The Monticello Billies traveled to Warren on Friday night to face the Warren Lumberjacks in the annual rivalry game, the Union Bank Saline River Shootout.
The Billies have lost the last two two Union Bank Saline River Shootout games with their last time to carry the trophy being in 2020 with an 18-12 victory over the Lumberjacks in a torrential rain storm at Hyatt Field.
In 2021, the Lumberjacks would reclaim the trophy with a dominant 41-6 win at Jim Hurley Stadium in Warren and would retain the trophy in 2022 with another blowout win, 34-0, at Hyatt Field.
Heading into this season’s rivalry game though there would be more on the line then just a trophy.
Warren would enter the contest with an undefeated record, sitting on top of the 8-4A Conference with Monticello sitting in third position with one loss in conference play to the DeWitt Dragons who were in the second spot after falling to Warren the week before.
Having one loss in conference play would put the Monticello Billies in a position that if they defeated the Lumberjacks and another loss by the Dragons with the Billies winning out would have given the Billies the top spot in the conference.
This season’s Union Bank Saline River Shootout would basically decide the 2023 8-4A Conference Championship.
Warren would also honor their seniors on the night while Celebrating Senior Night at Jim Hurley Stadium.
Having won the opening coin toss, the Warren Lumberjacks would elect to receive the football to begin the contest.
Lining up for the kickoff, the Billies would immediately draw the first flag of the contest on a false start penalty on the kick off to move the ball back to the Monticello 35 where Rojas would kick the ball away to the Warren 30 yard line where Tramond Miller would return the ball inside Monticello territory to the Monticello 42.
Warren’s Dakamron Davis would get the first carry of the game, moving the ball to the Monticello 17.
Treylon Jackson would get the next two carries, pushing the ball to the three where Jordyn Ingram would punch the ball in from three yards out for the first score of the contest.
Alann Jaurez added the extra point to give the Lumberjacks a 7-o lead with 9:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Neither team would reach the endzone to put points on the board for the remainder of the first quarter.
Monticello would be forced to punt and would turn the ball over on downs with Warren turning the ball over on downs and throwing an interception in the endzone for a touchback.
Monticello would turn the ball over on downs to begin the second quarter with Warren’s first possession of the quarter ending on an interception.
On Monticello’s second possession, the Billies would turn the ball over on downs at the Warren 26.
On the Lumberjack’s next possession, Warren Quarterback Jackson Denton would throw his third interception of the contest, with Jagger Hines intercepting the pass at the Warren 29, running the ball back for a defensive touchdown.
Rojas would add the extra point to tie the contest 7-7 with 3:44 remaining in the half.
Warren would come back on their next drive to retake the lead, covering 63 yards in four plays to take a 13-7 lead after missing the extra point at the 2:43 mark.
Monticello would get their only lead of the contest on the next drive covering 60 yards on the legs of Jon Jackson who would rush for 59 of those yards on the drive.
Hunter Howard would cover the remaining yard for the Billie touchdown with 1:22 remaining in the half leading 14-13 after the Rojas extra point.
Warren came back to retake the lead with four seconds remaining in the half after covering 69 yards, capped off with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Denton to AJ Jordan.
Denton would connect with Tramond Miller for the two-point conversion to take a 21-14 lead at the half.
Monticello would receive the ball to begin the second half and would not be the only thing to switch sides at the start of the half as the sideline officials that had worked the Warren sideline swapped sides and were now working the Monticello sideline.
After several penalty flags in the quarter against the Billies, Monticello tied the contest at 21 with 4:42 remaining in the quarter on a one-yard run by Quay Rhodes.
Warren would retake the lead on their next possession and would go on to add two more touchdowns in the contest for a 42-21 win to retain the trophy and secure the conference title.
For the Monticello Billies, if the Billies win their remaining two games on the schedule, Monticello will finish third in the conference and would face the third seed from the 4-3A in the 4A Playoffs.
The Billies will host Star City on Friday, October 27, at Hyatt Field at 7 pm and will end the regular season the following week on Thursday, November 2, at Hyatt Field with a 7 pm start time against the Crossett Eagles.
