Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 3, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Junction City (1-1)
2. Bearden (1-1)
3. Carlisle (1-0)
4. Rison (0-2)
5. E. Poinsett County (2-0)
6. Gurdon (2-0)
7. McCrory (1-0)
8. Parkers Chapel (2-0)
9. Strong (1-0)
10. Mount Ida (1-0)
11. Mineral Springs (1-0)
12. Walnut Ridge (1-0)
13. Hazen (1-1)
14. Hackett (2-0)
15. Des Arc (1-1)
16. Conway Christian (2-0)
17. Norphlet (1-1)
18. Mountainburg (1-1)
19. Magnet Cove (1-1)
20. Salem (2-0)
21. Dierks (2-0)
22. Marked Tree (1-0)
23. Murfreesboro (1-1)
24. Quitman (1-1)
25. Magazine (0-2)
26. Bigelow (1-0)
27. England (1-1)
28. Cross County (1-0-1)
29. Brinkley (0-1)
30. Clarendon (0-1)
31. Hampton (0-0)
32. Foreman (2-0)
33. Spring Hill (0-2)
34. Union Christian (0-2)
35. Decatur (1-1)
36. Woodlawn (0-2)
37. Poyen (0-2)
38. J.C. Westside (1-1)
39. Palestine-Wheatley (1-1)
40. Augusta (1-1)
41. Cutter M. Star (1-1)
42. Lafayette County (0-2)
43. Mountain Pine (0-1)
44. Cedar Ridge (0-2)
45. Hector (0-2)
46. Hermitage (1-1)
47. Western Yell County (0-2)
48. Marvell (0-2)
49. Hartford (0-2)

HOOTENS.COM 2A GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 2 Bearden at No. 1 Junction City
These two split the past four meetings with Junction City winning last year 13-12 at Bearden. Bearden historian Jackie Bevill has Junction City leading the overall series 23-22-2. Junction City has won 61 of its past 66 league games. Both teams rebounded from opening losses to win last week. Bearden played poorly Week 1 in humbling 34-6 loss to 3A Camden Harmony Grove. Last week, Bearden looked sharp in blowing out Hampton 54-0, holding the Bulldogs to 124 yards and seven first downs. Junction City lost at 3A Earle 14-7 in a monsoon Week 1, but the Dragons beat Rison 28-9 a week ago. Junction City broke its patented Wishbone last week to run almost exclusively Spread with 19 passes, about what it normally attempts in a year. Senior QB Shaq Hunter completed 10 of those 19 passes for 244 yards and three TDs. Sophomore WR Jamario Bell (6-5, 225) caught short passes and took them 20 and 80 yards for TDs.

TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs Saturday mornings statewide at 8:30 on Fox 24 (Fayetteville/Fort Smith) and at 9:30 on KARZ 42 (Little Rock), featuring the Air Guard Scholar Athlete of the Week, junior C/DT Pearson Wade (4.3 GPA) of Magnet Cove.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 28 of 32 games (88 percent) involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com has picked 59 of 70 (84 percent) this season.

WEEK 3 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
3-2A
Manila at MCCRORY (36): McCrory senior RB Logan Best (3,001 rushing yards in 2011) also catching passes this fall. Best topped 200 all-purpose yards and scored all four TDs last week in a 30-6 win over Hazen. McCrory senior Garrett Browning moved to QB when starter D.J. Horton broke his arm during Week 1 preparations.
Jonesboro Westside. at WALNUT RIDGE (21): Walnut Ridge beat Corning 33-30 Week 1; Corning beat 3-4A member Jonesboro Westside 37-7 last week. Westside has won two games in three years.
Cedar Ridge at QUITMAN (28): Quitman got a 6-0 win last week at Magazine when the game was called (weather) late in the first quarter. Quitman all-state RB Allen Mannon (1,189 yds in 2011) ran 5 yards for the winning score.
E. POINSETT COUNTY (8) at Hazen: No. 5 EPC beat Class 3A Rivercrest 29-27 two weeks ago by forcing four fumbles. EPC's aggressive, blitzing defense could rattle a young Hazen team that made a lot of mistakes last week in a 30-6 loss to McCrory.
Marked Tree at GURDON (12): No. 6 Gurdon toppled Class 3A Prescott 40-34 Week 1 and smoked Benton Harmony Grove 41-8 last week. Senior RB Darius Ivy and Marked Tree off and running.
Marvell at CROSS COUNTY (45): Marvell loses 18th in a row.
Salem at MAYFLOWER (15): No. 20 Salem hard-nosed as usual, playing quality defense. It beat super-sized Yellville-Summit 8-7 last week.
BALD KNOB (26) at Augusta: Winless 3A Bald Knob gets its first win. Augusta just whipped Marvell 66-0. Augusta beat Marvell 60-0 last year for its lone win of 2011.

4-2A
HACKETT (12) at Magazine: No. 14 Hackett appears to be the new favorite in the weakened 4-2A. Magazine lost to 5-2A Quitman 6-0 in a game stopped with two minutes left in the first quarter.
Decatur at MOUNTAINBURG (6): No. 18 Mountainburg, the coaches' pick to win the 4-2A, whipped Union Christian 42-26 last week. Decatur sophomore Victor Urquidi ran for two TDs, and classmate Allen Castaneda returned an interception 65 yards for a TD in a 57-22 win at Hartford.
HECTOR (3) at Hartford: Hector gives first-year coach Mark Taylor his first victory as a head coach.
Union Christian at J.C. WESTSIDE (5): J.C. Westside senior RBs Taylor Houston and Chris McCormick combined for 259 yards and five TDs last week in a 51-0 rout of Western Yell. UC junior Brett Calhoun leads the Eagles in rushing (203 yards) and tackles (19) this season.
Western Yell at LAMAR (42): Lamar junior RB Hunter Sanders ran 11 times for 93 yards and a TD last week in a 18-0 win over Subiaco Academy.

5-2A
MAGNET COVE (7) at B. Harmony Grove: Junior starting C/DT Pearson Wade (4.3 GPA) has missed the past two games but returns this week for Magnet Cove.
Lavaca at MOUNT IDA (10): The visiting team has won the past four games in the series. Lavaca is fresh off a 26-16 win over Elkins, but Mount Ida finally breaks the trend.
FOUNTAIN LAKE (42) at Mountain Pine: Class 3A No. 4 Fountain Lake features senior wingback Andrew Barber (8.7 yards per carry). 5-3A member Jessieville beat Mountain Pine 49-13 two weeks ago, and Carlisle blanked the Red Devils 50-0 last week.
Cutter M. Star at BISMARCK (2): Bismarck has allowed 101 points to 7-2A members Murfreesboro and Dierks. Bismarck beat Cutter 41-12 last year when both teams were in the 5-3A.
DANVILLE (6) at Bigelow: Both teams were idle last week. Bigelow defeated rival Perryville Week 1 for the first time since 2006.
CONWAY CHRISTIAN (7) at Rose Bud: Expect a shootout. Rose Bud was idle last week while Conway Christian stunned Class 3A upstart Cedarville 42-30.
Cedar Ridge at QUITMAN (21): Quitman all-state RB Allen Mannon (1,189 yards in 2011) ran 5 yards for the game's only TD last week in a 6-0 win at Magazine. The game was called in the first quarter due to weather.
DIERKS (28) at Poyen: Dierks averages 47 ppg; Poyen has not scored through two games.

6-2A
Carlisle at OSCEOLA (6): Carlisle junior all-state RB/LB Bo Weddle had a MRI Monday on an apparent knee (ACL) injury. Without Weddle last week, Carlisle junior Deron Ricks ran for 109 yards and a TD in a 50-0 blowout of Mountain Pine. Senior QB Chris Hart passed for 125 yards and four TDs.
England at YELLVILLE-SUMMIT (1): England cleaned up its play last week in a 40-14 win over Episcopal after losing a sloppy opener at Hackett by 31 points. England sophomore QB Tyrik Harris (6-2, 185) works behind a line with four sophomore starters. Harris passed for three TDs and ran for another last week in a 40-14 win over Episcopal. 3-2A member Salem edged Yellville-Summit 8-7 last week.
E. POINSETT COUNTY (8) at Hazen: Hazen's youth (just three seniors) showed last week in a mistake-ridden performance Friday night vs. McCrory. The game was postponed until Saturday when Hazen played better but still lost 30-6.
Des Arc at HARDING ACADEMY (27): Des Arc did not score last week against 2-3A member Barton. Class 3A No. 3 Harding Academy should not struggle with the 2A Eagles. Harding Academy senior QB Will Francis has completed 65 percent of his passes this fall.
Clarendon at BARTON (28): 2-3A member Barton has beaten DeWitt and Des Arc by a combined 57-0. Barton beat Clarendon 48-22 a year ago.
EPISCOPAL (1) at Brinkley: Episcopal came from behind to win this game by three points a year ago. Brinkley has been outscored this fall 83-20.
PIGGOTT (8) at Palestine-Wheatley: Class 3A Piggott, with 20 starters back, was idle last week. P-W ripped Class 3A Drew Central 44-20.
Marvell at CROSS COUNTY (45): Marvell loses 18th in a row.

7-2A
Marked Tree at GURDON (12): No. 6 Gurdon toppled Class 3A Prescott 40-34 Week 1 and smoked Benton Harmony Grove 41-8 last week. Senior RB Darius Ivy and Marked Tree off and running to 2-0 start.
GLEN ROSE (18) at Mineral Springs: Mineral Springs did not play Danville last week due to weather. Class 3A No. 1 Glen Rose manhandled old nemesis Bauxite 35-0.
DIERKS (28) at Poyen: Dierks averages 47 ppg. Poyen has not scored through two games.
Spring Hill at GENOA CENTRAL (1): Spring Hill has been outscored 56-7 after two games this fall. Genoa Central ended a four-game losing streak dating to Week 8, 2011 by hammering Lafayette County 40-8 last week.
Lafayette County at FOUKE (12): Lafayette County has lost two games by a combined 80-10.
HORATIO (8) at Foreman: Foreman senior RB Eddie Batey ran for 164 yards and four TDs in last week's 48-20 win over Fouke. Junior Jordan Hardwrick blocked a field goal and returned an interception 53 yards for a score. Horatio cranked out 402 yards offense last week against Murfreesboro despite losing four turnovers. Senior RB Kyle Cornish ran for 93 yards and three TDs. Sophomore Jimmy Starwalt carried 20 times for 162 and the game-winning TD.
Centerpoint at MURFREESBORO (3): This game has been decided by less than eight points the past two years. Murfreesboro forced four turnovers last week at Horatio but allowed 402 yards in a 33-32 loss.

8-2A
Bearden at JUNCTION CITY (8): See Class 2A Game of the Week.
Norphlet at PARKERS CHAPEL (8): A year ago, Norphlet upset Parkers Chapel 45-33 with QB Mike Tipton passing for 291 yards and five TDs and running for another 150 yards and two TDs. Last week, Norphlet did not commit a turnover in a 28-0 win over Woodlawn. No. 8 Parkers Chapel flourishing and unbeaten under new coach James Housdan. Senior RB Philip Hay touched the football nine times last week against Hermitage and amassed 266 yards and five TDs.
RISON (35) at Woodlawn: Woodlawn has been outscored 68-8 after two weeks. Do not count out Rison. The Wildcats are slowly emerging from the fog of a tragic, preseason car wreck that killed senior Logan Prescott. They are strong up front but lack the breakaway speed of past years.
STRONG (10) at Hampton: A year ago, Hampton's then-senior QB Justin Calcote effectively passed the ball in a 72-38 loss at Strong. Calcote has graduated, and Hampton managed just 124 yards and seven first downs last week against Bearden. Bearden gutted the Hampton defense for 350 yards. Strong offered little resistance last week against rival Smackover in a 40-point loss.
Hermitage at SMACKOVER (41): Class 3A Smackover makes it three straight over 8-2A members, taking down Norphlet 28-8 Week 1 and Strong 48-8 last week.