Playoff seeding for the Monticello Billies and the Crossett Eagles came down once again to the final game of the regular season against each other.
The stakes for this year's matchup was the third seed from the 8-4A.
Last season, the Monticello Billies were knocked out of the 4A State Playoffs after a loss in the final season game at Crossett that saw Crossett take the fifth and final seed from the conference.
Monticello and Crossett would enter Thursday’s contest at Hyatt Field with matching conference records of 5-2.
The winner would take the third seed with the loser falling to the fourth seed.
Monticello would win the coin toss but would defer to the second half.
Taylin Paskel would take the opening kickoff at the Crossett 10 yard line, returning the ball into Monticello territory to the Monticello 36.
Crossett would get some help from Monticello on a face mask penalty that gave Crossett the ball on the three yard line where Max Brooks would keep the ball for the rushing touchdown.
Bryan Flores added the extra point to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Monticello moved the ball into Crossett territory on their first possession of the contest, but the drive would stall at the Crossett 21 after three consecutive incomplete passes forced the BIllies to turn the ball over on downs.
The Monticello Billie defense would force the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs on their next possession, taking over at their own 49 before losing yardage to the Monticello 45 as the quarter ended.
A completed pass from Brooks Bowman to Quay Rhodes would be nullified by a holding penalty and the drive would end after Crossett’s Jackson Mills intercepted a Bowman pass at the Crossett 44 with a return to the Monticello 41.
After advancing to the Monticello 40, Brooks would connect with Taylin Paskel on a 40-yard touchdown pass with 10:58 remaining in the half.
Flores added the extra point to extend the lead to 14-0.
Monticello began their next drive at the Monticello 28.
Joseph Accelus would carry the ball to the 50 followed by a completed pass from Bowman to Tejon Tensley to the Crossett 41.
Quay Rhodes would carry the ball to the Crossett 18 with Rhodes and Accelus sharing the load to the Crossett five.
A false start penalty would move the ball back to the Crossett 10 and after a two yard gain by Rhodes to the eight, Bowman connected with Tensley for the touchdown, but a holding penalty would bring the ball back to the Crossett 18.
Rhodes moved the ball to the 16 with an added penalty to the Crossett 8.
Bowman connected with Evan Bealer to the one yard line with Hunter Howard taking the ball in on the next play for the score.
Joseph Rojas added the extra point to cut the lead to 14-7.
After forcing the Eagles to punt on the next possession, Monticello would tie the contest before the half at 14 after 41-yard pass to Tensley for a touchdown and the extra point by Rojas.
Returning from the half, the Billies would set up to receive the second half kickoff.
Beginning the drive on the Monticello 21, the Billies would move the ball to the Crossett 36 on a run by Rhodes.
Rhodes would receive a pass from Bowman, advancing the ball to the Crossett one yard line.
Accelus would get the carry for the one-yard touchdown for his first rushing touchdown at the high school level.
Rojas added the extra-point with Monticello going up 21-14.
Crossett would return the kickoff for a touchdown, but Brett Birch would block the extra point to maintain the lead, 21-20.
After a second interception by Crossett, MOnticello’s Trey Riley would get the Billies the ball back on a safety to extend the score 23-20.
Crossett retook the lead with 2:45 left in the third quarter 26-23, but Monticello added a touchdown on a Quay Rhodes kickoff return and an interception return by Curtis Barrow to set up the final score of 36-26.
With the win Monticello secures the third seed with Crossett falling to fourth.
Crossett will now travel to Nashville to face the third seed from the 7-4A, the Nashville Scrappers.
Monticello will now travel to Highland to face the third seed from the 3-4A.
Highland finished the season with a 7-3 overall record and 5-2 in conference play with a win over Pocahontas on Friday, November 3, that secured the third seed.
The Billies will leave out on Friday morning to head to Hardy, Arkansas to face the Highland Rebels with a 7 pm kickoff scheduled.
The Billies did not qualify for the playoffs last season and have not advanced beyond the first round since defeating Gentry at Hyatt Field in the 2020 4A State Playoffs.
