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The Monticello Billies travelled to DeWitt on Friday night to face the DeWitt Dragons in the final 8-4A regular season contest of the 2025 season.
Coming into the contest, Monticello would be listed fourth in the conference with a win solidifying a fourth seed heading into the 4A State Championship Football Tournament.
The Billies entered Friday’s contest, coming off two consecutive wins over West Helena and DeWitt with DeWitt entering the contest losing their last three out of four contests.
DeWitt would win the opening coin toss and elected to receive the football to begin the contest.
After a 10-yard return, the Dragons would begin the first drive of the game at their own 35.
The Monticello defense would force the Dragons to punt on the possession with Monticello taking over at their own 35.
DeWitt would also force Monticello to punt on their possession with the Dragons taking over at their own 34.
DeWitt would move the ball into Monticello territory and with 2:54 remaining in the first quarter, Korri Graham would take the ball into the endzone for the Dragon touchdown.
Landyn Graham would take the ball in for the two-point conversion to give the Dragons an 8-0 lead.
The Billies would come back on their next drive to tie the contest after a 20-yard touchdown pass from Hudson Harvey to Jackson Hines with Hines also adding the two-point play.
Monticello would get the first turnover of the contest after an interception by Luke Fakouri.
Hines would get his second touchdown of the game on the next possession on a five-yard run.
Harvey would connect with Jax Rawls for the two-point play for a 16-8 lead.
DeWitt would get a score on their next possession, but would fail to convert the two-point play to trail 16-14 with 56 seconds remaining in the half.
Hines would pick up his third touchdown of the contest on the next Billie possession after a 39 yard touchdown reception from Harvey.
Jude Parke added the extra point to extend the lead to 23-14.
TK Hoover would end the half for Monticello by intercepting Kaiden Golden’s pass for a 31-yard return to end the half with Monticello leading 23-14.
The second half would turn to the Joseph Accules show, as the Junior Running Back would score four touchdowns, gaining a game total of 230 yards on 18 carries with his longest run being a 59-yard touchdown run.
Accules also had scoring runs of 47, 39, and four yards.
Hines would also finish the contest with four touchdowns with one rushing score. Hines would carry the ball five times for 24 yards. Hines would also have five receptions for 114 yards and three touchdowns.
The Billies would force three turnovers in the contest with Fakouri, Hoover, and Charles Kilgore all recording interceptions.
Monticello would go on to defeat DeWitt 58-32.
With the win, the Billies secured the fourth seed out of the 8-4A, eliminating DeWitt from the playoffs.
Monticello will face the number two seed from the 2-4A Conference, the Lonoke Jackrabbits who finish the season with a 7-3 overall record and a 6-1 record in conference play with their only conference loss being a seven point loss to Little Rock Mills for the conference championship.
Monticello will have to travel to Lonoke on Friday to face the Jackrabbits with a 7 pm kick.
