Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 2A, Week 5, 2023

Copyright Seventy Seven’s Publishing

1. Mineral Springs (5-0)

2. Bigelow (5-0)

3. Carlisle (4-1)

4. Des Arc (3-1)

5. Hazen (4-1)

6. EPC (3-1)

7. Murfreesboro (4-0)

8. Marked Tree (3-0)

9. Conway Christian (4-1)

10. England (3-1)

11. Earle (2-2)

12. Hector (3-2)

13. Cross County (1-2)

14. Dierks (2-3)

15. McCrory (2-2)

16. Mountainburg (2-3)

17. Lafayette County (2-3) 

18. Clarendon (1-3)

19. Baptist Prep (1-4)

20. Poyen (1-4)

21. Marianna (1-3)

22. Magazine (1-3)

23. Bearden (1-4)

24. JC Westside (1-4)

25. LR Episcopal (0-3)

26. Mount Ida (0-3)

27. Hampton (0-3)

28. Foreman (0-4)

LAST WEEK 

Hootens.com correctly predicted 10 of 13 games involving Class 2A teams and is 64-19 (77 percent) for the season.

WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS (Favored team highlighted and CAPS)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 12 Hector (3-2) at No. 9 CONWAY CHRISTIAN (4-1)

Hector has won 3 in a row – over McCrory, Danville and Johnson County Westside – by a combined 110-27 after starting the season with losses to Marked Tree and Class 3A Quitman, A week ago, Hector QB Jackson Taylor passed for 179 yards and a TD and rushed for 100 yards and 2 more scores as the Wildcats beat JC Westside 38-0. Greyson Muller had 5 receptions for 121 yards and a TD in the win.

Conway Christian dropped its first game last week after a 4-0 start – to North Platte, Mo., outside of Kansas City. Eagles QB Xander Stone, who has started all 5 games as the team awaits the season debut of junior QB Jeryn Thomas, passed for 115 yards against North Platte. Brady Domokos rushed 4 times for 89 yards. A year ago, Conway Christian won a 34-30 shootout. The same could be expected again this year. 

1-2A

3A Rison (0-4) at No. 2 BIGELOW (5-0): Bigelow QB Rhett Neumeier passed for 206 yards and 2 TDs in the Panthers’ 35-7 win over Mountainburg. Ryan Hobbs also caught a 75-yard TD pass and returned a punt 67 yards for a TD. Rison looks for its first win in what will be the first football matchup between the schools. Rison comes in off a 49-12 loss to No. 6 Hoxie.

MAGAZINE (1-3)  at JC Westside (1-4): Ethan Vasquez led Magazine in rushing in a 21-0 loss to Berryville 2 weeks ago. JC Westside’s Moose Yarborough had 10 tackles in his team’s 38-0 loss to Hector.

OPEN Mountainburg

2-2A

No. 6 EPC (3-1) at McCrory (2-2): EPC routed Clarendon 46-18 as Cooper Argo passed for 176 yards and 4 TDs. Omar McCuiston caught 4 passes for 101 yards and 2 TDs. McCrory edged Cross County 18-12 in 3 OTs. Leevi Tucker scored the game-winning TD in the third OT.

Earle (2-2) at No. 8 MARKED TREE (3-1): Earle’s comeback against Des Arc fell short as the Eagles pulled away for a 48-20 win. Leon Jemmison (16-118 rushing, TD) and Clifton Wren (14 tackles) led Earle. Marked Tree’s Kenyon Carter passed for 275 yards and 5 TDs in the Indians’ 43-16 win over Marianna. Carter also scored 2 rushing TDs. 

Marianna (1-3) at No. 4 DES ARC (3-1): Marianna lost its third in a row since beating Lafayette County in Week 1. Des Arc bounced back from its loss to Carlisle to beat Earle 48-20. QB Cache Flanagan rushed for 179 yards and 2 TDs in the win. Cole Eldridge scored 3 TDs. 

CROSS COUNTY (1-2) at Clarendon (1-3): Cross County fumbled the ball 6 times in an 18-12 3 OT loss to McCrory. Gunner Land and Jordan Whiteside led the Thunderbird defense in tackles. Clarendon QB Greyson Miller passed for 2 TDs in the Lions’ 46-18 loss to EPC. London Hunter led the Lions with 7 tackles.

3-2A

Lafayette County (2-3) at No. 1 MINERAL SPRINGS (5-0): Lafayette County’s Andrew Mack had 250 yards in offense, passing for a TD and a 2-point conversion in the Cougars’ 16-12 win over Dierks. Jaden Stewart (5-121 receiving, 1 TD)  had a key INT to seal the win. Mineral Springs used a running clock for much of its 48-6 win over Foreman. KT Thomas scored a rushing TD, returned a punt 67 yards for another and had 5 tackles. Rahmaji Ware had 9 tackles and an INT. 

Mount Ida (0-3) at POYEN (1-4): Mount Ida was idle last week. The Lions have been outscored 117-21 in 3 games this year. Poyen QB Colt Barrett passed for 191 yards and a TD in the Indians’ 30-16 loss to Murfreesboro. Brayden Hull rushed 8 times for 118 yards and a TD.

MURFREESBORO (4-0) at Dierks (2-3): Rattlers QB Laytan Wilcher passed for 56 yards and 3 TDs in a win over Poyen. Cash Lowery, Cameron Stevens, and Brody Maroon each caught a TD pass. Dierks averaged 31.3 points the first 3 games, but the Outlaws have scored 26 total in the last 2 weeks —losses to Conway Christian and Lafayette County. 

OPEN Foreman

4-2A

Baptist Prep (1-4) at No. 5 HAZEN (4-1): Baptist Prep’s Nic Middlebrook caught 2 passes for 30 yards and a TD in a 44-6 loss to England. Hazen’s Justin Schlenker scored 2 rushing TDs and returned an INT for another in Hazen’s 65-8 win over Hampton. Kolton Tosh scored 2 rushing TDs and a receiving TD. 

No. 3 CARLISLE (4-1) at Episcopal (0-3): Carlisle QB Holden Jones passed for 173 yards and 2 TDs in a 42-0 win over Bearden. Kayleb Elliott rushed for 152 yards and 2 TDs. Episcopal was idle last week after enduring a 42-6 loss to Perryville 2 weeks ago. Turner Harbour had an INT and the Wildcats’ lone TD. 

3A QUITMAN (1-3) at England (3-1): England’s Justin Barber (16-297 rushing, 5 TDs) led the Lions’ 44-6 win over Baptist Prep. Jayquan Mays also had an interception. 

Hampton (0-3) at BEARDEN (1-4): Hampton’s Aden Williams passed for 120 yards and rushed for 42 and a TD in a 65-8 loss to Hazen. Bearden was not able to get anything going in a 42-0 loss to Carlisle.