Class 4A - Week 8 - 2009
Hootens.com Rankings
Class 4A, Week 8, 2009
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Shiloh Christian (6-1)
2. Nashville (7-0)
3. DeQueen (5-2)
4. Warren (4-3)
5. Booneville (7-0)
6. Osceola (5-1-1)
7. Bald Knob (7-0)
8. Gravette (7-0)
9. Star City (6-1)
10. Ashdown (6-1)
11. Stuttgart (5-2)
12. Heber Springs (5-2)
13. Newport (3-4)
14. Malvern (5-2)
15. Clinton (6-1)
16. Gosnell (6-1)
17. Dumas (5-2)
18. West Fork (6-1)
19. Lonoke (4-3)
20. Clarksville (4-3)
21. Fordyce (3-4)
22. McGehee (4-3)
23. Farmington (4-2-1)
24. Dover (4-3)
25. Hamburg (3-4)
26. Ozark (3-3-1)
27. Pulaski Oak Grove (2-4-1)
28. Dollarway (0-6)
29. Pottsville (3-4)
30. Huntsville (3-4)
31. Subiaco Academy (3-4)
32. Valley View (3-4)
33. Trumann (2-5)
34. Dardanelle (3-4)
35. Prairie Grove (2-5)
36. Mena (1-6)
37. Arkadelphia (2-5)
38. Gentry (2-5)
39. Marianna (2-5)
40. Lake Village (2-4)
41. Highland (2-5)
42. Pocahontas (1-6)
43. Jonesboro Westside (3-3)
44. Waldron (1-6)
45. DeWitt (0-7)
46. Pea Ridge (1-6)
47. Berryville (1-5-1)
48. Southside Batesville (0-7)
HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 18 West Fork at No. 5 Booneville
The winner takes the 4-4A title, gets a first-round playoff bye and homefield advantage in the playoffs. Defending conference champion West Fork eked by the Bearcats 23-21 last season, winning the battle up front and negating Booneville's speed advantage.
But Booneville's line is playing better this season, especially defensive linemen Marco Rodriguez and Jake Nichols, who have combined for 11 sacks. Senior linebacker Dwight Ashley tops Booneville's tackle chart. Booneville junior quarterback Brock May has thrown 16 career touchdown passes, five shy from tying the school record. Junior Talor Tatterson has rushed for 856 yards this season. "They have speed in the backfield and the best defense we've seen," said West Fork coach Rodney Selph.
The Tigers counter with senior QB Isaac Muggy, who has thrown for almost 800 yards and rushed for nearly 500 yards, despite spraining his ankle early in the year. Running back Garrett Eakins has rushed for more than 700 yards while junior Logan Genz has settled in at fullback after working at multiple positions in September. Genz and fellow inside linebacker Wil Jarnagan "must tackle well," Selph said.
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 22 of 24 games (92 percent), nailing the point spread of Mena by one point over Arkadelphia. For the season, Hootens.com has correctly predicted 199 of 229 games (87 percent).
TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs 11 a.m. Saturday on Today's THV 11 in Little Rock and KFSM in Fort Smith/Fayetteville. The Air Guard Scholar Athlete of the Week is Pocahontas QB Matt Sullivan. Games featured this week include Clarksville at Pottsville, Gravette at Shiloh Christian, Bald Knob at Clinton and Arkadelphia at Pulaski Oak Grove.
WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
1-4A
Berryville at GENTRY (14): Gentry QB Caleb Ramsey (1,005 yards passing and 355 yards rushing) gives Pioneers a dual threat. Berryville QB Eric Hollman threw a pair of TD passes against Prairie Grove last week.
Gravette at SHILOH CHRISTIAN (18): The winner gets the conference title, a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Shiloh Christian QB Kiehl Frazier has passed for 1,992 yards and 28 TDs this season, while Chris Bryant has more than 700 yards and 13 TDs. Gravette plays its better athletes on defense.
Huntsville at FARMINGTON (11): Huntsville's improving D and running back Phillip Hoskins provide the Eagles a chance for an upset. The Eagles held Pea Ridge to 205 yards last week. Farmington gives up just 14 points per league game.
Pea Ridge at PRAIRIE GROVE (14): The winner probably finishes fourth in the league and travels to Southeast Arkansas in the first round of the playoffs. Prairie Grove running back Thomas Soehner averages 150 yards rushing per game.
2-4A
BALD KNOB (14) at Clinton: Undefeated Bald Knob plays with confidence on both sides of the ball. The Bulldog defense bailed it out late in the fourth quarter in last week's 26-22 win over Heber Springs. Clinton lost its first game of the year at Stuttgart last week when it failed to score a TD for the first time in 15 games.
LONOKE (16) at Marianna: Jackrabbit running back Brandon Smith has rushed for 892 yards and 11 TDs despite missing part of the season with an injury. Lonoke has won two straight conference games but must face Stuttgart and Clinton (a combined 11-3) in the final two games.
Southside Batesville at HEBER SPRINGS (21): Heber Springs can't look ahead to next week's battle with Clinton. Panther running back Braylon Mitchell (more than 800 yards this year) plows through the Southerners, who give up 35 ppg.
STUTTGART (24) at DeWitt: Stuttgart wins its second straight conference game and owns the Battle of Arkansas County. Ricebird QB Zach Boleware and fullback Reid Counce pace the Ricebird offense. Winless Dewitt gave up 53 first-half points to Lonoke a week ago.
3-4A
OSCEOLA (4) at Gosnell: Zach Perrin (676 yards and seven TDs), B.J. Allen (369 yards and three TDs) and Gavin Sullivan (341 yards and seven TDs) pace Gosnell's stout running attack, which keeps Osceola's potent offense (43 points per conference game) off the field. Osceola's Tony Dancy has rushed for 1,224 yards and 15 TDs this season.
Pocahontas at HIGHLAND (3): Pochaontas' Matt Sullivan returned from a shoulder injury last week, passing for 89 yards and running for 86 more. Highland couldn't punch the ball in from the 1-yard line with less than a minute left in last week's eight-point loss at Valley View.
NEWPORT (35) at Jonesboro Westside: Newport's speedy offense averages 40 points and more than 400 yards in league games. The Greyhounds out-gained Osceola by 150 yards in last week's 15-point loss. Jonesboro Westside has never beaten Newport.
TRUMANN (1) at Valley View: The winner likely finishes as the No. 4 playoff seed. Valley View's improved defense gives it a chance, but the Blazers must slow Trumann QB Blaike Jones.
4-4A
CLARKSVILLE (4) at Pottsville: Pottsville plays its best games at home. The Apaches lost at Ozark by 17 points last week after dropping an emotional heartbreaker against Booneville the previous week. Clarksville's Wesleigh Foster has rushed for 829 yards and seven TDs, and caught three TD passes this year.
Dardanelle at DOVER (7): Dardanelle continues turning the ball over too much and gives up big plays at bad times. The Sand Lizards use multiple formations to confuse defenses. Dover averages 250 yards rushing per game.
Subiaco Academy at OZARK (8): Improved Subiaco Academy lost by only a TD at Clarksville last week. Trojan running back Ethan Rueswald has rushed for more than 600 yards this year. Ozark's Christian Coody (more than 1,110 total yards) is the third fastest player in the league and may be its top all-purpose performer.
West Fork at BOONEVILLE (7): Hootens.com Class 4A Game of the Week. The winner takes the league title.
7-4A
Arkadelphia at PULASKI OAK GROVE (7): A battle of strong running teams. Arkadelphia's Markel Hendrix and X'Zavior Todd combined for 275 yards at Mena last week. Oak Grove's Tropper Tolbert (314 yards) and Shaquille Spearman (291 yards) compliment the Hornet passing attack.
Ashdown at DEQUEEN (1): The winner finishes second in the conference and heads to Northeast Arkansas in the second round of the playoffs. Ashdown averages 43 points per game. DeQueen depends on playmakers Greg White (averages 7 yards per carry) and Jamario Ervin.
MALVERN (14) at Mena: Mena has improved as much as any team in the state over the past month. QB Matt Edwards set a school record with six TD passes against Arkadelphia. Malvern's D holds conference opponents to 12 ppg.
Waldron at NASHVILLE (31): Nashville has beaten Top 10 teams DeQueen and Ashdown this season. Junior running back Devencio Hawthorne's (724 yards and 11 TDs) emergence allows Anthony Smelser to focus more on defense.
8-4A
Dumas at FORDYCE (2): A Thursday night game that may decide a playoff slot. Dumas has dropped consecutive games after starting the season 5-0. Fordyce trailed Warren 14-6 late in the fourth quarter a week ago.
Hamburg at DOLLARWAY (1): Winless Dollarway still can make the playoffs with wins in its final three games. The Cardinals average just 12 points per game. Hamburg's Chris Tharpe and Chaudrion Hughes give the Lions a punch in the backfield.
McGehee at WARREN (14): McGehee can force a multiple team logjam for the conference title with a win. QBs Grant Gill and T'cambry Green fuel the Owl defense, and Gill's explosiveness at defensive end causes problems for offensive linemen. Warren's Hayden Smith has passed for more than 1,600 yards and 15 TDs this year.
STAR CITY (14) at Lake Village: Star City's playmakers help the Bulldogs to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. QB Sage Gasaway passed for two TDs and ran for another in last week's 21-point victory over Dumas. Lake Village has lost eight straight conference games.
(c) 1993-2009 Hooten Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this site may be retransmitted without the express written consent of Hooten Publishing, Inc.
Class 4A, Week 8, 2009
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Shiloh Christian (6-1)
2. Nashville (7-0)
3. DeQueen (5-2)
4. Warren (4-3)
5. Booneville (7-0)
6. Osceola (5-1-1)
7. Bald Knob (7-0)
8. Gravette (7-0)
9. Star City (6-1)
10. Ashdown (6-1)
11. Stuttgart (5-2)
12. Heber Springs (5-2)
13. Newport (3-4)
14. Malvern (5-2)
15. Clinton (6-1)
16. Gosnell (6-1)
17. Dumas (5-2)
18. West Fork (6-1)
19. Lonoke (4-3)
20. Clarksville (4-3)
21. Fordyce (3-4)
22. McGehee (4-3)
23. Farmington (4-2-1)
24. Dover (4-3)
25. Hamburg (3-4)
26. Ozark (3-3-1)
27. Pulaski Oak Grove (2-4-1)
28. Dollarway (0-6)
29. Pottsville (3-4)
30. Huntsville (3-4)
31. Subiaco Academy (3-4)
32. Valley View (3-4)
33. Trumann (2-5)
34. Dardanelle (3-4)
35. Prairie Grove (2-5)
36. Mena (1-6)
37. Arkadelphia (2-5)
38. Gentry (2-5)
39. Marianna (2-5)
40. Lake Village (2-4)
41. Highland (2-5)
42. Pocahontas (1-6)
43. Jonesboro Westside (3-3)
44. Waldron (1-6)
45. DeWitt (0-7)
46. Pea Ridge (1-6)
47. Berryville (1-5-1)
48. Southside Batesville (0-7)
HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 18 West Fork at No. 5 Booneville
 |
But Booneville's line is playing better this season, especially defensive linemen Marco Rodriguez and Jake Nichols, who have combined for 11 sacks. Senior linebacker Dwight Ashley tops Booneville's tackle chart. Booneville junior quarterback Brock May has thrown 16 career touchdown passes, five shy from tying the school record. Junior Talor Tatterson has rushed for 856 yards this season. "They have speed in the backfield and the best defense we've seen," said West Fork coach Rodney Selph.
The Tigers counter with senior QB Isaac Muggy, who has thrown for almost 800 yards and rushed for nearly 500 yards, despite spraining his ankle early in the year. Running back Garrett Eakins has rushed for more than 700 yards while junior Logan Genz has settled in at fullback after working at multiple positions in September. Genz and fellow inside linebacker Wil Jarnagan "must tackle well," Selph said.
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 22 of 24 games (92 percent), nailing the point spread of Mena by one point over Arkadelphia. For the season, Hootens.com has correctly predicted 199 of 229 games (87 percent).
TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs 11 a.m. Saturday on Today's THV 11 in Little Rock and KFSM in Fort Smith/Fayetteville. The Air Guard Scholar Athlete of the Week is Pocahontas QB Matt Sullivan. Games featured this week include Clarksville at Pottsville, Gravette at Shiloh Christian, Bald Knob at Clinton and Arkadelphia at Pulaski Oak Grove.
WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
1-4A
Berryville at GENTRY (14): Gentry QB Caleb Ramsey (1,005 yards passing and 355 yards rushing) gives Pioneers a dual threat. Berryville QB Eric Hollman threw a pair of TD passes against Prairie Grove last week.
Gravette at SHILOH CHRISTIAN (18): The winner gets the conference title, a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Shiloh Christian QB Kiehl Frazier has passed for 1,992 yards and 28 TDs this season, while Chris Bryant has more than 700 yards and 13 TDs. Gravette plays its better athletes on defense.
Huntsville at FARMINGTON (11): Huntsville's improving D and running back Phillip Hoskins provide the Eagles a chance for an upset. The Eagles held Pea Ridge to 205 yards last week. Farmington gives up just 14 points per league game.
Pea Ridge at PRAIRIE GROVE (14): The winner probably finishes fourth in the league and travels to Southeast Arkansas in the first round of the playoffs. Prairie Grove running back Thomas Soehner averages 150 yards rushing per game.
2-4A
BALD KNOB (14) at Clinton: Undefeated Bald Knob plays with confidence on both sides of the ball. The Bulldog defense bailed it out late in the fourth quarter in last week's 26-22 win over Heber Springs. Clinton lost its first game of the year at Stuttgart last week when it failed to score a TD for the first time in 15 games.
LONOKE (16) at Marianna: Jackrabbit running back Brandon Smith has rushed for 892 yards and 11 TDs despite missing part of the season with an injury. Lonoke has won two straight conference games but must face Stuttgart and Clinton (a combined 11-3) in the final two games.
Southside Batesville at HEBER SPRINGS (21): Heber Springs can't look ahead to next week's battle with Clinton. Panther running back Braylon Mitchell (more than 800 yards this year) plows through the Southerners, who give up 35 ppg.
STUTTGART (24) at DeWitt: Stuttgart wins its second straight conference game and owns the Battle of Arkansas County. Ricebird QB Zach Boleware and fullback Reid Counce pace the Ricebird offense. Winless Dewitt gave up 53 first-half points to Lonoke a week ago.
3-4A
OSCEOLA (4) at Gosnell: Zach Perrin (676 yards and seven TDs), B.J. Allen (369 yards and three TDs) and Gavin Sullivan (341 yards and seven TDs) pace Gosnell's stout running attack, which keeps Osceola's potent offense (43 points per conference game) off the field. Osceola's Tony Dancy has rushed for 1,224 yards and 15 TDs this season.
Pocahontas at HIGHLAND (3): Pochaontas' Matt Sullivan returned from a shoulder injury last week, passing for 89 yards and running for 86 more. Highland couldn't punch the ball in from the 1-yard line with less than a minute left in last week's eight-point loss at Valley View.
NEWPORT (35) at Jonesboro Westside: Newport's speedy offense averages 40 points and more than 400 yards in league games. The Greyhounds out-gained Osceola by 150 yards in last week's 15-point loss. Jonesboro Westside has never beaten Newport.
TRUMANN (1) at Valley View: The winner likely finishes as the No. 4 playoff seed. Valley View's improved defense gives it a chance, but the Blazers must slow Trumann QB Blaike Jones.
4-4A
CLARKSVILLE (4) at Pottsville: Pottsville plays its best games at home. The Apaches lost at Ozark by 17 points last week after dropping an emotional heartbreaker against Booneville the previous week. Clarksville's Wesleigh Foster has rushed for 829 yards and seven TDs, and caught three TD passes this year.
Dardanelle at DOVER (7): Dardanelle continues turning the ball over too much and gives up big plays at bad times. The Sand Lizards use multiple formations to confuse defenses. Dover averages 250 yards rushing per game.
Subiaco Academy at OZARK (8): Improved Subiaco Academy lost by only a TD at Clarksville last week. Trojan running back Ethan Rueswald has rushed for more than 600 yards this year. Ozark's Christian Coody (more than 1,110 total yards) is the third fastest player in the league and may be its top all-purpose performer.
West Fork at BOONEVILLE (7): Hootens.com Class 4A Game of the Week. The winner takes the league title.
7-4A
Arkadelphia at PULASKI OAK GROVE (7): A battle of strong running teams. Arkadelphia's Markel Hendrix and X'Zavior Todd combined for 275 yards at Mena last week. Oak Grove's Tropper Tolbert (314 yards) and Shaquille Spearman (291 yards) compliment the Hornet passing attack.
Ashdown at DEQUEEN (1): The winner finishes second in the conference and heads to Northeast Arkansas in the second round of the playoffs. Ashdown averages 43 points per game. DeQueen depends on playmakers Greg White (averages 7 yards per carry) and Jamario Ervin.
MALVERN (14) at Mena: Mena has improved as much as any team in the state over the past month. QB Matt Edwards set a school record with six TD passes against Arkadelphia. Malvern's D holds conference opponents to 12 ppg.
Waldron at NASHVILLE (31): Nashville has beaten Top 10 teams DeQueen and Ashdown this season. Junior running back Devencio Hawthorne's (724 yards and 11 TDs) emergence allows Anthony Smelser to focus more on defense.
8-4A
Dumas at FORDYCE (2): A Thursday night game that may decide a playoff slot. Dumas has dropped consecutive games after starting the season 5-0. Fordyce trailed Warren 14-6 late in the fourth quarter a week ago.
Hamburg at DOLLARWAY (1): Winless Dollarway still can make the playoffs with wins in its final three games. The Cardinals average just 12 points per game. Hamburg's Chris Tharpe and Chaudrion Hughes give the Lions a punch in the backfield.
McGehee at WARREN (14): McGehee can force a multiple team logjam for the conference title with a win. QBs Grant Gill and T'cambry Green fuel the Owl defense, and Gill's explosiveness at defensive end causes problems for offensive linemen. Warren's Hayden Smith has passed for more than 1,600 yards and 15 TDs this year.
STAR CITY (14) at Lake Village: Star City's playmakers help the Bulldogs to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. QB Sage Gasaway passed for two TDs and ran for another in last week's 21-point victory over Dumas. Lake Village has lost eight straight conference games.
(c) 1993-2009 Hooten Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this site may be retransmitted without the express written consent of Hooten Publishing, Inc.
10/19/2009
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