Class 6A Week 7 Rankings, Notes & Picks

Class 6A Week 7 Rankings, Notes & Picks

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Hootens.com Rankings
Class 6A, Week 7, 2017
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Greenwood (6-0)
2. El Dorado (5-1)
3. Pine Bluff (5-1)
4. West Memphis (6-0)
5. Benton (5-1)
6. Jonesboro (4-2)
7. Searcy (5-1)
8. Texarkana (3-3)
9. Marion (2-4)
10. Russellville (3-3)
11. Lake Hamilton (2-4)
12. Siloam Springs (2-4)
13. Jacksonville (2-4)
14. Mountain Home (0-6)
15. Sheridan (0-6)
16. LR Hall (1-5)

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 5 Benton at No. 2 El Dorado

An El Dorado win keeps alive its hopes for a league title and a first-round home game. A Benton win sets up a showdown next week with Greenwood for the 6A West title and No. 1 playoff seed. Benton tamed Texarkana 38-19 last week to remain unbeaten in league play. Benton sophomore QB Peyton Hudgins made his first varsity start and completed 13 of 26 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 94 yards and another score. Hudgins is the third QB to start for Benton this year, joining junior Colen Morrow (out for season with a torn ACL) and Gavin Wells (moved to receiver). El Dorado led Sheridan by 14 points at halftime last week and blanked the 'Jackets in the second half for a 49-14 win. Landers Auto Group Super Team linebacker Mon'Tre Marshall racked up 20 tackles (14 unassisted, two for loss), two sacks and an interception against Sheridan. Benton is bigger than El Dorado on both lines, but El Dorado's linebackers make tackles from sideline to sideline.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted the winners in six of eight games (75 percent) last week involving 6A teams. For the season, hootens.com has correctly picked 47 of 56 games (84 percent).

TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs 10:30 a.m. Saturdays on KATV (ABC Little Rock) Ch. 7, covering the Razorbacks, high school teams and players to watch.

WEEK 7 PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
6A EAST
Searcy at PINE BLUFF (10):
Last week, Pine Bluff scored 35 unanswered points against Jonesboro in a 48-34 win to remain unbeaten in league play. Sophomore QB Tyler Foots connected on 14 of 31 passes for 301 yards and five TDs. Landers Auto Group Super Teamer Jyrimee Thompson snatched seven passes for 230 yards and four scores. Searcy improved to 3-0 on the road this year with a 37-20 victory last week at Marion. Senior QB Mason Schucker accounted for four scores, and his passing TDs went to three receivers. Schucker completes 57 percent of his passes this fall for 1,864 yards and 24 TDs with five interceptions. Both offenses are big-play capable, but Pine Bluff's defense can make a few more stops.
WEST MEMPHIS (2) at Jonesboro: Winner remains in the conference title hunt and could earn a first-round home playoff game. West Memphis juked Jonesboro (40-38) last year on the game's final play at Hamilton-Shultz Field. Last week West Memphis recorded its second shutout this year in a 54-0 homecoming romp over Hall, stifling the Warriors to minus-48 yards rushing in the first half. Senior QB Michael Troxler accounted for four TDs, two of which went to Landers Auto Group Super Team receiver Steven Stone. Jonesboro bolted to a 14-0 lead at Pine Bluff last week, but managed 17 yards on its final six possessions of the first half to trail 28-14 at halftime. West Memphis wins if its able to limit Jonesboro's running game.
MARION (14) at Mountain Home: Marion held Searcy to three of 11 on third-down attempts last week and led 14-10 at halftime, but the Lions scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter for a 37-20 loss. Marion junior receiver Joyrion Chase has emerged as a playmaker, catching 42 passes for 735 yards and two TDs this season. Mountain Home forced four turnovers and outgained Jacksonville 312-262 last week but lost 14-10. Mountain Home boasts improved special teams and a veteran secondary, but the Bombers average a 6A-East low  9.6 points per game. Marion should make enough plays to win its ninth consecutive game against Mountain Home.
JACKSONVILLE (6) at Hall: Loser likely misses playoffs. Jacksonville slipped Mountain Home last week 14-10 behind TDs from H.D. Martin and Shawn Ellis. Hall struggled to zero total yards at halftime at West Memphis in a 54-0 loss. Jacksonville, playing with renewed confidence, drops Hall.

6A WEST
Benton at EL DORADO (3):
See hootens.com Game of the Week.
GREENWOOD (20) at Russellville: Teams split their two meetings last year. Russellville downed Greenwood in last year's Class 6A state final after Greenwood topped Russellville Week 7 en route to the 6A West title. Greenwood posted its second shutout of 2017 last week 38-0 over Siloam Springs. The Bulldogs stuffed Siloam Springs three times inside the 10-yard line to keep the Panthers scoreless. Greenwood junior receiver Peyton Holt caught three TD passes, including an 80-yarder, from senior University of Arkansas commit Connor Noland. Junior Trey Woods intercepted two Siloam Springs passes, including one in the end zone. Russellville led at Lake Hamilton 34-14 in the third quarter, but the Cyclones had to break up a pass in the end zone on the game's final play to clinch a 40-35 win. Russellville's 418 total yards were its second-best production this year (556 at Heritage Week 2).
Sheridan at TEXARKANA (17): Sheridan managed two TD drives last week in the first half against El Dorado, marking the Yellowjackets' highest-scoring first half of the year. Texarkana is 1-2 in the 6A West but has lost to Greenwood and Benton, which are a combined 6-0 in the league. The Hogs promoted sophomore QB Sean Foreback to starter last week, and junior Drake Browning bumps to receiver. Foreback connected with Browning for a TD last week. Texarkana's quick but undersized defense stymies Sheridan.
LAKE HAMILTON (3) at Siloam Springs: Loser likely misses playoffs. Lake Hamilton trailed Russellville 40-35 with 1:55 left in regulation last week when the Wolves forced a turnover on downs and drove to the 15-yard line before Russellville batted down a  potential game-winning TD pass. The Wolves have lost four straight games for the third time since 2005. Siloam Springs allowed only 10 second-half points at Greenwood last week in a 38-0 loss.

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