hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 1, 2019
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Junction City (0-1)
2. Hazen (1-0)
3. Gurdon (0-0)
4. Fordyce (0-0)
5. Foreman (0-0)
6. Des Arc (1-0)
7. Hector (0-1)
8. Earle (0-0)
9. Conway Christian (0-1)
10. Mountain Pine (0-0)
11. Mineral Springs (0-0)
12. E. Poinsett County (0-0)
13. Carlisle (1-0)
14. McCrory (1-0)
15. Mountainburg (1-0)
16. Magazine (1-0)
17. England (0-1)
18. Poyen (0-0)
19. Quitman (1-0)
20. Salem (0-0)
21. Hampton (0-1)
22. Parkers Chapel (1-0)
23. Magnet Cove (0-1)
24. Mount Ida (0-0)
25. Bearden (1-0)
26. Rector (0-0)
27. Lafayette County (0-1)
28. Hackett (0-1)
29. Lavaca (0-1)
30. Clarendon (0-0)
31. Murfreesboro (0-0)
32. Cross County (0-1)
33. Dierks (0-0)
34. Bigelow (0-1)
35. JC Westside (0-1)
36. Marked Tree (0-0)
37. Cutter M Star (0-1)
38. Marianna (0-0)
39. Spring Hill (0-0)
40. Strong (0-0)
41. Midland (0-0)
42. Marvell (0-0)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
Class 3A No. 2 Rison at Class 2A No. 4 Fordyce
Teams meet for the 68th consecutive season. Class 2A Fordyce leads the series 35-27-2, but Rison has won two straight in the rivalry. Rison bumped back to Class 3A last season after finishing 51-21 from 2006-2011 in that classification. The Wildcats were 55-18 from 2012-2017 in Class 2A. Rison has won 10 games or more 24 times in school history. A week ago, Class 3A No. 2 Rison toppled then-No. 3 Prescott 42-40 in two overtimes as part of the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kickoff Classic. Rison junior RB Jamarien Frye carried 35 times for 268 yards (of Rison's 447 yards) and three TDs. Fordyce boasts the most defensive team speed in Class 2A, but the Redbugs are young up front. Junior Josh Harrington (5-10, 180) anchors the offensive front and an ultra-talented linebacking corps.
Watch exclusive, extended highlights of Rison's 42-40 2OT win over Prescott in last week's Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kickoff Classic presented by hootens.com HERE. Watch Fordyce coach Tim Rodgers interview HERE.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 15 of 17 (88 percent) games involving Class 2A teams.

WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
3-2A
HARRISBURG (6) at Cross County: Cross County looked big and slow afoot in its 48-6 opening loss at No. 2 Hazen. CC gave up 436 yards with four different Hazen receivers catching TD passes. Cross County did manage 160 rushing yards (170 total yards). Watch highlights of Cross County's game last week at Hazen HERE.
E. POINSETT COUNTY (14) at Manila: 3-2A favorite EPC should dress 32 for the opener at Class 3A Manila. Former Rivercrest Colt Levante Taylor, who sat out last year after transferring, joins senior QB Preston Rains and RB Rayshon Gates to form one of the more dynamic backfields in Class 2A.
WALNUT RIDGE (24) at Marked Tree: Marked Tree (1-8 in 2018) expects to dress 16, including 10 sophomores. Senior QB Eli McCrary and junior HB/CB Israel Malone lead the young MT Indians.
MCCRORY (7) at Barton: McCrory faces big challenge at Class 3A Barton (23-man roster), trying to slow an athletic backfield featuring senior FB Kavein Davis (5-10, 230). McCrory produced 355 yards last week in a 34-28 win at Class 4A Highland with sophomore QB Cason Campbell completing seven of 11 passes for 135 yards and two TDs, one to sophomore RB Reid Kennon and another to all-league senior WR Colby Lane (four receptions, 114 yards). Barton plays without three injured starters for this game, and two more starters will miss the first quarter for disciplinary reasons.
Midland at MELBOURNE (35): Class 3A Melbourne toppled Charleston 28-24 Week 0. Midland expects to dress 18 players, including all-conference athlete Eli Milam and emerging lineman Nelson Hammel.
CORNING (2) at Rector: Rector reached the playoffs last year for the first time since 2001, while Corning transitions under its new (veteran) head coach Larry Treadway, who never lost to Rector while head coach at Walnut Ridge.
SALEM (4) at Mountain View: Salem enters this fall without the school's career rushing leader, Jordan Turner (5,124 yards, 63 TDs), for the first time in three seasons. Turner plays this fall for Harding University. Senior Peyton Barker succeeds Turner as the featured 'back. Junior QB Gavin Guiltner passes more this fall (12-15 attempts per game) to a receiving corps that includes emerging slot receiver Kevin King.   

4-2A
POCOLA, OKLA. (3) at Hackett: Hackett had few answers last week against Class 3A Mansfield, which expects to battle for the 1-3A title. Hackett sophomore Peyton Hester caught six passes for 86 yards and recorded 17 tackles. Sophomore lineman Isaiah Carter delivered three pancake blocks.
HECTOR (33) at Marshall: Hector has manhandled Class 3A Marshall 42-0, 45-14, 39-8, 48-19, 52-18 and 36-8 the past six years. Hector opened last week with a 45-22 loss at Class 3A then-No. 15 Atkins. Hector all-conference WR Caleb Profit caught six balls for 141 yards and two TDs, while junior RB Ty Day carried 15 times for 85 yards and a TD. Two Rivers topped Marshall 12-8 last week to end a 36-game losing streak.
Lavaca at SUBIACO ACADEMY (7): Lavaca managed just 146 yards last week in a 35-0 non-conference loss to conference foe Mountainburg, which scored three TDs on its first five possessions. Subiaco Academy former coach Michael Berry returned as head coach in August as the boarding school's third head coach in three months (not years).
MAGAZINE (2) at Mount Ida: Magazine posted its first season-opening victory since 2011 last week by beating Bigelow 46-20 while rolling up 495 yards and seven TDs. Senior All-4-2A FB Caleb Hyatt carried 14 times for a team-high 141 yards and three TDs and notched a team-high nine tackles. Mount Ida has dominated this short series, winning 33-0 in 2018, 41-6 in 2017, 56-6 in 2015 and 42-0 in 2014. Mount Ida plans to dress 20 for first-year HC Zack Wuichet. Senior team captain Hunter Davis leads MI on both sides of the ball at halfback and middle linebacker.
MOUNTAINBURG (6) at Cedarville: Both teams opened with dominating wins Week 0. Class 3A Cedarville jumped J.C. Westside 50-14, while Mountainburg mauled fellow 4-2A member Lavaca 35-0 in a non-conference game. Mountainburg senior all-conference performer Malachi West ran for a game-high 109 yards.
J.C. Westside at CARLISLE (38): No. 13 Carlisle opened with an impressive 38-13 win over Class 4A neighbor Lonoke, holding the Jackrabbits to 155 yards. Carlisle ran for 262 of its 316 total yards, paced by Kam'Ryn Taylor with 139 yards on 15 attempts. Senior all-league performer Will Carter ran for 79 yards, caught four passes for 46 yards and threw a 21-yard pass.

5-2A
POYEN (8) at Drew Central: Poyen will dress 38 for the opener, including all-conference RB Brandon Sanchez (4.5 speed) who could surpass his 1,700 rushing/receiving yards of last season.
Two Rivers at QUITMAN (35): Two Rivers ended a 36-game losing streak last week by forcing five turnovers to upend Marshall 12-8, while Quitman shut out Rose Bud 35-0 for new DC Kevin Youngblood.  
ENGLAND (14) at Mayflower: England senior QB Mason Brazeal passed for 314 yards and two TDs last week in a 38-20 loss to Des Arc, while Class 3A Mayflower lost to Class 4A CAC 48-0. 
Bigelow at PERRYVILLE (1): Just 13 miles separate these old rivals, and the home team has won the past seven meetings. Neither team impressed Week 0. Bigelow managed 200 total yards in a 46-20 loss to Magazine. Perryville rushed 23 times for 47 yards in a seven-point loss to Paris.
Spring Hill at CONWAY CHRISTIAN (22): Conway Christian rebounds from a 46-point loss at Class 3A No. 7 McGehee, where it committed three first-half turnovers. CC junior QB Tyler Cossey competed a 65-yard TD pass to senior John Michael Scherrey and a 7-yard TD toss to senior Miguel Thorpe.  
MINERAL SPRINGS (5) at Mountain Pine: MS senior running backs La'Darrius Hicks and Cameron Lee double as one of the better linebacking tandems in Class 2A. Mountain Pine, the 5-2A coaches pick to win the league, counters with all-state QB Collin Smith and all-league tackles Jason Bennett and Chance Godwin.
MAGNET COVE is open.
CUTTER M. STAR is open.

6-2A
J.C. Westside at CARLISLE (42): No. 13 Carlisle opened with an impressive 38-13 win over Class 4A neighbor Lonoke, holding the Jackrabbits to 155 yards. Carlisle ran for 262 of its 316 yards, paced by Kam'Ryn Taylor with 139 yards on 15 attempts. Senior all-league performer Will Carter ran for 79 yards, caught four passes for 46 yards and threw a 21-yard pass. Watch highlights of Carlisle's win over Lonoke HERE.
Clarendon at PALESTINE-WHEATLEY (3): Explosive sophomore Quincey McAdoo moved back to Clarendon from Hazen, where he played varsity late in 2018 as a freshman. Class 3A P-W has won four straight in this series.
BAUXITE (6) at Des Arc: Class 2A Des Arc pushed Class 4A Bauxite a year ago before losing a 45-44 thriller. A week ago, Des Arc senior all-state FB Jackson Morton trucked England for 295 yards and three TDs in a 38-20 victory.
Marianna at HAMPTON (8): Difficult opener last week for Hampton and its new coach, Doug Means: a 46-8 loss to Class 3A No. 6 Smackover. Hampton senior FB/LB Bryce Nutt played well, while senior Braxton Avant intercepted two passes. Junior C/MLB Jemison McPherson never came off the field, also excelling on special teams.
HELENA (8) at Earle: Class 4A Helena has won the past three games in this series.
HAZEN is open. Watch Highlights of the Hazen's win last week over Cross County HERE.

7-2A
Horatio at DIERKS (1): Dierks junior newcomer Austin Hanson adds athleticism at running back and linebacker, but the Outlaws lack team speed. Horatio has won two straight in the series.
Genoa Central at FOREMAN (20): Two-time defending 7-2A champion Foreman opens the (new head coach) Adrain Ivory era with a victory over Class 3A Genoa Central. Foreman has won five of the past six games in this series.
GURDON (17) at Fouke: Class 3A Fouke on its third coach in three years. Gurdon returns six starters from a 2018 defense that held seven opponents to a TD or less. Junior DT Markell Pollins and LB Royrick Anderson spearhead the defense. 
MINERAL SPRINGS (5) at Mountain Pine: MS senior running backs La'Darrius Hicks and Cameron Lee double as one of the better linebacking tandems in Class 2A. Mountain Pine, the 5-2A coaches pick to win the league, counters with all-state QB Collin Smith and all-league tackles Jason Bennett and Chance Godwin.
MAGAZINE (2) at Mount Ida: Magazine posted its first season-opening victory since 2011 last week by beating Bigelow 46-20 while rolling up 495 yards and seven TDs. Senior All-4-2A FB Caleb Hyatt carried 14 times for a team-high 141 yards and three TDs and notched a team-high nine tackles. Mount Ida has dominated this short series, winning 33-0 in 2018, 41-6 in 2017, 56-6 in 2015 and 42-0 in 2014. Mount Ida plans to dress 20 for first-year HC Zack Wuichet. Senior team captain Hunter Davis leads MI on both sides of the ball at halfback and middle linebacker.
Murfreesboro at CENTERPOINT (12): Centerpoint has won three consecutive games in this series. Centerpoint led Class 4A Harmony Grove Haskell 17-0 last week and held on for a 17-14 win. (Haskell beat Centerpoint 38-20 in 2018.) Murfreesboro's roster has increased to 30 players with senior Anthony Hill emerging at left tackle and defensive end. Junior Brendan Stevens blossomed over the summer at linebacker and H-back after playing little in 2018.
Spring Hill at CONWAY CHRISTIAN (22): Conway Christian rebounds from a 46-point loss at Class 3A No. 7 McGehee, where it committed three first-half turnovers. CC junior QB Tyler Cossey competed a 65-yard TD pass to senior John Michael Scherrey and a 7-yard TD toss to senior Miguel Thorpe. 
PARKERS CHAPEL (2) at Lafayette County: LC managed 36 yards on 15 rushing attempts last week in a 14-point loss to Bearden. PC senior QB Caleb Jacobs passed for 123 yards and a TD, rushed for 114 yards and three TDs, and returned an interception 95 yards for a TD in a 63-42 win over Lousiana private school Minden Glenbrook.

8-2A
RISON (13) at Fordyce: See Game of the Week. Watch extended highlights of Rison's 42-40 2OT win over Prescott in last week's Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kickoff Classic presented by hootens.com HERE. Watch Fordyce coach Tim Rodgers interview HERE.
C. HARMONY GROVE (28) at Bearden: While Class 3A No. 1 Camden Harmony Grove slipped past Class 2A No. 1 Junction City 30-26 last week, Bearden notched a road win at Lafayette County 22-8, holding the Cougars to 120 total yards. Bearden sophomore O'Shey Yarbrough and junior Jamalachi Hartley recorded nine tackles apiece. Bearden junior QB Kendrick Juniel and senior RB J.J. Wade combined for 140 rushing yards and three TDs. Watch exclusive, extended highlights of Harmony Grove's win over Junction HERE.
SMACKOVER (2) at Junction City: Class 3A Smackover takes on its second 8-2A member of the season, destroying Hampton 46-8 last week. Watch exclusive extended highlights HERE. Smackover got lengthy TD runs from QBs Dawson Biggers and Austin Goodwin, and running back Dexter Crockett added another score. Look for Biggers, Goodwin and all-state performer Jaqueze Modica to rotate at QB situationally. Biggers and Goodwin execute the read option well. Smackover juked Class 2A Junction City a year ago 46-20, but Junction has won three of the past four meetings. Junction City leads the all-time series 24-18 and the Dragons are 14-6 since 1999 in home openers. Junction City is 54-7 at home this decade, including 16 consecutive home victories per JC historian Wayne Pumphrey. Class 2A No. 1 Junction City led Class 3A No. 1 Camden Harmony Grove in the fourth quarter last week before three big plays turned away the Dragons. Senior running back Jakiron Cook bolted for 138 yards, his fourth 100-yard rushing game in his career. Junction City has started 1-2 three of the past six seasons. Watch exclusive, extended highlights of Harmony Grove's win over Junction HERE.
Marianna at HAMPTON (8): Difficult opener last week for Hampton and its new coach, Doug Means: a 46-8 loss to Class 3A No. 5 Smackover. Hampton senior FB/LB Bryce Nutt played well, while senior Braxton Avant intercepted two passes. Junior C/MLB Jamison McPherson never came off the field, also excelling on special teams. Extended highlights of last week's Hampton at Smackover game are HERE.
PARKERS CHAPEL (2) at Lafayette County: LC managed 36 yards on 15 rushing attempts last week in a 14-point loss to Bearden. PC senior QB Caleb Jacobs passed for 123 yards and a TD, rushed for 114 yards and three TDs, and returned an interception 95 yards for a TD in a 63-42 win over Lousiana private school Minden Glenbrook.
HAMBURG (30) at Strong: Class 4A Hamburg, which returned just four starters from 2018, opened last week with an eyebrow-raising 30-20 win over 4A Ashdown. Hamburg senior slotback D.J. Johnson ran for 146 yards and two TDs. Strong won once a year ago, 44-6 over J.C. Westside.