Hootens.com Rankings
Class 7A, Week 8, 2010
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Bentonville (7-0)
2. Springdale Har-Ber (7-0)
3. Bryant (6-1)
4. Conway (6-1)
5. FS Southside (4-3)
6. Fayetteville (5-2)
7. West Memphis (6-1)
8. Rogers Heritage (4-3)
9. Springdale (4-3)
10. Cabot (5-2)
11. North LR (3-4)
12. LR Catholic (1-6)
13. FS Northside (1-6)
14. LR Central (1-6)
15. LR Hall (1-6)
16. Rogers (0-7)

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 2 Springdale Har-Ber at No. 5 FS Southside.
It has quickly become one of the state's better rivalries. The past three regular-season meetings have been decided by an average of 3.6 points. Har-Ber beat the Rebels twice in 2009, 16-13 in overtime last October and 27-6 in the state title game. Southside beat Har-Ber twice in 2008, 27-22 during the regular season and 8-7 in the final seconds of the semifinals. Har-Ber's balanced offense seems better than a year ago, scoring 48.4 points weekly. The Wildcats, big up front, have rushed for 1,630 yards while senior quarterback Ryan Luther has tossed for 1,818 yards, completing 64 percent. "We'll be giving up close to 40 pounds per player (against Har-Ber's offensive line)," says Southside coach Jeff Williams.
FS Southside beat Fayetteville last week for the first time in eight meetings. Quarterback Hunter Whorton, one of only two senior starters on Southside's offense, completes 52 percent of his passes, totaling 1,249 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions (three at Bentonville). Junior Julius Jones (5-8, 185) has rushed for 818 yards (6.6 yards per carry and 112.9 yards weekly). Southside starts four seniors on defense and its special teams are mostly underclassmen.
Har-Ber boasts the tallest group of receivers in school history while the tallest in FS Southside's secondary is 5-7. Michael Fine (6-3, 154) leads Har-Ber with 19 catches for 562 yards. Evan Johnson (6-2, 170) has 10 grabs for 307 yards.

TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football will NOT air this week, but returns at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 on Fox 16 and KFSM in Fort Smith/Fayetteville.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted seven of nine games involving Class 7A members. For the season, Hootens.com has correctly predicted 55 of 66 games (83 percent).

WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
7A/6A CENTRAL
Bryant at CABOT (1): Coach Paul Calley's Bryant teams are 3-1 against Cabot. The setting and conditions were right for Bryant's upset of previously unbeaten Conway last week. Cabot turns the tables this Friday.
LR Central at NORTH LR (7): LR Central has lost 27 of its past 28 and appears ready for 2010 to end. North LR has won two of its past three.
Russellville at LR CATHOLIC (10): Both looking for their first conference win. LR Catholic enjoys a favorable schedule down the stretch to make the playoffs. Russellville lost the past two weeks by a combined 71 points.
Van Buren at CONWAY (13): Van Buren QB Tyler Spoon has completed 91 of 149 passes (61 percent) for 1,420 yards and 12 TDs this year. Van Buren, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A, beat Russellville by 40 points last week. Its only loss was three weeks ago at Bryant by 23. Conway lost last week at Bryant in double overtime.

7A WEST
FAYETTEVILLE (35) at Rogers: FS Southside coach Jeff Williams says Fayetteville's Brandon Allen "can make every throw and doesn't turn it over. He is the best high school quarterback I've seen in 14 years of coaching."
FS Northside at BENTONVILLE (21): Northside coach Darrell Henry, who worked as defensive coordinator when Bentonville coach Barry Lunney was the head man at FS Southside, can only hope to outscore opponents this fall. Northside allows 52.7 points per conference game. Bentonville has scored 112 points the past two weeks.
Rogers Heritage at SPRINGDALE (7): Heritage has allowed 119 points in back-to-back losses. Springdale is coming off back-to-back wins in Fort Smith, totaling 87 points.
HAR-BER (3) at FS Southside: See Hootens.com Game of the Week.

7A/6A EAST
Mountain Home at WEST MEMPHIS (26): Mountain Home gives up a league-worst 41 points per week after allowing Marion 67 last Friday. West Memphis' only loss was to No. 5 ranked FS Southside. The Blue Devils won by 16 points last week at Jonesboro, its final regular-season challenge.
LR Hall at MARION (18): Marion beat LR Hall 34-0 in 2009. Marion junior Trey Franklin, younger brother of Arkansas Razorback Jerry Franklin, carried 35 times for 360 yards and four TDs in last week's wild 67-62 win at Mountain Home.