Class 7A Week 2 Rankings, Notes & Picks
Hooten's Arkansas Football Rankings
Class 7A, Week 2, 2021
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Bryant (2-0)
2. Cabot (2-0)
3. North LR (1-0)
4. Fayetteville (1-1)
5. Conway (1-1)
6. Bentonville (1-1)
7. Springdale Har-Ber (0-2)
8. Bentonville West (1-1)
9. LR Catholic (0-2)
10. FS Northside (1-0)
11. Rogers (1-0)
12. FS Southside (0-2)
13. LR Central (0-2)
14. Heritage (0-1)
15. Springdale (0-2)
16. LR Southwest (0-2)
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 North LR at No. 4 Fayetteville.
Fayetteville beat Conway 41-24 Week 0 before losing to perennial Oklahoma state title contender Owasso, Okla. (state champs in 2017 and 2019) 48-42 last Friday. Fayetteville spreads the ball to multiple skill players and its front line is better than expected. Fayetteville's standout linebackers Mani Powell and Kaiden Turner (both have Razorback scholarship offers) make up for some defensive deficiencies. “Fayetteville has a fast-flowing defense that shuts open doors in a hurry,” North LR first-year head coach Randy Sandefur says.
North LR totaled 470 yards, including 246 passing in last week's 58-28 win over Har-Ber. Har-Ber led early but couldn't stop North LR's rushing attack. “Our offensive line did a good job,” Sandefur says. “We threw it around more in the first half, got a two score lead in the second and were able to run it more.” Junior QB Malachi Gober, who also rushed for 76 yards, moves well in the pocket, targets four senior receivers and operates behind five senior linemen. “I'm having the time of my life,” says Sandefur, who started as assistant at the school in 1983.
LAST WEEK
hootens.com correctly predicted winners in 10 of 11 games (90 percent) involving Class 7A teams. For the season, hootens.com is 23-1 (96 percent) in Class 7A.
WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS (favored teams in CAPS followed by points spread)
7A CENTRAL
NORTH LR (5) at Fayetteville: Game of the Week.
LR Central at BENTONVILLE WEST (11): West didn’t have a turnover and recovered a fumble in the end zone to win last Friday at Muskogee (Okla.) 21-13. West sophomore RB Cole Edmondson totaled 118 yards offense. LR Central has totaled 160 yards offense in its two games while allowing 813 yards. Watch LR Central senior center Andrew Baker (5.0 GPA, 33 ACT), the First Community Bank Scholar Athlete of the Week, HERE.
Jonesboro at CONWAY (7): Conway had 13 fewer first downs but capitalized on six Bentonville turnovers to upset the Tigers 55-41 last week. Conway junior Boogie Carr carried 24 times for 119 yards. Jonesboro lost 47-27 at Cabot, allowing 435 yards, including 6.1 yards per rush.
El Dorado at CABOT (21): Cabot, ranked No. 2 in Class 7A, improves to 3-0 under third-year coach Scott Reed. Reed coached El Dorado to four state titles (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013) before moving to Cabot in 2019. El Dorado barely escaped at Camden Fairview 40-36 last Friday. Class 5A Fairview dropped a TD pass on fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line in the final seconds.
LR Southwest at BENTON (35): LR Southwest hasn’t scored, losing to Class 6A West Memphis and LR Parkview by a combined 67-0. Benton, open last week, battled Class 7A No. 1 Bryant for a half Week 0, trailing just 21-0 at the break. Benton standout senior WR Cam Harris totaled 97 yards receiving vs. Bryant.
BRYANT is open. Three-time defending state champ Bryant outscored Class 6A opponents Benton and Marion by a combined 100-10 the past two weeks.
LR CATHOLIC is open. LR Catholic lost 40-34 in 3 OTs to Fort Worth Nolan Catholic last Sat.
7A WEST
NORTH LR (5) at Fayetteville: Game of the Week.
GREENWOOD (1) at FS Northside: Northside, open last week, led rival Southside 31-8 late in the fourth quarter two weeks ago when senior running backs Ty Massey and Sundquist Church combined for 260 yards rushing. Northside senior QB Walker Catsavis (6-4, 175) completed 7 of 8 passes for 80 yards and ran 37 yards for a TD.. Class 6A No. 1 Greenwood led rival FS Southside 48-20 with 9:52 remaining last week but barely escaped 54-48. Southside bombed Greenwood’s secondary, completing 63 percent of its passes for 448 yards and six TDs.
LR Central at BENTONVILLE WEST (11): West didn’t have a turnover and recovered a fumble in the end zone to win last Friday at Muskogee (Okla.) 21-13. West sophomore RB Cole Edmondson totaled 118 yards offense. LR Central has totaled 160 yards offense in its two games while allowing 813 yards.
Russellville at FS SOUTHSIDE (1): Winless Southside stayed with Class 6A No. 1 Greenwood last Friday, losing just 54-48. Southside junior QB David Sorg bombed Greenwood’s secondary, completing 63 percent of his passes for 448 yards and six TDs. Russellville gets 14 days preparation time after beating Class 5A rival Morrilton 42-12 two weeks ago.
Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst at BENTONVILLE (7): Bentonville won this matchup 21-13 a year ago. Rockhurst (0-2), a perennial title contender in Missouri, lost last Friday to rival Kansas City (Mo.) Park Hill 24-23. Bentonville totaled 112 more yards and 13 more first downs but committed six turnovers in last week’s 55-41 loss to Conway (one turnover). Bentonville junior Josh Ficklin (5-10, 195) totaled 238 yards, averaging 6.1 yards on 29 rushes and taking a pass 61 yards for a TD.
FARMINGTON (8) at Springdale: Farmington seeks its second win of 2021 over a 7A-West member (beat Heritage 40-21 Week 0). The Cardinals used two TDs and field goal in the final minute of the first half to pull away from Prairie Grove 56-27 last week. Sophomore QB Cameron Vanzant ran in three TDs and threw two. Winless Springdale trailed Choctaw, Okla., by 23 points in the first quarter last week before losing 63-6.
Rogers Heritage at VAN BUREN (8): Van Buren standout junior Malachi Henry took passes 70 and 96 yards for TDs in the first half of last week’s 31-20 win over rival Alma. Henry finished with seven catches for 261 yards, but the Pointers committed three turnovers and gained just 1.6 yards per rush vs. Alma. Heritage opened with a 40-21 loss to Class 5A Farmington two weeks ago.
Muskogee, Okla. at ROGERS (7): Improved Rogers exploded for 21 first-quarter points en route to a 51-40 win over Class 6A Siloam Springs two weeks ago. Muskogee, winless last season, lost to Greenwood and Bentonville West the past two weeks by a combined score of 84-34.
Class 7A, Week 2, 2021
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Bryant (2-0)
2. Cabot (2-0)
3. North LR (1-0)
4. Fayetteville (1-1)
5. Conway (1-1)
6. Bentonville (1-1)
7. Springdale Har-Ber (0-2)
8. Bentonville West (1-1)
9. LR Catholic (0-2)
10. FS Northside (1-0)
11. Rogers (1-0)
12. FS Southside (0-2)
13. LR Central (0-2)
14. Heritage (0-1)
15. Springdale (0-2)
16. LR Southwest (0-2)
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 North LR at No. 4 Fayetteville.
Fayetteville beat Conway 41-24 Week 0 before losing to perennial Oklahoma state title contender Owasso, Okla. (state champs in 2017 and 2019) 48-42 last Friday. Fayetteville spreads the ball to multiple skill players and its front line is better than expected. Fayetteville's standout linebackers Mani Powell and Kaiden Turner (both have Razorback scholarship offers) make up for some defensive deficiencies. “Fayetteville has a fast-flowing defense that shuts open doors in a hurry,” North LR first-year head coach Randy Sandefur says.
North LR totaled 470 yards, including 246 passing in last week's 58-28 win over Har-Ber. Har-Ber led early but couldn't stop North LR's rushing attack. “Our offensive line did a good job,” Sandefur says. “We threw it around more in the first half, got a two score lead in the second and were able to run it more.” Junior QB Malachi Gober, who also rushed for 76 yards, moves well in the pocket, targets four senior receivers and operates behind five senior linemen. “I'm having the time of my life,” says Sandefur, who started as assistant at the school in 1983.
LAST WEEK
hootens.com correctly predicted winners in 10 of 11 games (90 percent) involving Class 7A teams. For the season, hootens.com is 23-1 (96 percent) in Class 7A.
WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS (favored teams in CAPS followed by points spread)
7A CENTRAL
NORTH LR (5) at Fayetteville: Game of the Week.
LR Central at BENTONVILLE WEST (11): West didn’t have a turnover and recovered a fumble in the end zone to win last Friday at Muskogee (Okla.) 21-13. West sophomore RB Cole Edmondson totaled 118 yards offense. LR Central has totaled 160 yards offense in its two games while allowing 813 yards. Watch LR Central senior center Andrew Baker (5.0 GPA, 33 ACT), the First Community Bank Scholar Athlete of the Week, HERE.
Jonesboro at CONWAY (7): Conway had 13 fewer first downs but capitalized on six Bentonville turnovers to upset the Tigers 55-41 last week. Conway junior Boogie Carr carried 24 times for 119 yards. Jonesboro lost 47-27 at Cabot, allowing 435 yards, including 6.1 yards per rush.
El Dorado at CABOT (21): Cabot, ranked No. 2 in Class 7A, improves to 3-0 under third-year coach Scott Reed. Reed coached El Dorado to four state titles (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013) before moving to Cabot in 2019. El Dorado barely escaped at Camden Fairview 40-36 last Friday. Class 5A Fairview dropped a TD pass on fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line in the final seconds.
LR Southwest at BENTON (35): LR Southwest hasn’t scored, losing to Class 6A West Memphis and LR Parkview by a combined 67-0. Benton, open last week, battled Class 7A No. 1 Bryant for a half Week 0, trailing just 21-0 at the break. Benton standout senior WR Cam Harris totaled 97 yards receiving vs. Bryant.
BRYANT is open. Three-time defending state champ Bryant outscored Class 6A opponents Benton and Marion by a combined 100-10 the past two weeks.
LR CATHOLIC is open. LR Catholic lost 40-34 in 3 OTs to Fort Worth Nolan Catholic last Sat.
7A WEST
NORTH LR (5) at Fayetteville: Game of the Week.
GREENWOOD (1) at FS Northside: Northside, open last week, led rival Southside 31-8 late in the fourth quarter two weeks ago when senior running backs Ty Massey and Sundquist Church combined for 260 yards rushing. Northside senior QB Walker Catsavis (6-4, 175) completed 7 of 8 passes for 80 yards and ran 37 yards for a TD.. Class 6A No. 1 Greenwood led rival FS Southside 48-20 with 9:52 remaining last week but barely escaped 54-48. Southside bombed Greenwood’s secondary, completing 63 percent of its passes for 448 yards and six TDs.
LR Central at BENTONVILLE WEST (11): West didn’t have a turnover and recovered a fumble in the end zone to win last Friday at Muskogee (Okla.) 21-13. West sophomore RB Cole Edmondson totaled 118 yards offense. LR Central has totaled 160 yards offense in its two games while allowing 813 yards.
Russellville at FS SOUTHSIDE (1): Winless Southside stayed with Class 6A No. 1 Greenwood last Friday, losing just 54-48. Southside junior QB David Sorg bombed Greenwood’s secondary, completing 63 percent of his passes for 448 yards and six TDs. Russellville gets 14 days preparation time after beating Class 5A rival Morrilton 42-12 two weeks ago.
Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst at BENTONVILLE (7): Bentonville won this matchup 21-13 a year ago. Rockhurst (0-2), a perennial title contender in Missouri, lost last Friday to rival Kansas City (Mo.) Park Hill 24-23. Bentonville totaled 112 more yards and 13 more first downs but committed six turnovers in last week’s 55-41 loss to Conway (one turnover). Bentonville junior Josh Ficklin (5-10, 195) totaled 238 yards, averaging 6.1 yards on 29 rushes and taking a pass 61 yards for a TD.
FARMINGTON (8) at Springdale: Farmington seeks its second win of 2021 over a 7A-West member (beat Heritage 40-21 Week 0). The Cardinals used two TDs and field goal in the final minute of the first half to pull away from Prairie Grove 56-27 last week. Sophomore QB Cameron Vanzant ran in three TDs and threw two. Winless Springdale trailed Choctaw, Okla., by 23 points in the first quarter last week before losing 63-6.
Rogers Heritage at VAN BUREN (8): Van Buren standout junior Malachi Henry took passes 70 and 96 yards for TDs in the first half of last week’s 31-20 win over rival Alma. Henry finished with seven catches for 261 yards, but the Pointers committed three turnovers and gained just 1.6 yards per rush vs. Alma. Heritage opened with a 40-21 loss to Class 5A Farmington two weeks ago.
Muskogee, Okla. at ROGERS (7): Improved Rogers exploded for 21 first-quarter points en route to a 51-40 win over Class 6A Siloam Springs two weeks ago. Muskogee, winless last season, lost to Greenwood and Bentonville West the past two weeks by a combined score of 84-34.
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