Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings   
Class 7A, Week 2, 2024  
Copyright Seventy Seven’s Football Publishing, LLC  

1.  Fayetteville (2-0) 

2.  Bryant (2-0)  

3.  Conway (2-0)  

4. Pulaski Academy (2-0) 

5. Cabot (1-1) 

6. Bentonville (0-2) 

7. Little Rock Christian (1-1) 

8. Rogers (1-1) 

9. Springdale (2-0) 

10. Bentonville West (0-2) 

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK 

NO. 2 BRYANT (2-0) at Class 5A No. 1 Little Rock Parkview (2-0)

Two of the state’s best teams — regardless of classification — square off. Parkview pulled away to a 51-6 win over Maumelle after holding a 9-0 halftime lead. Parkview scored 42 points on 10 offensive plays in the second half. Jermaine Penny had an interception and returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score for the Patriots. Arkansas commit Quentin Murphy Jr. had more than 300 total yards and 3 TDs.  

Bryant, averaging 47 points per game during its 2-0 start, beat Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.) 42-2 last week. Parkview won 28-27 last year to snap Bryant’s 54-game win streak against in-state opponents. Expect this game to come down to the wire, with both teams loaded with playmakers. Hootens.com believes Bryant QB Jordan Walker will lead the Hornets to a victory over the 2-time defending 5A state champs in a thriller. 

WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted in yellow) 

 7A WEST  

NO. 8 ROGERS (1-1) at Class 6A Sheridan (1-1) (Thursday) This is the first meeting of these schools. Sheridan comes in after a loss to Hot Springs Lakeside. Rogers fought back from a 14- point deficit to jump ahead of Muskogee (Okla.) late in last week’s contest only to fall 33-28 when Muskogee scored with less than 1 minute to play. Rogers QB Jeff Regan accounted for 235 of the Mounties’ 333 total yards and accounted for 3 TDs. Look for Rogers and its balanced offensive attack to prevail on the road. 

No. 10 Bentonville West (0-2) at MUSKOGEE (Okla.) (1-0): Muskogee defeated conference foe Rogers last week. Bentonville West played well offensively but lost by 6 in overtime to a feisty Cabot squad. Tre and Que Thompson fuel an electric offense for the Wolverines. Muskogee has one of the top players in Oklahoma in Texas State commit Jamarian Ficklin. Hootens.com likes Muskogee at home. 

BISHOP KELLEY (Okla.) (0-1) at No. 9 Springdale (2-0): Bishop Kelley dropped its opener 39-25 to Bishop McGuinness, which beat Bishop Kelley in last year’s Oklahoma state quarterfinals. Springdale, climbing to No. 9 in the 7A rankings, are off to a 2-0 start after wins over Van Buren and Little Rock Central. Junior Carson Hayter showed versatility for Springdale, carrying the football and catching passes for 134 total yards and 3 TDs in the win over Van Buren. Springdale looks much improved, but Hootens.com feels they will drop their last nonconference game this week at home.  

FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE (0-2) at Coweta (Okla.) (0-1) Northside looks to bounce back after falling 58-0 to Class 6A No. 1 Greenwood. Coweta dropped its opener at Wagoner (Okla.) 36-7. Camron Massey and Drew Jackson made a few big plays, but the Grizzlies were unable to get in the end zone. The Grizzlies get back on track this week with a win across the state line. Massey and company will be too much for Coweta’s secondary to handle. 

Springdale Har-Ber (1-1) at CLASS 6A NO. 1 GREENWOOD (2-0): Har-Ber outscored Class 5A Farmington 65-50 last Friday, with QB Evan Baker throwing for 316 yards and 4 TDs. Har-Ber’s defense, however, could not stop Farmington, and the task gets much tougher against a Greenwood team that dismantled Class 7A foe Fort Smith Northside 58-0 last Friday. The Bulldogs, led by QB Kane Archer, could be the state’s best team this year, regardless of classification. The Bulldogs have yet to punt this season. 

BYE No. 1 Fayetteville

7A CENTRAL 

Class 6A No. 5 Marion (2-0) at NO. 3 CONWAY (2-0): Marion has started impressively with wins over Wynne and Harding Academy. Conway knocked off Bentonville last week 55-21. Trey Harris, Alex McCray, and Kambrien Blackmon all caught TD passes from Grayson Wilson. Conway had 550 yards of total offense in the win. Hootens.com likes the Wampus Cats at home. 

West Monroe (La.) (1-0) at NO. 4 PULASKI ACADEMY (2-0): Two of the most storied programs in the region collide Friday in West Little Rock. West Monroe, which has played in 16 state title games in 30 years, took down Huntington (La.) in its opener. Pulaski Academy, which has won 8 of the past 9 state titles in various classifications, looks like it will be fine as a new member of class 7A. Pulaski Academy has started the year with wins over Robinson and Madison Ridgeland Academy (Miss.). Jake Fuller and Kaleb Kelley had interceptions to lead PA’s defense. Louisiana native Anthony Lucas (Tallulah) and the Bruins get the win Friday on the shoulders of electric dual-threat quarterback Brandon Cobb.  

No. 5 Cabot (1-1) at RUSTON (LA) (1-0): Cabot is fresh off a 44-38 overtime win over Bentonville West. David Liddell’s interception ended Bentonville West’s OT possession, leading to Keegan Vest’s game-winning Cabot TD. Ruston, the defending Class 5A champion in Louisiana, knocked off perennial power Acadiana (La.) 35-27 in its opener. Ruston is led by QB Josh Brantley, who is rated as a 3-star recruit and has committed to play at Tulane. The teams met last season in Cabot, with Ruston winning by 11. 

North Little Rock (0-2) at CLASS 6A NO. 2 BENTON (0-1): Benton pushed Bryant in the Salt Bowl 2 weeks ago, but Bryant made plays when it counted. North Little Rock lost to 7A West foe Rogers 43-0 in Week 0. The Panthers are loaded with talent and will win this one at home. 

LUFKIN, TEXAS (1-1) at Little Rock Southwest (0-1): Lufkin bounced back from a 7-3 season-opening loss to Longview with a 56-0 win over Nacogdoches. This represents a difficult matchup for the Gryphons, who opened with a 49-0 loss to Class 6A Lake Hamilton. QB Chase Forte made some good throws Friday and looks to build on that effort.