Hootens Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 3A, Week 9, 2023

Copyright Seventy-Seven's Football Publishing, Llc

1. Booneville (6-2)
2. Prescott (8-1)
3. Harmony Grove Ouachita County (6-2)
4. Charleston (4-4)
5. Salem (8-0)
6. Hoxie (8-0)
7. Mansfield (6-2)
8. Walnut Ridge (6-2)
9. Glen Rose (6-2)
10. Newport  (4-4)
11. Junction City (5-3)
12. Bismarck (6-2)
13. Lavaca (6-2)
14. Fordyce  (4-4)
15. Hackett (5-3)
16. Centerpoint (5-3)
17. Perryville (6-2)
18. Barton (5-3)
19. Fouke (5-4)
20. Gurdon (3-4)
21. Osceola (2-6)
22. Smackover (4-4)
23. Melbourne (2-6)
24. Atkins (2-7)
25. Jessieville (4-4)
26. Magnet Cove (5-3)
27. Quitman (3-5)
28. Yellville-Summit (3-5)
29. Drew Central (2-6)
30. Paris (3-5)
31. West Fork (2-6)
32. Manila (3-5)
33. Rison (1-7)
34. Cedarville (1-7)
35. Lake Village (1-5)
36. Greenland (1-7)
37. Horatio (1-7)
38. Palestine-Wheatley (2-5)
39. Danville (1-7)
40. Piggott (0-8)

WEEK 9 PREDICTIONS (Favored team highlighted and CAPS)

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly predicted 17 of 19 games (89 percent) involving 3A teams. Hootens.com has correctly predicted 181 of 217 games (83 percent) this year.

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 9 GLEN ROSE (6-2; 5-0) at Centerpoint (5-3; 5-0)

Glen Rose beat Two Rivers 63-0 last Friday, setting a season-high in points. The Beavers have won 6 consecutive and 11 conference games in a row. Heath Ballance (77 rushing, 3 TDs), Paxton Long (115 rushing) and Rein Bland (64 passing, TD) led Glen Rose. Centerpoint beat Paris 28-21 for its fifth win in a row. Glen Rose has won 7 in a row over Centerpoint and looks to make it 8 in a row on Friday night.

NONCONFERENCE

4A ARKADELPHIA (4-3; 4-0) at Fordyce (4-4; 3-1)

1-3A

Lavaca (6-2; 3-2) at No. 1 BOONEVILLE (6-2; 5-0): Lavaca lost for the second time this season, 43-19 against No. 7 Mansfield last week. Booneville likely clinched the conference championship on Friday with a 25-15 win over No. 4 Charleston. Dax Goff (274 yards rushing, 4 TDs) led Booneville. Goff eclipsed 4,000 career rushing yards earlier in the season. Booneville senior RB Rylen Ray missed last week's game with an injury and likely won't return until the playoffs.

 No. 4 CHARLESTON (4-4; 4-1) at West Fork (2-6; 1-4): Charleston comes in off a 25-15 loss to top-ranked Booneville. Charleston led 8-6 at the half. Reese Merechka (20- 119 rushing; 2-54 receiving) sparked the offense. West Fork lost to Hackett 33-27 in OT last week. Cade Erickson and Bryson Whitmill each scored touchdowns and intercepted passes. Harrison Oliver and Hayden Faubus also contributed touchdowns for West Fork. Charleston will be looking for its sixth consecutive win against West Fork.

Cedarville (1-7; 1-4) at No. 7 MANSFIELD (6-2; 3-2): Cedarville beat Greenland 28-20 for its first win, ending an 11-game losing streak dating back to last season. Mansfield beat Lavaca 43-19 behind Daniel Burton (18-272 rushing, 3 TDs). Burton has 1,071 rushing yards and 14 TDs this season. Jeremy Strozier (69 yards passing; 23 yards rushing, 2 TDs) complemented Burton. Strozier led Mansfield with 9 tackles, including 2 TFL.

HACKETT (5-3; 3-2) at Greenland (1-7; 0-5): Hackett beat West Fork 33-27 in OT last Friday, the third win in the past 4 games for the Hornets. Greenland lost to previously winless Cedarville 28-20. Hackett has won 3 of the past 4 meetings in this series.

2-3A

No. 5 SALEM (8-0; 4-0) at Perryville (6-2; 4-0): No. 5 Salem beat Yellville-Summit 52-8 2 weeks ago before last week's open date. Kaden Brink (234 rushing, 5 TDs) led the offense. Gatlin Branscum (9 tackles) and Skyler Payne (9 tackles) led the defense. Perryville's 30-0 win over Quitman was its fifth in a row. Connor Firth (210 passing, 2 TDs; 71 yards rushing) led the Mustangs' offense. Firth recorded his 10th interception of the season. Wyatt Brown added 3 tackles.

No. 10 NEWPORT (4-4; 3-1) at Yellville-Summit (3-5; 0-5): Newport beat Melbourne 18-16 last week. Malik Robinson (18-101 rushing), Aamoni Wren (4-73 receiving, 2 TDs) and Luke Reynolds (152 passing, 3 TDs) led the offense. Bryson Elston (9 tackles) led the defense. Yellville-Summit remained winless in conference with a 48-40 loss to Atkins. Newport looks for its third consecutive win over Yellville-Summit.

Quitman (3-5; 1-3) at MELBOURNE (2-6; 1-3): Bryson Thacker (15 tackles) led the Quitman defense in its 30-0 loss to Perryville. Melbourne lost 18-16 to No 10 Newport. Robert Langston (8 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 INT) anchored the Melbourne defense. Logan Seay (2-49 yards receiving, 1 TD) and Tanner Williams (102 return yards) sparked the offense for Melbourne.

3-3A

Osceola (2-6; 2-1) at No. 6 HOXIE (8-0; 3-0): Osceola had a 2-game win streak come to an end against No. 8 Walnut Ridge, 32-22. Hoxie beat Manila 41-7 to go 8-0. Kayden Glenn (160 passing, 1 TD; 80 rushing, 4 TDs), Camden Brooks (67 rushing, 1 TD) and Prechton Wilkerson (79 receiving, 1 TD) led Hoxie.

No. 8 WALNUT RIDGE (6-2; 3-0) at Manila (3-5; 2-1): Walnut Ridge defeated Osceola 32-22 last week to stay undefeated in conference play. Enrique Perez (18-186 rushing) and Robbie Tate (17-62 rushing) led the Bobcats. Walnut Ridge has won 4 of the past 5 against Manila.

PALESTINE-WHEATLEY (2-5; 0-4) at Piggott (0-8; 0-4): Palestine-Wheatley comes off a bye week after falling to Manila 33-14. The Patriots have lost 4 in a row after starting 2-0. Piggott lost 45-8 to No. 6 Hoxie two weeks ago and was off last week. Palestine-Wheatley won last year's meeting.

4-3A

BISMARCK (6-2; 4-1) at Two Rivers (0-8; 0-5):  Bismarck beat Danville 61-0 last week and faces winless Two Rivers on Friday. Bismarck's only conference loss came to No. 9 Glen Rose a week earlier. Two Rivers lost 63-0 last week to No. 9 Glen Rose. Two Rivers has won 2 of the last 3 meetings in the series, but Bismarck won 48-7 last season.

JESSIEVILLE (4-4; 2-3) at Danville (1-7; 1-4): Jessieville won 31-28 over Magnet Cove behind Dalton Ellison (12-17 passing, 155 yards, 2 TDs), Karston Criswell (6-70 receiving, TD), Sawyer Castleberry (87 rushing) and Dawson Lawhon (73 rushing, 2 TDs) led the offense. Criswell (13 total tackles, forced fumble) and Lawhon (8 tackles) led the defense. Danville enters off a 61-0 loss to Bismarck.

Paris (3-5; 1-4) at MAGNET COVE (5-3; 2-3): Magnet Cove has lost 3 in a row after starting the season 5-0, the most recent loss 31-28 to Jessieville. Paris enters off a 28-21 loss to Centerpoint. The Eagles picked up their only conference win, 45-12 over Two Rivers, 2 weeks ago.

5-3A

Horatio (1-7; 0-3) at JUNCTION CITY (5-3; 2-1): Junction City made it 2 wins in a row last week, beating 2A Hampton 49-6. Jordavion Williams (130 rushing, 2 TDs), Brady Penister (50 rushing, 2 TDs) and Dovonte Grimes (35 rushing, 1 TD) led the Dragons. Ja’Veion Davis, Jakorey Larry, Penister and Brenan Lee each had 4 tackles for the Dragons. Junction City Coach Devin Ball says the Dragons played well, but also says there is no time for regression. Horatio lost to Gurdon 29-20 last Friday night. QB Riley Williamson (14-19 passing, 110 yards, 2 TDs) and Drake Angel (16 rushing, 1 TD) led the offense.

SMACKOVER (4-4; 1-2) at Gurdon (3-4; 1-2): Smackover lost to No. 2 Prescott 27-0 last week, but the Buckaroos have won 3 of their past 5 games. Gurdon won 29-20 over Horatio this past week to get its first win since Week 1. Gurdon won when the teams met last season, but Smackover has won 2 of the past 3.

6-3A

Lake Village (1-5; 0-3) at No. 3 HARMONY GROVE OUACHITA COUNTY (6-2; 3-0):

Lake Village lost 35-0 to Rison last week, and hasn't won since beating West Bolivar, Miss. in Week 0. No. 3 Harmony Grove Ouachita County won 29-28 at Fordyce, with QB Caleb Johnson (13-154 rushing, 2 TDs; 131 passing, 2 TDs) leading the offense. Tristen Herndon and Harry Nix both caught the TD passes from Johnson. Harmony Grove Ouachita County has won 5 in a row in the series.

BARTON (5-3; 2-1) at Rison (1-7; 1-2): Barton returns off a bye with a 3-game winning streak. Its only conference loss came in OT, 29-28 to Fordyce. Rison won its first game last week, 35-0 against Lake Village. Jeremiah Marshall (18-106 rushing) and Zakyler Walker (1 receiving TD, 1 rushing) led the offense. Rison's defense recorded a shutout, and Billy Ballard scored on a 65-yard fumble recovery. Thomas Wilson (6 solo tackles, 2 assists) spearheaded the defense.

OPEN: Atkins, No.2 Prescott, Fouke, Drew Central