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The Monticello Billies football season has officially ended after a 35-14 loss on the road at Dardanelle in the 4A State Football Championship Tournament Quarterfinals.
Dardanelle would win the coin toss and would defer to the second half.
Jayden Rhodes would take the opening kickoff for a 14-yard return to give the Billies the ball at their own 29 yard line.
After a 10-yard gain by Joseph Accules, the Billies would only get six more yards on the drive before punting the ball away with the Sandlizards taking over at their own 27,
The Sandlizards would cover the 73 yards in nine plays for the first touchdown of the contest and after the extra point would lead 7-0.
Monticello would start their next drive at their own 27 and would drive down to the Dardanelle 12 yard line, but on fourth down, Jackson HInes’ pass would be too high for Jax Rawls, falling incomplete out of the endzone to turn the ball over on downs.
Dardanelle would extend their drive into the second quarter and with 10:05 left in the half would go up 14-0 on a 30-yard run by Creed Vega and an extra point.
Monticello would get on the board before the half, trailing 28-0 when Hines would connect with a 29-yard pass to Rhodes to the Dardanelle 0ne.
Hines would take the ball in on the next play for the Billie touchdown and after the extra point by Jude Parke the Billies trailed 28-7.
The Billies would get one more shot before the half after recovering an onside kick but after a long run by Hines and a penalty the half would end with the score at 28-7.
Monticello would pull within two scores in the second half after an eight-yard touchdown run by Accules and a Parke extra point to make the score 28-14.
Dardanelle added one final score to put the final at 35-14, eliminating the Billies from the playoffs.
Monticello finishes the 2025 season with an overall record of 7-6.
