Here at The Dog House on Friday night
you can expect to see one heckava fight.
Two 5A-Southeast squads of significant muscle
collide in a long-projected title tussle.
Unbeaten Monticello is big and tough.
The No. 2 Billies don't take no gruff.
They're makin' plans to leave our town
en route to a third consecutive conference crown.
But in White Hall's corner, with a resistant scheme,
are coach Mike Vaughn and his fifth-ranked team.
"We've been waitin' on 'em," Vaughn showed a sly grin.
"No animosity – they're our neighbor and friend."
The teams are tied for first in their loop,
each with three wins and nary a stoop.
The Dogs' lone slip came on higher ground
when 6A Watson Chapel wore them down.
But since that stumble, White Hall's turned the tide
and the Dogs are motorin' on a trend-breakin' ride.
Two weeks ago at Crossett the Dogs rallied for a win,
their first there in years – to be exact, 10.
And this past Friday, in a first since two-thousand-and six,
White Hall stuffed a victory into its homecomin' mix.
North Pulaski looked to add to the homecomin' hex
but bowed by 35-to-14 to White Hall's fast flex.
Running back Larry Walls, the state's premier rusher,
polished his stats – good gosh, they're a gusher!
He gained 95 yards and scored two TDs,
and managed it all on just four carries.
The Dogs ran wild as rain muddied the ground
and led 27-to-nothin' after the openin' round.
Walls cranked up the scorin' on a 49-yard rip,
biddin' the Falcons farewell with a twist of his hip.
A.J. Richardson scored twice with a shuck and jive,
the first from 6 yards out and then the second from 5.
Inside Mojo's touchdowns, sandwiched between,
was a Walls 6-point run that covered 15.
On points-after, the Dogs have a shaker and mover –
their conversion kicks are the Heath Heinrich maneuver.
Bootin' a trio, he remains a safe bet.
Always dependable, he hasn't missed yet.
White Hall ended its scorin' before intermission
when Ryan Berry got a TD on a reserve transition.
Berry dazzled defenders on a 24-yard flash
and Nathan Lee then tacked on a two-point slash.
Vaughn cleared his bench in the second half
with everyone playin' but the coachin' staff.
But still the Falcons could manage no scores
until Vaughn turned it over to his greenest sophomores.
The coach wasn't slow in expressin' delight
with his team's heady play on homecomin' night.
"I like what I saw," Vaughn said with a smile.
"I liked our hustle and I liked our style."
He praised the defense and deemed it "first class."
"We took no prisoners and we took no sass."
Dion Young and Ray Lewis, T-Bone and T-Rob,
Brad Bethea and Phillip Etheridge shared in the job.
Quinton Walls and Spencer Lybrand got into the act,
baggin’ Falcon runners and leavin’ them quite sacked.
Aaron Sprinkle and Joseph Gorman received their due
as "hosses" in the down-and-dirty trench crew.
Monticello readied for White Hall in typical ease,
beatin' Beebe's Badgers in a lopsided breeze.
Monticello is loaded like a Tommy gun.
The Billies know how to pass and they know how to run.
Quarterback Joe Carmichael commands the team.
He can scramble like crazy and pass on a seam.
Carmichael's receivers are a unit deluxe.
Speedy and sure-handed, they've caught most of his chucks.
Matthews and Mathews – Brandon and Brishen –
are breakaway threats, again and again.
Tyler Paschal's got a toe that can cause you to sweat.
He's got excellent range as a field goal threat.
Their offensive line's got plenty of beef
and when it's clickin' on blockin' it can dish out the grief.
Monticello's defense has been as hard as a rock,
keepin' opposin' bunches in an offensive lock.
The Billies' special teams have contributed as well,
blockin' punts, forcin' fumbles and creatin' pure hell.
Vaughn said the Bulldogs must be fully prepared.
"We're going to be ready for battle and we won't be scared.
"Monticello's one of the best, there's absolutely no doubt.
"But we've got plenty of bite and we've got plenty of clout."
The Dogs ask their fans to smack the Billies with howls
while wearing only black and wavin' red towels.
"We've puttin' on a blackout," a Bulldog player said.
"We want to get on their nerves and mess with their head.
"We playin' to win but we need a 12th man.
"And that's a job for each and every fan."
White Hall, AR —
