Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 7A, Week 8, 2023

Copyright Seventy Sevens Football Publishing, LLC

1 Conway (7-0)

2 Fayetteville (7-0)

3 Bentonville (4-3)

4 Bryant (6-1)

5. Bentonville West (5-2)

6. Rogers (5-2)

7. Fort Smith Southside (4-3)

8. Cabot (4-3)

9. Jonesboro (3-4)

10. North Little Rock (2-5)

11. Springdale Har-ber (2-5)

12. Fort Smith Northside (1-6)

13. Little Rock Southwest (1-6)

14. Springdale (2-5)

15. Rogers Heritage (1-6)

16. Little Rock Central (0-7)

KEVIN KELLEY’S PICKS LAST WEEK

I went 8-0 to take the season record to a respectable 55-16 (77 percent). I pride myself in doing a good job for HOOTENS.COM, and I have gone 8-0 in 3 of the past 4 weeks. Two of the picks — Fayetteville over Bentonville and Jonesboro over North Little Rock — were ridiculed by our staff, but Thomas Thrash, Barry Groomes, and Jeff Krupsaw are all way too nice of guys for me to laugh and tell you “I told you so” in this article.

The only changes in the poll this week are Jonesboro and North Little Rock switching spots as Jonesboro made the trip down to central Arkansas and proved it should be ranked higher on the field. I know Bentonville lost, but it played at Fayetteville, which is undefeated. I am not convinced that any of the teams below it are better, nor have any of those teams beaten them.

 HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 3 Bentonville (4-3, 1-3) at No. 6 ROGERS (5-2, 2-2): Rogers comes in off a 52-12 win over Springdale. Bentonville lost 42-21 at Fayetteville. I really believe this game will hinge more on how Bentonville responds to its second big game in a row. Sometimes losing a big game will bring everyone together. I certainly don’t think Coach Jody Grant will allow last week’s loss to linger, but it’s really tough to get the same energy and effort on a game plan 2 weeks in a row unless the team really considers these big games.

Rogers had a nice offensive week against Springdale, leaving Coach Chad Harbison praising quarterback Dane Williams, along with the defense, which recorded a safety. Williams, a senior, threw TD passes in the first half to Mabry Verser, Graycen Cash, and Marcus Mounce. Harbison said Williams played well, checking into the right play and throwing the ball well. Cash, whom I have been updating as a model to other players who suffer ACL injuries, totaled more than 100 yards receiving in the first half. Cash tore his ACL in May and was not supposed to play this season. Like my own son, Zack, Cash rehabbed hard, pushed the limits, and came back and is playing well. So there is hope for those that want to try if done properly.

Bentonville started the game against Fayetteville with a 14-7 lead with Razorbacks commit CJ Brown serving as the primary target. Brown caught a 5-yard TD pass to open the scoring for the Tigers. Carter Nye completed a pass to Brown in the second quarter, which took the ball to the 1. Nye took it in on a quarterback sneak for the TD to put Bentonville up 14-7. Fayetteville opened the scoring with a scoop-and- score on defense. That would be all the scoring the Tigers had with their first team. Fayetteville would control the game the rest of the way.

I feel like right now the Tigers need some confidence early in this game in order to win it. They are banged up, and Rogers comes in with some momentum.  Brown is the one difference-maker who can change the game and they need to use him early and often. However, I am picking an upset in this one. I feel like Bentonville is 7-13 points better, but I think Rogers has the right situation at home to upset the Tigers. Rogers takes a close one. 

No. 16 LR Central (0-7, 0-4) at No. 1 CONWAY (7-0, 4-0): The Wampus Cats come in after an easy win over Fort Smith Northside last week. They were very balanced while rolling up 546 yards — 281 in the air and 265 on the ground. They also converted 10 of 15 on third downs. That will win you a lot of ball games all by itself. Central lost 27-0 to Cabot. Talan Wright recovered a fumble to stop a Cabot drive, but the offense has to find a way to get on track. Conway will work on things they need to improve on this week, with the playoffs getting closer.

 No. 2 FAYETTEVILLE (7-0, 4-0) at No. 14 Springdale (2-5, 1-3): Fayetteville comes in off a huge win over Bentonville that keeps it all alone at the top in 7A West. Drake Lindsey threw 5 TD passes including 2 early ones to Jason Delamar and Caleb Johnson. The defense provided a score via a fumble recovery and return in a 42-21 win. Springdale comes in after another loss, 52-12 to Rogers, but looks like it is improving under Coach Brett Hobbs. Fayetteville seems to be playing better and better each week under Coach Casey Dick, and the Purple Dogs keep it rolling here with Lindsey leading the way.

 No. 4 Bryant (6-1, 4-0) at No. 8 CABOT (4-3, 3-1): The Hornets beat Little Rock Southwest last week 59-33. Zach Kertis-Jones scored the game’s first TD on a nice run. Later, quarterback Jeremiah Motes hit David Paglianite for a 24-yard TD pass. Andrew Bradford then ran for a 60-yard TD to put the game away. Cabot warmed up for the Wampus Cats with a 27-0 win over Little Rock Central. Gavin Vest ran for the first score for Cabot in a game that Cabot would control from the beginning. Cabot, with an awesome home record, can get this one on its turf. I believe teams start feeling and believing in that and simply play very well when they do. It’s definitely a long shot, but I am picking Cabot to upset here. I think the Panthers run the ball, control the clock and work on limiting Bryant’s big plays that seem to go under the radar.

No. 5 BENTONVILLE WEST (5-2, 3-1) at No. 15 Rogers Heritage (1-6, 0-4): Bentonville West beat Har-ber 44-14 in a game it took over early and cruised in from there. Quarterback Dalton Rice threw a 13-yard TD pass to Jaxson Brust to begin the scoring. It was one of 3 TD passes thrown from Rice to Brust. Rice then hit Mason Hawkins for an 11-yard TD. Ethan Grigg intercepted a pass to keep the good night going. Cole Edmondson took advantage of that interception by running the ball in later for another TD. Rogers Heritage lost 42-12 to Fort Smith Southside and is looking for a spark as the season winds down. The Wolverines will pick up more momentum this week with a win over Rogers Heritage. They need to keep relying on that passing game for them to have a run in the playoffs in my opinion.

 No. 11 Springdale Har-ber (2-5, 2-2) at No. 7 FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (4-3, 1-3): Har-ber  Coach Brent Eckley voiced disappointment over the team’s inability to tackle and the line play on both sides of the ball in last week’s 44-14 loss to Bentonville West. Har-ber needs to fix its tackling against Southside’s Isaac Gregory and Amari Tucker, 2 of the better skill players in 7A. Southside lights up the scoreboard in different ways. Carter Zimmerman hit a 36-yard TD pass to Jackson Davis to start the scoring. Then Isaac Gregory had an 11-yard TD run. He added a 49-yard TD run later in the same quarter. Then, Amari Tucker added a 59-yard TD run. Gregory averaged over 20 yards per carry while Tucker averaged 14. That’s a tough tandem to defend, especially with QB Carter Zimmerman being capable of throwing the ball if a team sneaks a safety down. DE John Parkinson had a fumble recovery to set up a short field for the Mavericks. I think that Southside’s offense is too much, and the Mavericks pick up the win in a high-scoring game.

No. 9 JONESBORO (3-4, 2-2) at No. 13 LR Southwest (1-6, 0-4): The Hurricane might have played maybe their best game of the year when winning 37-7 last week at North Little Rock. It looks as if new quarterback Asa Myers has provided stability and the ability to loosen up defenses. Myers completed a long pass to Chris Stacy to set up a FG to begin the scoring. Myers hit WR Kelen Smith for a TD a short time later. Jonesboro’s Moneterius Phillips intercepted a pass to keep North Little Rock from gaining any momentum. The Gryphons probably gained a little confidence after playing the defending state champion Bryant Hornets to a 59-33 score. Quarterback Chase Forte ran for 2 TDs to keep them in the game in the first half. Jonesboro seems to be gaining confidence, and they’ll need it here. If the Hurricane continues to mix in the run and pass, I think they beat the Gryphons in a fairly close one.

No. 12 FS Northside (1-6, 1-3) at No. 10 NORTH LITTLE ROCK (2-5, 2-2): Northside’s 47-17 loss to No. 1 Conway last week wasn’t as bad as many expected. The Grizzlies need to keep showing that fight this week when traveling to play the Charging Wildcats. North Little Rock continues to show flashes of good football, like the play Desmond Higgins made to intercept a pass against Jonesboro. Fort Smith Northside has also been showing some signs, but I think North Little Rock takes this one at home.