Gilcreast Accounts for Five Touchdowns as Mills Defeats Monticello
Mills 47, Monticello 28
LITTLE ROCK — KJ Gilcreast accounted for five touchdowns, and Mills intercepted four passes Friday night in a 47-28 victory over Monticello.
Gilcreast ran for touchdowns of 4 and 8 yards and threw three scoring passes, including completions of 18 and 80 yards to Ja’Meion Reese. Monticello running back Joseph Accelus scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving.
Alan Hall’s first-quarter interception set up Mills’ opening score, a 3-yard run by Zamarion McDonald. Accelus answered with a touchdown run, and Mills stopped the two-point attempt to preserve a 7-6 lead.
Bryshun Cunningham broke a 60-yard run to set up Gilcreast’s first rushing touchdown. Cortez Carter then forced a fumble that Lawrence Lawson recovered, giving Mills another scoring opportunity. Gilcreast finished that possession with his 8-yard touchdown run for a 19-6 lead.
Monticello responded when Crews Preston found Accelus on a wheel route for a 58-yard touchdown. A successful two-point run cut the margin to 19-14.
Hall returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown after Mills elected to have Monticello rekick following an out-of-bounds kick. Maddox Parker’s conversion run made it 27-14 at halftime.
Cordae Ratliff intercepted two passes in the third quarter, and Daking Warren added another interception. Gilcreast connected with Reese for an 18-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 33-14.
Gilcreast opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a touchdown pass to Kentrell Mason. Parker added another conversion run, pushing the advantage to 41-14.
Monticello tight end Jaxon Rawls caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Hudson Harvey after the Billies recovered a muffed punt. Reese answered with his 80-yard touchdown reception before Accelus added Monticello’s final touchdown on an inside counter.
Cunningham added a 25-yard run during the fourth quarter. Monticello’s Talyn Hoover chased him down on two long runs and broke up an end-zone pass intended for Parker.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
- Mills — Zamarion McDonald 3-yard run (kick good), Mills 7-0.
- Monticello — Joseph Accelus touchdown run (two-point run failed), Mills 7-6.
2nd Quarter
- Mills — KJ Gilcreast 4-yard run (kick failed), Mills 13-6, 7:39.
- Mills — Gilcreast 8-yard run (two-point run failed), Mills 19-6.
- Monticello — Accelus 58-yard pass from Crews Preston (two-point run good), Mills 19-14.
- Mills — Alan Hall kickoff-return touchdown (Maddox Parker run), Mills 27-14.
3rd Quarter
- Mills — Ja’Meion Reese 18-yard pass from Gilcreast (kick failed), Mills 33-14, 6:57.
4th Quarter
- Mills — Kentrell Mason touchdown pass from Gilcreast (Parker run), Mills 41-14, 10:14.
- Monticello — Jaxon Rawls 21-yard pass from Hudson Harvey (kick good), Mills 41-21.
- Mills — Reese 80-yard pass from Gilcreast (kick blocked), Mills 47-21, 6:09.
- Monticello — Accelus touchdown run (kick good), Mills 47-28, 2:38.
Players Who Stood Out
- KJ Gilcreast, Mills, QB: Three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns. Scored on runs of 4 and 8 yards and threw touchdown passes to Reese twice and Mason once.
- Ja’Meion Reese, Mills, WR: Two touchdown receptions, covering 18 and 80 yards.
- Alan Hall, Mills: One interception and a kickoff-return touchdown. Returned his interception to Monticello’s 13-yard line, setting up Mills’ first touchdown.
- Cordae Ratliff, Mills, LB: Two third-quarter interceptions. His first set up Reese’s 18-yard touchdown; his second started the possession that ended with Mason’s touchdown.
- Joseph Accelus, Monticello, RB: Three touchdowns—two rushing and one receiving. Caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Preston and scored both rushing touchdowns on inside counters.