Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 6A, Week 4, 2024

Copyright Seventy Seven's Football Publishing, LLC.

1. Greenwood (3-0)

2. Benton (2-1)

3. Shiloh Christian (2-1)

4. Fort Smith Southside (3-0)

5. Marion (2-1)

6. Mountain Home (3-0)

7. El Dorado (2-1)

8. Lake Hamilton (2-1)

9. LR Catholic (3-0)

10. Russellville (2-1)

NOT RANKED

6A East: Jonesboro (0-3), West Memphis (0-3), Sheridan (1-2), and Sylvan Hills (0-3).

6A West: Siloam Springs (2-1) and Van Buren (1-2).

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

NO. 1 GREENWOOD (3-0) at No. 3 Shiloh Christian (2-1): Greenwood went 7-3 against Shiloh Christian in a series that ran from 2004-2013, including a 55-24 Bulldogs victory in the last meeting of these schools. Top-ranked Greenwood put the state on notice with its 3-0 run through its nonconference schedule, outscoring Class 7A schools Bentonville West, Fort Smith Northside and Har-Ber by a combined 184-54.

"We have gotten off to a great start in all three phases," Greenwood Coach Chris Young said. 

Greenwood junior quarterback Kane Archer has completed 80 percent of his passes for 962 yards and 12 touchdowns with zero interceptions. Archer also leads Greenwood with 201 yards rushing and 2 scores,

while classmate Wesley Raggio has rushed for 130 yards and 6 scores. Three receivers have caught 19 passes or more, led by senior Isaiah Arrington (20-263 receiving, 2 TDs), junior Champ Davis (20-288-5) and senior Grant Karnes (19-241-1). Junior Cody Taylor leads the Bulldogs offensive line with 13 pancake blocks, while Christian Fleming has 12, and Landon Billy has added 10. Paul Brixey (27 tackles), Zach Zitzmann (24 stops) and Kayden Jasna (21 tackles) lead on defense, along with Cash Archer, who has registered 4 sacks. 

Shiloh flashed a dominating running game in its 2-1 nonconference run that included victories over Class 5A power Farmington and defending Class 6A runner-up Little Rock Christian, which has moved up to 7A. The Saints average more than 200 yards rushing per week, led by standout junior tailback Griffin Mason and sophomore QB Cole Creighton. Shiloh's offensive line earns high praise from opposing coaches, led by stalwarts Maddox Wellborn, Andrew Dawson, and Ben Carlyle. Defensive lineman Sid Scott and all-state linebacker Carter Henley lead the Saints front 7, while A.J. Ylanan, Cohen Beach, and Dalton Carnes see action on both sides of the ball.

It feels early for a conference title to be on the line, but conference coaches picked these schools as the top 2 in this year's Hooten's Arkansas Football magazine and they've looked the part thus far. Greenwood's balanced offense makes life difficult for Shiloh Christian, and the Bulldogs take the early lead in the 6A West race.

WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted)

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly selected 5 of 5 games (100 percent) involving 6A teams a week ago and has correctly picked 39 of 47 games (83 percent) for the season.

6A EAST

Sylvan Hills (0-3) at NO. 5 MARION (2-1): This is homecoming in Marion, and the Patriots have won 6 of the 9 meetings against the Bears, including a 61-22 decision last fall. Sylvan Hills has lost 13 consecutive dating back to 2022, but a 35-33 loss to Russellville 2 weeks ago shows the Bears are trending up. Sylvan Hills led 20-14 at halftime and scored a touchdown with 6 seconds left in regulation before the Cyclones stopped the Bears' 2-point conversion try to clinch victory. Sylvan Hills QB Tyler Hampton threw 4 TD passes in the loss, 2 to Tyler Blakely and 2 to Kohlin Billings. Malachi Summons returned an interception for a TD. Sylvan Hills has suffered season-ending injuries to 2-way starting lineman Kameron Johnson and receiver Christian Fields already this fall. Marion committed 6 turnovers, 3 of which were returned for TDs 2 weeks ago in a 49-7 defeat at Conway. Marion played without 3 starters and lost 2 more during the game. The Patriots played QBs Zayden Walker and Max Molloy at Conway, and the Patriots could continue that trend this week. Marion could start sophomores Walt Tucker, Jr., and Jarrett Selvy at guard this week, alongside 3 seniors — LSU commit Carius Curne, Charlie Cantrell and David Patterson. Seniors Jaron Davis, Taheem Frost and Kendrick Cauley have played consistently on defense. Sylvan Hills has been competitive in its past 2 games, but Marion's defensive line should be the difference-maker here.

Jonesboro (0-3) at NO. 2 BENTON (2-1): These schools met 3 times in a 4-year span in the playoffs between 2016 and 2019, with Benton winning every meeting by a combined 16 points. Jonesboro hit the open date last Friday after facing as tough an opening schedule as any team in 6A — having played Class 7A juggernaut Conway, 5A power Joe T. Robinson and last week at DeSoto Central (Miss.). "We have gotten better with execution over the last couple of weeks," Jonesboro Coach Tyler George said. "We have a ways to go, but we are getting there." Jonesboro tailback T.J. Brown paces the offense with 268 yards rushing (4.1 yards per rush), 3 TDs and 3 returns for 135 yards and another score. Linebackers Markeice Stafford and K.J. Anderson anchor the defense as 3-year starters and all-league selections. Benton won its second consecutive game last week with an impressive 63-21 victory at Harding Academy. The Panthers recovered 3 first-half onside kicks, turning them each into TDs, and led 42-14 at the half. Benton junior all-state QB Drew Davis completed 16 of 27 passes for 257 yards and 5 TDs, while Will Carter rushed for 94 yards. Panthers linebacker Walter Hicks recorded 2 sacks at Harding. Jonesboro is better than its record suggests, but Benton is operating at a high level on both sides of the ball, and the Panthers win this game at home.

West Memphis (0-3) at SHERIDAN (1-2): West Memphis has won 3 of 4 meetings in this series, including three in a row after last year's 49-21 victory. Opponents have outscored West Memphis by a combined 117-20 in the Blue Devils' 0-3 start, including Little Rock Christian's 48-7 victory last week. West Memphis freshman QB Andrew Clay started for the Blue Devils, and Clay is believed to be the first freshman to start at West Memphis. Two-way starter Eric Sykes scored West Memphis' only TD. Sheridan was open last week after losing 43-7 to Class 7A Rogers 2 Thursdays ago to cap a 1-2 nonconference. "We are learning the things we can not do," Sheridan Coach Kevin Kelley says. "Which may be the most important thing in football." The Yellowjackets are getting good play from junior QB Dax McMellon, who completes 54 percent of his passes for 938 yards and 8 TDs, sophomore tailback Zay Stephens (204 rushing yards with 3 TDs), and receivers Payton Sterritt (27-343 receiving, 2 TDs) and Jace Bradshaw (14-129 receiving, 3 scores). Sophomore lineman Eythan Cowden (6-4, 340) anchors the offensive line while Braxton Fox and Jacob Pilkington have performed well for the defense. This game could go a long way toward deciding who makes the playoffs this year from the East, and Sheridan should be able to conjure up enough offense to win this week.

NO. 7 EL DORADO (2-1) at No. 9 LR Catholic (3-0): These teams have split their previous 2 meetings. El Dorado erased a 21-0 halftime lead last season to win 22-21 at War Memorial Stadium. LR Catholic is 3-0 for the second time in 3 seasons, and for the third time since 2018 after last week's 27-17 home win against Class 7A North Little Rock. The Rockets opened a 21-0 lead behind 3 TD passes from Jackson England — 2 to Braxton Burks and 1 to Paul Plafcan. El Dorado has emerged as one of the state's surprise teams in its 2-1 nonconference run. The Wildcats have remained competitive despite losing 4 starters during the summer, including an all-state QB. El Dorado topped Texarkana 42-20 two weeks ago in a game that lasted almost 5 hours due to weather delays. El Dorado led 21-7 at halftime and 35-7 early in the third period. Wildcats 2-way starter A.J. Gilmore recorded 3 TDs for El Dorado, 2 TD catches and an interception return for a score, and Jeremy Samuels rushed for 155 yards and a TD, and he caught another pass for a score. El Dorado QB Cannon Jacobs completed 3 TD passes. A potential first-round bye or a home playoff game are on the line in this game, and El Dorado's playmakers give the Wildcats the edge.

6A WEST

No. 6 Mountain Home (3-0) at NO. 4 FS SOUTHSIDE (3-0): Mountain Home was clicking on all cylinders last Friday night when the Bombers dismissed Rolla (Mo.) 50-25 for their first 3-0 start since 2009. Mountain Home led 22-13 at halftime. The Bombers rushed for 432 yards against Rolla, getting 2 TD runs apiece from Barrett Miller and Jacob Chenoweth, and TD runs from Jacob Bellomy and Dawson Dunlap, and a long TD pass from Brantlee Phillips to Talan Palmer. Dunlap also starts on defense as one of the unit's top playmakers. The Mavericks are 3-0 for the second year in a row and the third time since 2008 following

last week's 41-28 win over LR Southwest. Southside QB Blake Forsgren fired 5 TD passes against Southwest, including 3 scoring strikes to 2-way standout Peyton Zimmerman. Forsgren completed 17 of 28 passes for 261 yards, Zimmerman caught 6 for 123 yards and tailback Jayden Webb rushed for 112 yards. The Mavericks yield 23 points per game so far this season. This could decide who hosts a playoff game in November, and we think the home field ultimately decides this game on Friday night.

NO. 1 GREENWOOD (3-0) at No. 3 Shiloh Christian (2-1): See Hootens.com Game of the Week, above.

Van Buren (1-2) at NO. 10 RUSSELLVILLE (2-1): This rivalry dates back to 1909 with the Cyclones enjoying a 33-31-5 advantage, but Van Buren ripped Russellville 28-27 last fall. Van Buren looks to return to the playoffs again this fall, getting good play from sophomore QB Hayden Williford, who is completing 57 percent of his passes for 852 yards and 7 TDs with 3 INTs. All-state tailback Cam Keller leads the Pointers with 298 yards rushing this year with 3 TDs. All-state receiver Trenton Cooley has caught 23 passes for 480 yards and 5 scores. Darren Mays (35 tackles in 2024), Landon Evans (33 stops) and John Michael Fisher (27 tackles) lead the Van Buren defense. Russellville hit the open date with momentum 2 weeks ago after rallying to beat Sylvan Hills 35-33. Cyclones QB Luke Jones completed 12 of 22 passes against Sylvan Hills for 79 yards, while Russellville got 83 rushing yards from Laderrius Prince and 80 yards from Marcellus Olson. The Cyclones outgained Sylvan Hills 392-323, but committed 2 more turnovers than did the Bears.

This is a vital game for playoff implications, with the loser missing out on a potential tiebreaker, but we like the Cyclones to win another tight contest.

NO. 8 LAKE HAMILTON (2-1) at Siloam Springs (2-1): Lake Hamilton has won 4 in a row against Siloam Springs by a combined 221-68, including 54-7 last fall. Siloam Springs is off to a 2-1 start after entering the season on a 27-game losing streak. The Panthers topped Pea Ridge 21-14 two weeks ago after scoring the game's first 14 points before the Blackhawks scored the next 14 to tie the game in the fourth quarter before Siloam scored late to earn victory. Tailback Ryan Estacio scored the Panthers' first 2 TDs while QB Dane Marlatt bulled ahead 3 yards for the eventual winning score. Lake Hamilton is averaging 42.0 points per game, and the Wolves impressed 2 weeks ago with a victory over Class 4A power Arkadelphia 49-35. Lake Hamilton senior QB Landon West is completing 65 percent of his passes for 506 yards and 4 TDs

with 1 interception. Senior Hayden Barton heads up the Wolves' ground game, rushing for 480 yards (7.6 yards per carry) so far this season with 7 TDs. Also look for senior TE Parker VanDee (9-251 receiving, 4 TDs), Cannen Crooks and Bryson Hill lead the Lake Hamilton line in pancake blocks, while Hagan Tyler (32 tackles) and Caleb Rouse (30 stops) lead the defense. Perhaps most important, Lake Hamilton has "everyone playing at the moment," Lake Hamilton Coach Tommy Gilleran said. Siloam Springs is 1 of the state's more improved teams, but a healthy Lake Hamilton travels well enough to take this one.