For the second time in two seasons, the Monticello Billies enter the second game of the season coming off an opening season loss to the Fordyce Redbugs while also being picked as an underdog to the Bauxite Miners.
Also for the second time in two seasons, all the predictions for Friday’s contest against the Bauxite Miners went in the opposite direction than all the Arkansas High School Football experts predicted.
Before the contest kicked off, the Billies would honor the memory of one of their all-time biggest fans and supporters, the late Beth Maxwell, who was affectionately referred to as the "Candy Lady" for always supplying Billies teams throughout the years with candy bars.
With a speech about Mrs. Beth’s love of all things Billies, it ended with “Go win one for Mrs. Beth.” and that was exactly what happened.
Bauxite would win the coin toss and would elect to receive the football to begin the contest and Joseph Rojas would kick the ball away with Bauxite’s Christopher Fox returning the kick 78 yards to the Monticello seven yard line.
Three plays later, Fox would take it in from three yards out for the first score of the contest.
Chad Prophitt added the extra point to put Bauxite up 7-0.
Monticello would start their drive at their own 30 yard line, but the drive would be short lived after Tye Guthrie would be intercepted by Austin Hastingsat the Monticello 41 with 10:00 on the clock.
Monticello’s defense would force Bauxite to turn the ball over on downs at the Monticello 38 in four plays.
The Billies would get on the board on their next possession with the majority of plays being running plays with Joseph Accelus.
After reaching the Bauxite 27, Guthrie would connect with Jayden Rhodes for a 27-yard touchdown with 4:04 remaining in the quarter.
The extra point was unsuccessful with Bauxite remaining in the lead 7-6.
The score would remain until 4:50 remaining in the half when Guthrie would give the Billies the lead on a nine-yard run and Rojas adding the extra point for the 13-7 advantage but Bauxite would tie the contest on their next possession.
The Billies would go ahead for the final time in the contest with 23 seconds remaining in the half with Guthrie connecting with Jaxon Rawls in the corner of the endzone for a seven-yard strike.
Rojas added the extra point to give Monticello the 20-13 lead.
The Billies momentum would carry over in the second half as Monticello outscored Bauxite 21-7 in the half.
The Billies would get two scores from Jackson Hines, who also had an interception, and a 60 yard pass from Guthrie to Curtis Barrow.
Rojas was successful on all the extra point attempts.
Bauxite would add a final score before the end of the contest to set up the 41-20 final.
With the win, the Billies improve to 1-1 on the season before entering a bye week on their schedule this week.
Monticello will return to action on Friday, September 20, travelling to Dumas for their final non conference game of the season.
The Junior Billies will travel to DeWitt on Thursday, September 12, with the 7th Grade Billies beginning at 5:30 pm.
