Hooten's Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 2A, Week 6, 2023

Copyright Seventy Seven’s Publishing

1. Mineral Springs (6-0)

2. Bigelow (5-0)

3. Carlisle (5-1)

4. Des Arc (4-1)

5. Hazen (5-1)

6. EPC (4-1)

7. Murfreesboro (5-0)

8. Marked Tree (4-0)

9. Conway Christian (5-1)

10. England (3-2)

11. Hector (3-3)

12. Earle (2-3)

13. Cross County (2-2)

14. Dierks (2-4)

15. McCrory (2-3)

16. Mountainburg (2-3)

17. Poyen (2-4)

18. Lafayette County (2-4)

19. JC Westside (2-4)

20. Bearden (2-4)

21. Clarendon (1-4)

22. Baptist Prep (1-5)

23. Marianna (1-4)

24. Magazine (1-4)

25. LR Episcopal (0-4)

26. Mount Ida (0-4)

27. Hampton (0-3)

28. Foreman (0-4)

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly predicted 13 of 14 games involving Class 2A teams and is 64-19 (79 percent) for the season.

WEEK 6 PREDICTIONS (favored team in All Caps and highlighted)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 4 DES ARC (4-1, 2-0) at No. 8 Marked Tree (4-0, 2-0)

Des Arc has bounced back nicely after losing to Carlisle on Sept. 15. Last week, the Eagles beat Marianna 58-16. Walker Harris (90 rushing, 1 TD), Hayden Brown (38-yard TD reception; INT. return for TD) led Des Arc.

Marked Tree RB TJ Hodges (181 rushing, 2 TDs) and QB KC Carter (137 passing, 3 TDs) led the Indians to a 52-44 win over Earle.

Des Arc must keep the ball away from Marked Tree using its powerful running game. Marked Tree has shown it can score points in bunches. Will home-field advantage be an actual advantage? Maybe, but never count out either team. Des Arc won this matchup 38-14 a year ago.

1-2A

Hector (3-3, 1-1) at BIGELOW (6-0, 1-0): Hector lost to Conway Christian 21-14 after leading most of the game. Peter Waite (18 tackles) and Jackson Taylor (2 rushing TDs) led Hector. Bigelow routed Class 3A Rison 54-14 last week. Carter Alexander (105 rushing, TD; 11 tackles) and Brandt Tipton (5-90 receiving, TD) led the way.

Magazine (1-4, 0-1) at MOUNTAINBURG (2-2, 0-1): Magazine suffered a 22-20 loss to Lafayette County. Kolton McCubbin (100 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and Hunner Inklebarger (3 sacks) led Magazine. Mountainburg was off last week after a 35-7 loss to Bigelow on Sept. 22.

OPEN Conway Christian, JC Westside

2-2A

No. 6 EPC (4-1, 2-0) at Cross County (2-2, 1-1): EPC’s Cooper Argo (211 passing, 4 TDs), Dennis Gaines (15-113 rushing, TD) and Omar McCuiston (5-99 receiving, 3 TDs) were prominent in the Warriors' 50-8 win over McCrory. Cross County routed Clarendon 42-6 behind Cardarian Washington (3-145 receiving, TD; 178 rushing, 2 TDs) and QB Konnor Wilson (222 passing, 3 TDs).

Marianna (1-4, 0-2) at EARLE (2-3, 0-2): Marianna trailed 28-16 at halftime before Des Arc pulled away for a 58-16 win last week. Earle QB Taron Hurst passed for 463 yards and 6 TDs in a 52-44 loss to Marked Tree. Jaylyn Robinson caught 10 passes for 193 yards and 3 TDs.

MCCRORY (2-3, 1-1) at Clarendon (1-4, 0-2): Stacy Mitchell led McCrory with 10 tackles in a 50-8 loss to EPC. London Hunter scored Clarendon's TD in a 42-6 loss to Cross County last week.

3-2A

Dierks (2-4, 0-2) at MINERAL SPRINGS (6-0, 1-0): Dierks struggled in a 30-6 loss to Murfreesboro last week. Top-ranked Mineral Springs beat Lafayette County 70-0. Javeon Fricks had 5 tackles, returned an interception for a TD, returned 2 fumbles for TDs and forced another fumble for Mineral Springs. TK Thomas (7-115 rushing, 2 TDs) led the offense.

Mount Ida (0-4, 0-1) at LAFAYETTE COUNTY (2-3, 1-1): Mount Ida’s Payton Dorrell had 14 tackles in the Lions’ 28-0 loss to Poyen. Lafayette County had no answer for Mineral Springs in a 70-0 loss.

POYEN (2-4) at Foreman (0-4): QB Colt Barrett (215 passing, 2 TDs), Brayden Hull (6-172 receiving, 2 TDs) and Logan Lewis (123 rushing) led Poyen's 28-0 win over Mount Ida.. Foreman, which has scored 24 points all season, was idle last week.

3A Horatio (1-4, 0-1) at MURFREESBORO (5-0, 2-0): Murfreesboro’s Brandt Stevens rushed for 130 yards and a TD in the Rattlers’ 30-6 win over Dierks. Lathan Compton had 128 yards while Malachi Sanders had 113.

4-2A

HAZEN (5-1, 2-0) at England (3-2, 1-0): QB Josh Dawson (170 passing, 3 TDs) and Kolton Tosh (100 yards receiving, 2 TD catches, 37 rushing; INT. return for TD) led Hazen to a 54-6 win over Arkansas Baptist. England put up a fight in a 49-36 loss to Class 3A Quitman. QB Nick Brown Jr. (210 passing, 3 TDs) and Justin Barber (22-129 rushing, 2 TDs) led the offense.

BEARDEN (2-4, 1-1) at Episcopal (0-4, 0-1): Bearden beat Hampton 20-14 for its second win. Bryce Whisenhunt (77 rushing, 85 passing), Valentine Gonzalez (2 rushing TDs), and Kemari Nettles (2 interceptions) led Bearden. Episcopal, which has been hit by injuries, gained 170 yards in a 50-0 loss to Carlisle.

Hampton (0-5, 0-2) at BAPTIST PREP (1-5, 0-2): Hampton’s Leland Gilbert returned an interception for a TD in the Bulldogs’ 20-14 loss to Bearden. Zack Bush had 8.5 tackles and a fumble recovery for a TD. Baptist Prep’s Jacob Dunn led the Eagles with 10 tackles against Hazen last week. Ryan Brent caught 4 passes for 45 yards and a TD.

OPEN Carlisle