Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 8, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

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

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Rison at No. 2 Bearden
After six years in 3A, Rison has returned to the 8-2A, renewing old rivalries with Junction City (19-point loss Week 2) and now Bearden. Rison owns a commanding 37-11-0 lead in the series, winning seven straight from 1999 to 2005, according to Bearden historian Jackie Bevill. Rison has won eight state titles, including two (2000 and 2004) under current head coach Clay Totty. Bearden finished as state runner-up in 2007 and 2009.
Both teams are streaking after slow starts. Rison has won five straight since early losses to Class 3A Fordyce 45-14 and 8-2A front-runner Junction City 28-9. Rison popped Pine Bluff JV 33-16 last week, an athletic and speedy tuneup for Bearden. Pine Bluff JV managed a balanced 305 yards against Rison, but the Wildcats kept the JV Zebras from scoring on five trips into the red zone. Six weeks ago, Rison wilted after Junction City returned a punt for a TD in the third quarter to take the lead. Last week, Rison allowed a TD pass on the game's first play from scrimmage, then responded by scoring TDs on four of five possessions in the first half. Junior QB Nathan Wilson triggers Rison's grinding run-first offense that rolled up 430 yards on 62 rushing attempts last week. Wilson ran 19 times for 146 yards and on TD.
"You have got to win first down against Rison," Bearden coach Ernie Horstkamp says. "You cannot let them have second and 5, which turns into third and 2, which turns into first and 10." In fact, Rison's starting offense has not punted in a month, converting 12 of 13 third downs last week. Rison has converted 12 of 22 times on fourth down this season. The Wildcats have forced 22 turnovers while committing just four.
Bearden counters with a defense that allows 12.8 ppg, led by senior DT Markel Johnson, senior linebacker B.J. Ross, and junior NG and tackle leader Darwin Parham. Johnson recorded six tackles, and Quentin Wilson intercepted three passes last week in Bearden's 34-14 win at Norphlet. The Bears lost three fumbles in moist, foggy conditions last week, but had fumbled just once the previous four games.
Watch highlights of both teams on hootens.com homepage, including Bearden's win last week at Norphlet.

TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs 8:30 a.m. Saturdays on KARZ 42 (Little Rock) and Fox 24 (Fayetteville/Fort Smith) and 10:30 p.m. Sunday on KAIT-8 (ABC, Jonesboro), featuring top players and teams from across the state.
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 23 of 25 games (86 percent) involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com has picked 178 of 208 (86 percent) games this season.
WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
3-2A
Walnut Ridge at SALEM (2): No. 7 Salem tries to slow a Walnut Ridge offense (43 ppg) that features multiple weapons, including QB Zach Crisler, FB Tyler Clement, RB Eric Wilcoxson and WR Hunter Flippo. It will be the Greyhounds' biggest test since beating Class 3A Mayflower 34-28 Week 3. In its other six wins, Salem has allowed 25 total points (4.2 ppg). Salem DT Augustus Freeman (6-2, 200) may be the top defender in the league. Freeman, all-league DT Hunter Medling (5-8, 185) , two-time all-league DE David Tarpley (6-0, 210) and senior DE Marcus Cagle (6-3, 260) comprise a formidable front.
E. POINSETT COUNTY (42) at Augusta: EPC's wins over 3-3A co-leader Rivercrest and 6-2A Hazen, which just shocked Carlisle, look better with each passing week. EPC's defense has produced 20 turnovers while the offense has lost just three.
McCRORY (12) at Marked Tree: Senior RB Logan Best won't reach 3,000 yards this year, but he continues to go over 100 yards weekly without the strong supporting cast of a year ago and with opponents keying on him.
CROSS COUNTY (2) at Cedar Ridge: Cross County leaves Cedar Ridge alone in 3-2A cellar.

4-2A
DECATUR (6) at Hector: Every team in the 4-2A knows tenacious sophomore QB Victor Urquidi (5-10, 195) makes Decatur go, but few are able to slow him down. Decatur already has a marquee win over J.C. Westside. Hector tries to notch its first big win in five years.
J.C. Westside at MAGAZINE (3): Magazine does not deploy the explosive offense of the past three seasons, but the Rattlers still play some of the better run defense in the league. Westside likes to run the ball with senior FB Taylor Houston.
UNION CHRISTIAN (19) at Hartford: UC picks up first win of tough season, leaves the 4-2A basement to Hartford and Western Yell. Junior Joel Murdock paces UC with 44 receptions for 346 yards and a TD.
Western Yell at MOUNTAINBURG (38): Dragons rebound from 15-point loss to Hackett last week in what was likely the 4-2A title game. Winless Western Yell lost five turnovers last week at Decatur, including two pick-six interceptions.
HACKETT (8) at Dierks: No. 6 Hackett probably won the 4-2A title (first since 2007) with its 35-20 win last week over Mountainburg. Dierks was idle last week, needs to defeat Spring Hill Week 9 to secure playoff berth in the 7-2A.

5-2A
Bigelow at MAGNET COVE (7): The winner stays on top of the 5-2A with Conway Christian, which plays host to Bigelow and Magnet Cove to close the regular season. Bigelow inside linebackers Jake Starks and Jake Koy pace an aggressive 3-4 defense that allows 200 yards and 11 ppg. Bigelow's passing game has developed slowly, but senior QB Austin Turner threw for 150 yards and three TDs last week at Poyen. All-league RB Terrell Dunlap has rushed for 660 yards this fall. Magnet Cove counters with all-league QB Hunter Linam, all-conference and deep-ball threat WR Austin Stringfellow and inside receiver Conner Wells. Linam has completed 55 percent of his passes for 710 yards and nine TDs with just one interception in 98 attempts.
CONWAY CHRISTIAN (27) at Cutter M Star: Conway Christian's prolific passing attack has been well documented with Tanner Stevenson (1,635 passing yards) passing to Andrew Dather, Chandler Ferrand and Jonathan Antonio. But sophomore RB Ancil Lea also ran for 144 yards and two TDs last week in a 54-6 blowout of Quitman.
Mountain Pine at MOUNT IDA (28): Mount Ida stays in playoff chase, plays Quitman and Poyen Weeks 9 and 10.
QUITMAN (6) at Poyen: Quitman hung with Conway Christian for a quarter last week before losing 54-6. Quitman likely needs a win this week and next week over Mount Ida to secure a playoff berth. Watch highlights of Quitman games on hootens.com homepage,

6-2A
Brinkley at DES ARC (10): Des Arc keeps playoff hopes alive.
CARLISLE (42) at Marvell: Carlisle lost a key fumble late last week in a 16-14 loss to neighbor rival Hazen. Hazen did not commit a turnover.
ENGLAND (36) at Clarendon: No. 21 England sits atop the 6-2A with Hazen but faces Hazen and Carlisle the next two weeks.
HAZEN (10) at Palestine-Wheatley: No. 12 Hazen knocked off then-No. 3 Carlisle 16-14 a week ago. Hazen sophomore RB Lucas Tenison ran 26 times for 189 yards and two TDs and recorded 13 tackles. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Tenison took a counter handoff 80 yards to the Carlisle 5-yard line to set up the game-winner. At Palestine-Wheatley, nothing runs like a Deere in the bean field or on the football field. P-W junior QB Ethan Deere running the offense and passing well for the surging Patriots who clobbered Clarendon 40-6 last week and Des Arc 30-20 two weeks ago.

7-2A
Spring Hill at MURFREESBORO (42): No. 18 Murfreesboro pushed Gurdon two weeks ago and whipped rival Mineral Springs 42-22 last week. A second-place finish in the 7-2A after last year's 3-7 debacle looks possible for the Rattlers.
Foreman at MINERAL SPRINGS (6): Foreman earned a 10-8 win at Simms (Texas) James Bowie last week. No. 19 Mineral Springs bounces back from a 20-point loss to rival Murfreesboro.
HACKETT (8) at Dierks: No. 6 Hackett probably won the 4-2A title (first since 2007) with its 35-20 win last week over Mountainburg. Dierks was idle last week, needs to defeat Spring Hill Week 9 to secure playoff berth.
Lafayette County at GURDON (2): Gurdon receives forfeit from Lafayette County.

8-2A
RISON (2) at Bearden: See Game of the Week.
Hermitage at HAMPTON (11): Hampton trailed Parkers Chapel by 35 points at halftime last week and allowed 335 yards in a 53-13 loss. Hampton QB Chase Riley did pass for 171 yards and two TDs.
NORPHLET (2) at Strong: Strong beat Parkers Chapel 28-21 two weeks ago. Norphlet beat PC 25-26 Week 3. With those wins over PC, both are locks for the postseason barring a PC upset of Junction City. Watch highlights of Norphlet's game last week agianst Bearden on hootens.com homepage.
Parkers Chapel at JUNCTION CITY (18): Record-setting night last week for Junction City. The Dragons ran for 521 yards at Woodlawn, fourth highest rushing total in school history. Its 647 yards of total offense rank third in school history. Senior QB Shaq Hunter became just the second QB to pass for more than 1,000 career yards in Coach David Carpenter's 21-year tenure there.