Rhodes moved the ball to the Monticello 45 but Jackson would be tackled for a loss on the next play to force the Billies to punt.
Hunter Howard would punt the ball away 55 yards where the Billies would down the ball at the Star City five yard line.
Williams would get the handoff for Star City but would fumble the ball at the Star City three with Monticello’s AJ Robinson coming up with the fumble recovery to give the Billies a turnover at the Star City three.
On the first play after the turnover, Hunter Howard would take the ball in from three yards out for the first Billie touchdown.
Joseph Rojas added the extra point to tie the contest 7-7 with 6:20 left in the quarter.
Rojas would kick the ball off after the score to the Star City 22 with Star City’s Pierce Stephens taking the kick but would fumble the ball after Trey Riley forced the ball loose with Monticello recovering the football at the Star City 32 yardline.
On the first play after the trunoverm Jon Jackson would break free to cover the 32 yard for the Billie touchdown.
Rojas would add the extra point to give the Billies a 14-7 lead at the 6:06 mark.
Taylor would take the Rojas kickoff at the Star City 23 and would return the ball to the Monticello 43 but a facemask penalty against Star City moved the ball back to the Monticello 48.
Another penalty against Star City moved the ball back into Star City territory with the Monticello defense pushing the Bulldogs further back forcing the Bulldogs to punt the ball away to the Monticello seven.
The Billies were forced to punt on their next possession with Star City’s next possession extending into the second quarter where the Bulldogs would turn the ball over on downs at the Monticello 49.
Jackson moved the ball into Star City territory but after two personal foul penalties against the Billies, the ball was placed back at their own 22 yard line.
Jackson gained yardage back to the Monticello 28.
Bowman would complete a pass to Quay Rhodes for a three yard gain to the Star City 31 and on the next play, Bowman connected with Tejon Tensley to the Star City 31.
Another completed pass to Evan Bealer moved the ball to the 21 followed by a completion to Tensley to the 10.
Quay Rhodes would carry the ball to the three followed by another carry to score the Billie touchdown.
Rojas added the extra point to extend the Billie lead to 21-7 with 9:07 remaining in the half.
Neither team would gain an advantage for the remainder of the half with the Billies taking a 21-7 lead into the break.
Star City would kick the ball off to begin the second half with Jackson taking the kick at the Monticello 10, returning the ball back to the Monticello 31.
Sticking to the ground game, Jackson and Quay Rhodes would combine to move the ball down to the Star City 43 followed by a completed pass to Tensley to the 21 with an added penalty to move the ball to the Star City 13.
Three plays later, Jackson would find the endzone for his second rushing touchdown of the contest.
Rojas made the extra point attempt to give the Billies a 28-7 lead.
Star City extended their possession into the fourth quarter, but turned the ball over on downs at the Monticello 27 yard line with 10:06 remaining in the contest.
After moving the ball to the 49, Monticello moved into Star City territory on a completed pass from Bowman to Bealer to the Star City 40.
Quay Rhodes moved the ball to the 35 followed by a pass reception to the Star City 24.
Zaedin Jones would carry the ball to the 22 with Bowman connecting with Bealer on the next play for a 22-yard touchdown pass and catch.
After the Rojas extra point, the Billies led 35-7.
In what would be Star City’s final possession of the contest, the Bulldogs would move into Monticello territory, down to the Monticello 45, but Taylor’s next pass would be intercepted by Jeremiah Daniels at the Monticello 20, returning the ball back to the Monticello 48.
The game would end after the next two plays with Monticello taking the 35-7 victory.
With the win, the Billies improve to 5-2 in conference play and 6-3 overall with one game remaining on the regular season schedule, a showdown with the Crossett Eagles on Thursday, November 2, at Hyatt Field.
Crossett will come into the contest with the same conference mark of 5-2 having defeated Dumas 17-14 last Friday night.
The winner of the final regular season contest will finish third in the 8-4A and will travel to either Hiland or Pocahontas in the first round of the playoffs, who face each other on Friday night.
The loser will travel to Nashville.
Thursdays game is set to kickoff at 7 pm.
