hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 9, 2018
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Foreman (7-1)
2. Mount Ida (7-1)
3. Hazen (7-0)
4. Junction City (5-2)
5. Conway Christian (6-2)
6. Earle (6-2)
7. Hampton (4-2)
8. Fordyce (5-3)
9. Gurdon (7-1)
10. Salem (6-1) 
11. Mineral Springs (6-2)
12. Des Arc (5-3)
13. Mountainburg (6-1)
14. Mountain Pine (5-3)
15. Hector (6-2)
16. England (3-5)
17. Magnet Cove (4-4)
18. Quitman (6-2)
19. Lavaca (4-4)
20. E. Poinsett County (6-2)
21. Poyen (5-3)
22. Rector (4-3)
23. Bigelow (3-5)
24. Magazine (4-3)
25. Cross County (4-4)
26. Bearden (2-5)
27. Marked Tree (1-6)
28. McCrory (4-4)
29. Hackett (2-4)
30. Parkers Chapel (1-6)
31. Murfreesboro (3-5)
32. Carlisle (3-4-1)
33. Clarendon (2-5)
34. Strong (1-7)
35. Brinkley (2-6)
36. W. Yell County (2-5)
37. Marianna (1-6)
38. Cutter M. Star (1-7)
39. Spring Hill (1-6)
40. Lafayette County (1-7)
41. Dierks (1-7)
42. J.C. Westside (1-7)
43. Midland (0-7)
44. Marvell (0-8)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 2 Mount Ida at No. 9 Gurdon
Gurdon's Wishbone vs. Mount Ida's Veer with the 7-2A title on the line. Mount Ida is senior-laden, while Gurdon starts sophomores at five offensive and four defensive positions. Gurdon sophomore Jameson Threadgill has rushed for a team-high 680 yards (8.8 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns, while senior defensive tackle Remi Williams (37 tackles) anchors the front with sophomore DT Markell Pollins (32 tackles). Senior linebacker Cam Lollis leads Gurdon with 67 tackles. Mount Ida counters with senior QB Cade Jackson (754 rushing yards, nine TDs), halfback Jonathan Lagrange (799 yards, 12 TDs), halfback Tyler Hamilton (503 yards, two TDs) and scatback Gage Dyer (424 yards, six TDs). Mount Ida also boasts a pair of dandy D linemen in seniors Oscar Pinedo (53 tackles, 11 TFL) and Ethan Winkley (53 tackles, 15 TFL). Gurdon has improved weekly with its timing and ball-handling in the Wishbone backfield while committing just one turnover each of the past three games. The defense has been solid, and the Go-Devils have avoided the injuries that gutted them in 2016 and 2017. Mount Ida responded well last Friday to its Week 7 loss at Foreman by holding Dierks to minus-31 yards in the first half of a 43-6 blowout.

TV LAND
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs at 10:30 Saturday mornings on KATV (ABC Little Rock) Ch. 7, previewing the Razorbacks and their opponent.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 18 of 22 games (82 percent) played last week. Hootens.com has picked 172 of 212 (81 percent) for the season. 

WEEK 9 PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
3-2A
E. Poinsett County at SALEM (20): No. 10 Salem, which played three of its past four games on the road, is back home for the regular-season home finale and should return Week 11 for a winnable first-round matchup vs. the fifth seed from the 7-2A. Senior RB Jordan Turner (1,806 rushing yards) carried 25 times last week for 182 yards and two TDs in a 46-0 blowout of McCrory. Salem sophomore Gavin Guiltner completed six of nine passes for 180 yards and two TDs, with senior Hunter Taylor catching both TD passes covering 108 yards.
CROSS COUNTY (35) at Midland: With its two-point win over EPC, Cross County stays in position to capture the second playoff seed. Midland has lost 14 straight games.
RECTOR (6) at Marked Tree: Marked Tree was off last week, trying to get healthy for red-hot Rector, which could enter the playoffs for the first time since 2001 on a four-game winning streak. Rector is winning in the trenches with a veteran group of upperclassmen opening holes for leading rusher Max Ford. 
MCCRORY is open.

4-2A
Magazine at MOUNTAINBURG (5): Mountainburg eyes its first league title in school history behind a big offensive line that clears with way for 336 rushing yards per game. Senior Austin Taylor has rushed for a team-high 740 yards and 13 TDs. Magazine junior RB Caleb Hyatt nears 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Hyatt carried 11 times for 163 yards last week in a 40-6 rout of J.C. Westside, while senior Luke Short added 104 yards on 10 attempts.
J.C. Westside at W. YELL COUNTY (9): Loser of this game is alone at bottom of 4-2A standings. WYC was open last week, while J.C. Westside lost by 34 points to Magazine. WYC fields the better defense.
Hackett at LAVACA (13): Lavaca defeated Magazine 34-24 two weeks ago and pushed Hector last week in a 17-6 loss. Injuries have decimated Hackett up front where its was not stout when healthy. Hackett senior Pacey McBride caught four passes last week for 83 yards and recovered a fumble for a TD in a 48-12 loss to Mountainburg.
Hector vs. JUNCTION CITY (16) (at HSU): Hector has played 8-2A teams often in non-conference and playoff games the past five years, losing at Bearden 36-28 in OT last year, defeating Bearden 30-14 and Rison 52-27 in 2016, defeating Strong 49-30, Bearden 48-24 and Parkers Chapel 56-14 but losing to Rison 45-36 in 2015, losing to Bearden 35-20 and Rison 38-30 in 2014, defeating Parkers Chapel 14-13 and losing to Junction City 51-7 in 2013. Junction City took a major step last week to claiming consecutive league titles and its seventh conference crown over the past decade by beating Fordyce in the final seconds, 7-6. Hector committed just one turnover and cut down the number of penalties in a 17-6 win over Lavaca.

5-2A
England at QUITMAN (8): On a wet night last week at Poyen, Quitman recovered three fumbles, intercepted two passes, piled up 450 balanced yards and blew out the Indians 41-20. England gave up 258 rushing yards and five TDs in a 44-12 loss to Mountain Pine. Quitman sophomore QB Holden Martin has completed 62 percent of his passes this fall for 1,522 yards and 15 TDs with six INTs.
Poyen at MOUNTAIN PINE (10): Mountain Pine dumped England 44-12 last week to take sole possession of second place in the league standings. MP junior QB Colin Smith has rushed for 997 yards and 13 TDs, while passing for 668 yards and 10 TDs with three INTs. Senior WR Josh Walpole has caught 17 of those passes for 379 yards and nine TDs. Poyen gave up 450 yards and committed five turnovers last week in a 41-20 loss to Quitman.
Magnet Cove at CONWAY CHRISTIAN (14): Magnet Cove is reduced to role of spoiler, trying to keep Conway Christian from sweeping the 5-2A. Both defenses give up 21 ppg. Senior linebackers Tyler McJunkins and Tyler Dawson pace Magnet Cove, while junior LB Clay Hammett paces Conway Christian in tackles. Magnet Cove pushed visiting CC a year ago, losing 38-31. This year, Conway Christian, led by senior QB Jacob Wood (1,727 total yards, 32 TDs), has invoked the mercy rule on every conference opponent.
Cutter M. Star at BIGELOW (3): Loser of this game is alone at bottom of 5-2A standings.

6-2A
Marianna at HAZEN (21): Third-ranked Hazen ran over Earle 34-12 last week, with junior RBs Tarrell Penn and Ay'Jon Green carrying 25 times apiece between the tackles. Penn rushed for 187 yards and four TDs, while Green ran for 144 yards and a TD. Tied 12-12 early in the third quarter, Hazen senior Darian Brown forced a fumble. In the fourth quarter, Brown deflected a pass that Penn intercepted. Hazen senior LB Kade Perry recorded 16 tackles, while senior DT Blayne Toll collected eight total tackles, including four TFL and two sacks.
EARLE (3) at Des Arc: Earle managed less than 100 rushing yards and just 188 total yards last week in a 34-12 loss to Hazen. Earle's defense crowded the line of scrimmage and made several plays in the Hazen backfield, but Hazen ran between the tackles 90 percent of the time for 351 yards. Des Arc will try to duplicate Hazen's scheme this week with senior QB Garrett Goodman (5.5 ypc), senior RB Donald McCoy (5.5 ypc) and junior RB Jackson Moreton (7.5 ypc). Comparing scores: Hazen defeated Des Arc 22-6 three weeks ago.
CARLISLE (11) at Brinkley: Carlisle comes off its most complete game this fall, a 32-0 shutout of Clarendon that likely secured the fourth playoff seed. Senior Ian Seidenschwarz paced Carlisle with 14 tackles.
Marvell at CLARENDON (5): Clarendon stays in position to claim the league's fifth and final playoff seed. 

7-2A
MOUNT IDA (9) at Gurdon: See Game of the Week.
Murfreesboro at FOREMAN (38): Top-ranked Foreman rebounds from a 14-13 loss at Mineral Springs in which it fumbled six times (lost five) and committed eight penalties for 95 yards. It out-gained Mineral Springs by 118 yards in the loss. Foreman senior QB Kyren Batey twisted a knee in the first half at Mineral Springs, ran sparingly in the second half but should return to full speed by the playoffs or before.
MINERAL SPRINGS (33) at Lafayette County: The Mineral Springs Hornets swarmed Foreman 14-13 last week, holding the defending state champion to its lowest point total since Week 7, 2017 (36-7 loss to Mount Ida). MS sophomore end Jackson McCauley blocked a field goal with 28 seconds left to preserve the victory.
Spring Hill at DIERKS (5): Spring Hill offensive line averages 285 pounds per man, but the Bears managed just 23 yards in their first 24 plays last week vs. Gurdon.

8-2A
Hector vs. JUNCTION CITY (16) (at HSU): Hector has played 8-2A teams often in non-conference and playoff games the past five years, losing at Bearden 36-28 in OT last year, defeating Bearden 30-14 and Rison 52-27 in 2016, defeating Strong 49-30, Bearden 48-24 and Parkers Chapel 56-14 but losing to Rison 45-36 in 2015, losing to Bearden 35-20 and Rison 38-30 in 2014, defeating Parkers Chapel 14-13 and losing to Junction City 51-7 in 2013. Junction City took a major step last week to claiming consecutive league titles and its seventh conference crown over the past decade by beating Fordyce in the final seconds, 7-6. Hector committed just one turnover and cut down the number of penalties in a 17-6 win over Lavaca.
Fordyce at HAMPTON (2): Winner secures the second playoff seed and a first-round home playoff game. The loser will be on the road throughout the playoffs as the third seed. Fordyce lost a 7-6 gut-wrencher last week to Junction City, giving up a TD and extra point in the final six seconds. Hampton held Bearden to 77 yards in a 40-0 victory. Hampton defeated then-Class 3A Fordyce the past two years, 38-12 and 14-12.
PARKERS CHAPEL (6) at Strong: Strong netted 97 rushing yards last week against Class 3A Clinton, while allowing seven Clinton rushers to combine for 305 yards (11.7 ypc). PC lost at Class 3A Dollarway 26-21 after failing to score on three drives that started on Dollarway's side of the 50-yard line in the third quarter. PC junior QB Caleb Jacobs has passed for 1,237 yards and 14 TDs this season.
BEARDEN (10) at Lake Village: Class 3A Lake Village picked up two first downs, lost two fumbles and had two punts blocked a week ago in a 51-0 loss (trailed 41-0 at half) to Rison. Bearden produced just 77 yards last week in a 40-0 loss to Hampton.