Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 4, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

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

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 14 Walnut Ridge at No. 7 McCrory
Key game in the 3-2A. McCrory senior all-state RB Logan Best (4.5 speed) averages more than 200 all-purpose yards per game behind a solid line, featuring all-league senior tackle Shaun Danberry (6-2, 285). Senior cornerback Garrett Browning, McCrory's third-team QB before the season, passed for 150 yards and a TD last week against Manila in his second start at QB. Walnut Ridge counters with senior QB/FS Zach Crisler (364 total yards, six TDs), who has recorded seven tackles, one pass breakup, one sack and a forced fumble. Three-time all-league RB Eric Wilcoxson returned a kickoff 80 yards last week against 4A Jonesboro Westside. All-3-2A linebacker Rowdy Ditto paces the Bobcat defense.

TV SHOW
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LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 31 of 37 games (84 percent) involving Class 2A teams, nailing Murfreesboro's three-point win over Centerpoint. Hootens.com has picked 90 of 107 (84 percent) this season.

WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
3-2A
Walnut Ridge at MCCRORY (2): See 2A Game of the Week.
Cross County at E. POINSETT COUNTY (17): No. 5 EPC opened with a 29-27 win over 3A Rivercrest and hammered Hazen 41-8 last week. EPC chewed up 583 rushing yards against Hazen, which scored with five minutes left against EPC reserves. This fall, EPC sophomore QB Aaron Scales has rushed for 216 yards and six TDs and passed for 236 yards and four TDs. His brother, junior Byron Scales, paces the EPC defense with 41 tackles.
Marked Tree at SALEM (8): Junior RB J.J. Gray (1,379 yards in 2011) and No. 11 Salem sprint to 3-0 start. Gray ran for 90 yards and two TDs last week in a 34-28 win at Class 3A Mayflower. Marked Tree allowed 360 rushing yards to No. 6 Gurdon in a 52-6 loss.
AUGUSTA (9) at Cedar Ridge: Augusta improving weekly and scored 28 points last week on Class 3A Bald Knob. Augusta sophomore QB Edward Driver and RB Otis Poindexter drive the rushing game. Senior and leading receiver Jordan Brown averaged 20 yards per reception last year.

4-2A
Decatur at HACKETT (28): Hackett beat three-time defending 4-2A champion Magazine 13-0 a week ago, ending the Rattlers' 21-game conference winning streak.
Hackett could emerge as the league's front-runner this year. The Hornets last won the 4-2A in 2007.
Hartford at DARDANELLE JV (6): Hartford looking for its first win since 2008. The Hustlers did not field a team in 2009 and were winless in 2010 and 2011.
MAGAZINE (7) at Union Christian: Both teams are winless. UC allows 458 yards and 41 points per game. Magazine has not scored a TD this fall. Magazine, still missing one starter due to injury, just dropped a conference game for the first time since Week 10, 2008 when it lost to J.C. Westside 30-12.
MOUNTAINBURG (5) at J.C. Westside: Mountainburg all-league QB Nathan Jones completed two TD passes and ran for one score last week in a 48-14 win over Decatur. J.C. Westside junior Nick Mitchell ran for two TDs and returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score in a 40-6 win over Union Christian, the Rebels' most complete game in two years. Mitchell, a Clarksville move-in, leads Westside in tackles from his free safety position. Austin Campbell returned a punt 85 yards for a TD. Senior Taylor Houston paces Westside with 250 rushing yards. Mountainburg defeated UC 42-26 Week 2.
Western Yell at HECTOR (45): Hector ended a 10-game losing skid last week with a 49-0 win at Hartford, handing new head coach Mark Taylor his first victory. Hector, plagued by low numbers in recent years, dresses 30. Junior tailback Gus Nichols paces the Wildcats with 300 rushing yards. Inside linebackers Nick McKinstry and Daniel Lott lead Hector in tackles.

5-2A
Quitman at BIGELOW (21): Bigelow beat Quitman 48-12 in 2010 and 43-15 last year. Quitmam all-state RB Allen Mannon ran for 215 yards and four TDs last week against Cedar Ridge. Bigelow rushed for 285 yards last year at Quitman.
Poyen at CONWAY CHRISTIAN (38): Poyen senior high and junior high are scoreless this season. Conway Christian allowed 492 rushing yards and five TDs last week to a pair of Rose Bud (Class 3A) running backs.
MOUNT IDA (11) at Magnet Cove: Mount Ida senior RB Josh Hall carried 30 times for 292 yards and three TDs last week in a 34-27 over Class 3A Lavaca. Magnet Cove held off 3A Benton Harmony Grove 21-13.
MOUNTAIN PINE (1) at Cutter M Star: Mountain Pine wins the battle up front after a short week for Cutter Morning Star, which played Bismarck Monday night.

6-2A
Brinkley at ENGLAND (18): No. 25 England's young Lions forced three turnovers and won last week at Class 3A Yellville-Summit on the last play of the game. Sophomore QB Tyrik Harris completed a 20-yard TD toss to senior Derrell Drayer for the game-winner.
DES ARC (6) at Clarendon: Class 3A Barton ran wild on Clarendon last week, while 3A No. 3 Harding Academy (376 total yards) passed for 287 yards and five TDs on Des Arc. Des Arc managed 197 yards, all on the ground.
Marvell at HAZEN (35): After tough losses to No. 7 McCrory and No. 5 EPC, Hazen's young Hornets taste victory again.
Palestine-Wheatley at CARLISLE (42): Minus RB/LB Bo Weddle (knee), No. 3 Carlisle upset Class 3A Osceola last week. Carlisle junior Deron Ricks ran for 137 yards, including a 55-yard TD, in a 22-18 upset of Osceola.

7-2A
Dierks at GURDON (21): No. 6 Gurdon passed its first test of 2012 last week with a 52-6 blowout of Marked Tree. The Go-Devils piled up 407 yards, 360 on the ground with Davion Richardon scoring on runs of 45, 20 and 40 yards. Gurdon beat Dierks 40-7 last year.
FOREMAN (8) at Spring Hill: Class 3A Horatio rallied to beat upstart Foreman 19-16 last week, while Spring Hill lost 42-8 to 3A Genoa Central. Opponents have outscored Spring Hill 98-15 this year.
Lafayette County at MURFREESBORO (35): Murfreesboro lost to Horatio by a point two weeks ago but topped Centerpoint by three points last week. Lafayette County has lost three games by a combined 127-10.
REDWATER, TEXAS (6) at Mineral Springs: Redwater (1-2), in its best year in school history, shared a league title with New Boston and Dangerfield in 2011. Mineral Springs goes as senior TB Rashad Williams goes.

8-2A
Parkers Chapel at RISON (2): Rison improving weekly but must win the battle up front to slow down Parkers Chapel RB Philip Hay. Hay accounted for 364 yards last week in a 35-26 loss to Norphlet. Parkers Chapel lost four turnovers in the second half after leading by 12 points late in the third quarter. Rison's defense shut out Woodlawn 36-0 last week.
Hermitage at NORPHLET (35): Hermitage down to 11 players, while Norphlet riding high after 35-26 win over rival Parkers Chapel. Senior QB Mike Tipton completed 10 of 20 passes for 185 yards and three TDs, igniting a second-half explosion (300 yards) and rally from a 12-point deficit.
JUNCTION CITY (28) at Strong: Top-ranked Junction City trailed No. 2 Bearden for 46 minutes last week before senior QB Shaq Hunter ran 18 yards for the winning TD in a 20-14 victory. Junction City held Bearden to nine first downs and 149 yards.
Strong ran wide for 382 yards in a 44-7 blowout of Hampton.
Woodlawn at BEARDEN (37): No. 2 Bearden rebounds nicely from a heartbreaking loss at Junction City. Sophomore Austin Hall returned a fumble 45 yards for a TD last week at Junction City. Bearden held Junction City to 13 first downs and 229 yards.
Hampton is open.