Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 9, 2021
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Bigelow (8-0)
2. McCrory (7-1)
3. Des Arc (7-1)
4. Hazen (6-2)
5. Clarendon (5-2)
6. Fordyce (5-3)
7. Junction City (4-4)
8. Hector (7-1)
9. Quitman (5-3)
10. Dierks (3-4)
11. Magnet Cove (5-4)
12. Poyen (5-3)
13. Mount Ida (4-3)
14. Gurdon (6-3)
15. E. Poinsett County (2-7)
16. Earle (3-4)
17. Marked Tree (3-4)
18. Hampton (2-5)
19. Lafayette County (3-3)
20. Carlisle (0-8)
21. Mountainburg (3-4)
22. Cross County (1-6)
23. Yellville-Summit (3-5)
24. Murfreesboro (3-4)
25. Magazine (1-6)
26. J.C. Westside (2-5)
27. Parkers Chapel (1-5)
28. Foreman (0-8)
29. Bearden (0-8)
30. Mineral Springs (0-6)
31. England (0-6)
32. Conway Christian (0-8)

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Bigelow at No. 8 Hector
Bigelow's team speed and athletic playmakers overwhelmed Quitman early and often last week in a 44-14 win. Bigelow senior QB Kiethlin Brown opened the scoring with a 39-yard scramble-reverse field-sprint to the end zone TD. Brown (1,000 yards rushing in 2021) finished with 160 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Senior RB/LB Hunter Alexander (800 yards) ran 49 yards for a TD and returned an interception 40 yards for a TD. No. 8 Hector's lone setback came Week 2 in 39-7 loss to Class 3A No. 12 Mountain View. In last week's 44-6 rout of J.C. Westside, sophomore QB Jackson Taylor completed 13 of 21 passes for 214 yards and three TDs, two of which caught by junior WR/LB Drake Riley who added 16 tackles. Hector's defense forced five turnovers, bringing its season total to 25.  Watch extended highlights of Bigelow's 44-14 win last week over Quitman.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 13 of 14 games (93 percent) involving Class 2A teams. It is 137 of 159 (86 percent) for the season.

WEEK 9 PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
3-2A
Cross County at SALEM (29): Class 3A Salem defeated EPC 35-22 Week 6. EPC walloped Cross County 64-29 a week ago after leading 56-15 entering the fourth quarter. CC senior RB Davie Powell carried nine times for 145 yards and two TDs in the loss. Senior QB A.J. Beale ran and passed for a combined 230 yards and a TD.
Marked Tree at E. POINSETT COUNTY (15): Just 10 miles separate these old rivals. After an 0-5 start, EPC led McCrory late in a 22-18 setback and it lost to Class 3A Salem 35-22 before winning two in a row, including a 64-29 win last week over Cross County. Sophomore TB Dennis Gaines ripped off 184 yards (8.8 YPC) and three TDs. He also caught a 35-yard TD pass. Marked Tree forfeited to Des Arc last week due to limited bodies.Watch extended highlights of EPC’s 22-18 loss to McCrory earlier this year.
EARLE and MCCRORY are open.

4-2A
BIGELOW (28) at Hector: See Game of the Week. 
QUITMAN (12) at Mountainburg: Mountainburg got past Conway Christian 28-12 a week ago when senior QB Noah Johnson ran for 106 yards (6.6 YPC) and completed 10 of 17 passes for 248 yards and four TDs with two INTs. Quitman lost 44-14 at No. 1 Bigelow in a game that was over by halftime. Quitman senior QB/LB Will Litton, under duress all night, completed seven of 17 passes for 134 yards and a TD with two INTS. Litton paced the Bulldogs with 10 tackles. A Quitman win at Mountainburg would set up a Week 10 showdown with visiting Hector for second place in the 4-2A. Watch extended highlights of Quitman’s  44-14 loss to Bigelow earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of Quitman’s 41-0 win over Magazine earlier this year. JC Westside at YELLVILLE-SUMMIT (2): Both teams battling for a playoff berth. Y-S topped Magazine 28-21 last week by rushing for 270 yards and passing for another 100 yards. JCW lost to Hector 44-6 while committing three fumbles and two interceptions, including a pick-6. JCW should be healthy for the first time in weeks, expecting to dress 17 upperclassmen and move up several freshmen. Y-S won this matchup 52-6 a year ago. 
MAGAZINE (6) at Conway Christian: Both teams are winless in the league standings but continue to compete. The winner keeps slim playoff hopes alive. The CC junior high team is 8-0 with one game remaining Thursday night at Magazine. Two freshmen have already moved up to the varsity and the others will Friday night. Watch extended highlights of Magazine’s 41-0 loss to Quitman earlier this year.

5-2A
Gurdon at MOUNT IDA (4): Gurdon has dropped two straight games in the 5-2A by committing 10 turnovers. A week ago, the Go-Devils threw four interceptions in a 28-6 loss at Poyen. Mount Ida was idle last week after knocking off Poyen 20-14 Week 7. Senior HB Baylor Bates leads MI in rushing this fall. Watch extended highlights of Gurdon’s 46-14 win over Earle earlier this year.
MAGNET COVE and POYEN are open.

6-2A
DES ARC (30) at England: Des Arc received a forfeit last week from 3-2A member Marked Tree, while England forfeited to Hazen. MT beat England 20-0 Week 7, but an altercation led to ejections and suspensions, which led to both teams forfeiting last week. Des Arc, with a defense that allows nine ppg, can clinch a third straight outright league title Week 10 with a win over Clarendon.Watch extended highlights of Des Arc’s 34-26 loss to McCrory earlier this year.
Carlisle at HAZEN (13): These rivals on Highway 70 are separated by just 10 miles. Carlisle has dominated the series, winning 24 times since 1988, but Hazen has won five of the past seven meetings by an average of 36 points. Carlisle won 40-38 last year. A week ago, No. 4 Hazen received a forfeit from England, while Carlisle gave up 648 yards in a 49-8 loss at Clarendon. Hazen knocked off Clarendon 22-20 Week 7. Watch extended highlights of Hazen’s 38-0 win over Stuttgart JV earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of Hazen’s 22-20 win over Clarendon earlier this year.
CLARENDON is open.

7-2A
Mineral Springs at DIERKS (36): Dierks averaged almost 9 yards per rushing attempt last week in a 44-15 win at Murfreesboro. Junior RB Eli Sharp ran for a career-high 266 yards and six TDs, while junior S Andrew Hill and junior LB Jacob Sims logged a team-high 11 tackles apiece. Mineral Springs sophomore QB K.T. Thomas has emerged as the Hornets' top performer this season.  
Murfreesboro at LAFAYETTE COUNTY (15): LC erupted for 466 yards (402 rushing) and eight TDs last week in a 64-14 blowout of Foreman. Junior K.J. Hayes ran five times for 182 yards and three TDs, while classmate Demarrion Dedner (five tackles, two INTs) carried seven times for 107 yards and a TD. LC defense allowed just 110 yards. Murfreesboro gave up 389 rushing yards in a 44-15 loss to Dierks. Freshman WR Jamarion Conway caught two passes for 73 yards in the loss.
PARKERS CHAPEL (3) at Foreman: Foreman gave up 466 yards last week in a 64-14 loss to Lafayette County, while PC forfeited to Fordyce with multiple injuries and only four available linemen. Only two PC starters will be game-time decisions this week. The PC junior high is 6-2, and 13 freshmen move up Friday night at Foreman, which averages 12.7 ppg.

8-2A
Bearden at JUNCTION CITY (36): JC leads this overall series 36-22-2, per JC historian Wayne Pumphrey. Junction City hammered Hampton 51-18 last week with senior RB A.J. Ivory rushing 17 times for 192 yards and a TD. Bearden dressed 14 upperclassmen in a 48-6 loss at 5-2A member Magnet Cove. The Bearden junior high went 5-2-1 this fall. Watch extended highlights of Junction City’s 49-12 loss to Beebe earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of Junction City’s 42-6 loss to Fordyce earlier this year. Hampton at FORDYCE (29): Hampton RB Zy Johnson carried 22 times for 182 yards and two TDs last week in a 51-18 loss to Junction City. The junior also logged a 45-yard kickoff return and 11 tackles. Fordyce received a forfeit from Parkers Chapel. Two-time Class 2A state champion Fordyce closing in on its third straight 8-2A title while getting healthy for another postseason run. Watch extended highlights of Fordyce’s 22-20 over Camden Harmony Grove earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of Fordyce’s 20-16 win over Rison. Watch extended highlights of Fordyce’s 42-6 win over Junction City earlier this year. PARKERS CHAPEL (3) at Foreman: Foreman gave up 466 yards last week in a 64-14 loss to Lafayette County, while PC forfeited to Fordyce with multiple injuries and only four available linemen. Only two PC starters will be game-time decisions this week. The PC junior high is 6-2, and 13 freshmen move up Friday night at Foreman, which averages 12.7 ppg.