Hootens Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 6A, Week 10, 2023

Copyright Seventy Seven's Football Publishing, LLC.

1. Greenwood (9-0)

2. LR Christian (8-1)

3. Benton (8-1)

4. Pulaski Academy (7-2)

5. Marion (8-1)

6. West Memphis (6-3)

7. LR Catholic (6-3)

8. Searcy (6-3)

9. Greenbrier (4-5)

10. Mountain Home (5-4)

11. El Dorado (5-4)

12. Van Buren (3-6)

13. Russellville (4-6)

14. Sheridan (3-6)

15. Lake Hamilton (3-6)

16. Jacksonville (2-7)

17. Greene County Tech (1-8)

18. Sylvan Hills (0-9)

19. Siloam Springs (0-9)

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly picked 8 of 9 games (89 percent) involving Class 6A teams last week and 84 of 99

games (85 percent) on the season.

WEEK 9 PREDICTIONS (favored team in All Caps and highlighted)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 2 Little Rock Christian (8-1, 7-0) at No. 1 GREENWOOD (9-0, 7-0)

These teams have split their last 4 meetings, with LR Christian winning 49-35 a season ago. Friday’s winner will be the outright 6A West conference champion and the No. 1 playoff seed with home-

field advantage through the semifinals. The loser will settle for the No. 2 playoff seed with a first-round

bye, and a home quarterfinal game.

Greenwood (51 points per game) ranks No. 2 in the state in scoring, one spot ahead Little Rock Christian (49.1 ppg). The teams also possess the top 2 scoring defenses in Class 6A, with the Warriors surrendering 9.7 ppg,

and the Bulldogs are giving up 13.2 points per week.

These teams have rolled through the 2023 season to date. Greenwood trailed for the first time all

year last week when Pulaski Academy took a 7-6 lead with 10:08 left in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs

would not trail again in a 58-33 road victory. Greenwood sophomore QB Kane Archer (18-28 passing, 274 yards, 5 TDs; 83 rushing 3 TDs) triggered the offense. Four receivers caught passes at PA, led by junior Isaiah Arrington (5-93 receiving, 2 TDs). Senior L.J. Robins (4-63 receiving, 2 TDs) led the receivers. Senior safety Brady Mackey (12 tackles) led the defense; junior Cash Archer recorded 2 sacks. Braden Skaggs,

Caden Nelms, and Joshua Allen all intercepted passes against the Bruins. Little Rock Christian rebounded from a 43-22 loss to Shiloh Christian on Sept. 1, winning its next 7 ballgames, finishing each one under the sportsmanship rule. The Warriors have allowed a total of 10 points since pummeling Pulaski Academy 55-13 on Sept. 22. LRCA took its bye on Sept. 29, then recorded back-to-back shutout victories at Mountain Home and against Siloam Springs, won 58-3 Week 8 at Van Buren, and gashed Greenbrier 55-7 last week. The Warriors scored the first 55 points of the Greenbrier game, leading 35-0 after the first quarter, 48-0 at halftime, and 55-0 entering the fourth quarter. LRCA rolled up 409 balanced yards (218 passing and 191 rushing) against Greenbrier, and the Warriors forced 3 turnovers. LRCA senior QB and Auburn commit Walker White completed 12 of 18 passes for 218 yards and 4 TDs last week; Jackson Ward rushed for 89 yards and a score. Preston Davis and Cooper Jones are the leading tacklers for a stout Christian defensive unit.

These are 2 of the top 3 teams in the state (along with Benton), and are ranked Nos. 1 and 2,

respectively, this week, as they have been for most of the season. It's entirely possible that these teams run it back on the first weekend of December with the state title on the line. In this meeting, we believe that Greenwood and its home-field wizardry (60-game home winning streak) will be enough to earn the Bulldogs the 6A West crown.

6A EAST

LR CATHOLIC (6-3, 5-3) at Marion (8-1, 7-1): Little Rock Catholic beat Marion 52-29 a season ago in the first meeting of these schools. Marion is locked into the No. 2 playoff seed, which gives the Patriots a first-round bye and a home quarterfinal game. LR Catholic can finish as high as the No. 4 with a victory, but the Rockets

could tumble to the No. 6 seed with a loss this week coupled with an El Dorado victory and a Searcy win

over West Memphis. Marion is 8-1 for the first time, and a Patriots victory this week would give Marion its best regular-season record.  Marion logged its fifth victory this season by the sportsmanship rule in last week's 61-22 win at Sylvan Hills. Marion outgained Sylvan Hills 507-234 and put the game out of reach by scoring the final 21 points of the first half for a 34-16 lead at the break. Marion tailback Jalen Smith (17-215 rushing, 2 TDs) and senior QB Ashton Gray (252 yards, 7 TDs) led the offense. Junior tight end Cam Garrett scored his first career varsity TD, a 69-yard reception, while junior wideout Mitrell Lewis caught 4 passes for 38 yards. Javen Griffin (9 tackles and a sack), Amari Lee (5 stops), and Dewayne Williams (5 tackles) led the defense at Sylvan Hills. Catholic must regroup after allowing a 21-0 halftime lead to evaporate in last week's 22-21 home loss to El Dorado. A 20-yard TD toss from Jackson England to Thomas Duch, a 6-yard England scoring run, and a Noel Lewis 13-yard TD run. Six Rockets caught passes against El Dorado, led by Brooks Ward's 5 receptions for 57 yards, and Cody Fogleman's 5 caches for 25 yards. Four Rockets ran the football, led by Dominic Keeton's 10 rushes for 49 yards. Marion is playing with a ton of confidence right now, and the Patriots have not lost a home game this fall, but the Rockets could view this as a must-win game to ensure that they host a first-round playoff game.

WEST MEMPHIS (6-3, 6-2) at Searcy (6-3, 5-3): Searcy has won 9 of the past 11 meetings in this series, including 40-31 last November. Searcy can rise to the No. 3 playoff seed with a victory over West Memphis, which would give the Lions the head-to-head tiebreaker, along with a Marion victory over LR Catholic. West Memphis can lock down the No. 3 playoff seed with a victory. Searcy led Jacksonville 56-21 in the fourth quarter last week before winning 56-27. Searcy senior QB Ty Strickland completed 8 of 18 passes for 156 yards and 2 TDs against Jacksonville, and he rushed for 122 yards and a score. Emerging sophomore tailback

Rickey Love carried 19 times for 76 yards and 3 TDs. Junior Wade Moore caught 3 passes for 110 yards

and a TD while sophomore Curtis Goodrich caught 2 passes for 29 yards and a score. Searcy

senior linebacker Lewis Garcia recorded18 tackles, while junior Charles Thompson had 15 tackles

and senior Dash Stevenson had 14 stops. West Memphis trailed Benton 49-10 in the second

quarter of last week's 56-31 defeat. Benton outgained West Memphis 451-236, but junior QB Drew

Jenkins fired TD passes to Demetrius Turner and Jeremiah McGruder; Jaylon Merritt ran for a TD.

Scotty Dobbins also returned an interception for a score for West Memphis. Searcy has had the upper hand

in this series for the past decade, but the Blue Devils offense has been clicking the past 2 weeks.

Sheridan (3-6, 3-5) at BENTON (8-1, 8-0): Benton has won 8 consecutive games against Sheridan, including 36-14 last season. Sheridan last beat Benton in 2012 (17-14). Sheridan has been eliminated from playoff contention, but the Yellowjackets can finish in outright seventh with a victory. Benton will be the No. 1 playoff seed from the 6A East regardless of how this game goes, but the Panthers need a victory this week to avoid sharing the conference title with Marion. Benton built a 28-0 lead after a quarter and led 49-10 in the third quarter of last week's 56-31 victory at West Memphis. Benton sophomore QB Drew Davis established the school's modern-day TD pass record of 35 at West Memphis despite not starting the first 2 games of the season. Davis connected with Bronson Coolis twice, Maddox Davis, and Braylen Russell for TDs, while Russell also rushed for 3 scores. O'Marcus King returned a kickoff 88 yards for a TD and Elias Payne intercepted 2 passes for Benton, which keeps rolling this week and earns its third outright league title in 5 seasons.

Jacksonville (2-7, 2-6) at EL DORADO (5-4, 4-4): El Dorado topped Jacksonville 56-14 a season ago. Jacksonville has been eliminated from playoff contention, but the Titans have gotten commendable play of late from defensive linemen Mathew Harris and Michael Johnson, linebacker Tashawn Bone, and receiver Marion Ball. Searcy downed Jacksonville 56-27 a week ago, but Titans senior QB Kentrell Thompson completed 13 of 26 passes for 209 yards and 2 TDs, while also rushing for 116 yards and another score. Junior tailback Isaiah Morris (12-131 rushing, TD), sophomore Keyshawn Glenn (7-85 receiving) and senior Terren Rogers (4-97 receiving, 2 TDs) and Ball (24-yard TD catch) led the offense. El Dorado has clinched a playoff berth, and the Wildcats likely open their playoff run on the road in the first round at Pulaski Academy. El Dorado scored 22 unanswered points to stun Catholic 22-21 last week at War Memorial Stadium. Sophomore QB Mitchell Polk fired the winning 61-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats outgained Catholic 261-253 and committed 1 turnover. Give Jacksonville credit for continuing to play hard down the stretch, but El Dorado is brimming with confidence after beating Catholic and clinching a playoff spot..

Sylvan Hills (0-9, 0-8) at GREENE CO. TECH (1-8, 0-8): Sylvan Hills topped Tech 35-14 last fall in the first meeting of these schools. These teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, but Sylvan Hills needs a victory to avoid its first winless season of the modern playoff era (established 1970). The Bears built a 16-13 lead in the second quarter last week against No. 5 Marion after recovering an onside kick, getting a long TD pass from sophomore QB Tyler Hampton to Josiah Rainey, and an 88-yard kickoff return for a TD from Joseph Thompson before losing 61-22. Sylvan Hills started at least 6 sophomores against Marion, a positive sign for the Bears’ immediate future. Tech led 7-3 last week at Sheridan before losing 16-14. Tech tailback

Ryan Tate scored 2 TDs for the Eagles a week ago. These teams are playing for pride, and we think

Tech defends its home turf to end 2023 on a high note.

6A WEST

MOUNTAIN HOME (5-4, 3-4) at Greenbrier (4-5, 3-4): Mountain Home gashed Greenbrier 56-21 last year, and the winner of this year's ballgame will be the No. 4 playoff seed and host a first-round playoff game against the No. 5 seed from the 6A East. Should Greenbrier lose, the Panthers would tumble to the No. 6 playoff seed after losing the tiebreaker to Mountain Home and Russellville. Mountain Home would finish fifth with a loss

by virtue of owning the tiebreaker with Russellville. Greenbrier junior QB Kane Richardson totaled 127

yards and a TD in last week's 55-7 loss to LR Christian, and the Panthers totaled 217 yards in the

loss. Juniors Marcus Simpson, Eric Huett, and Keyton Rose lead the Greenbrier defensive unit, which

opposing coaches rave about. Mountain Home rolled up 497 yards and forced 5 turnovers to vanquish Van

Buren 41-24 last week at home. The Bombers scored the game's first 13 points and led 20-10 at halftime.

Bombers senior QB Cade Yates completed 19 of 28 passes against the Pointers for 257 yards and 2 TDs.

Yates is on track to become the school's all-time leading passer, and he has the top 3 single-game passing

performances in the school’s history. The Mountain Home rushing attack carried 43 times for 240 yards

and 4 scores against Van Buren. This is a coin-flip ballgame, but Mountain Home comes alive in

PULASKI ACADEMY (7-2, 5-2) at Lake Hamilton (3-6, 2-5): Lake Hamilton needs a victory and some help to potentially sneak into the playoffs. Defending state champion Pulaski Academy is locked into the No. 3 playoff seed regardless of what happens in this game and elsewhere. The Bruins will host the 6A East's No. 6 seed next week. Injuries have hit Lake Hamilton hard this fall, as the Wolves have missed several skill players for

most of the season, including senior QB Easton Hurley. Lake Hamilton never led in last week's 40-14 loss

at Russellville, managing 183 yards. LH junior QB Landon West completed 8 of 15 passes for 91

yards and a TD, while senior halfback Evan Payton rushed for 26 yards and a score. Junior Hagan Tyler

recorded 11 stops at Russellville, while senior Riley Poole finished with 9 tackles. Pulaski Academy

absorbed its first home loss since 2013 in last week's 58-33 decision to top-ranked Greenwood. PA's 63-game home losing streak fell despite the Bruins outgaining the Bulldogs 486-427. Greenwood led 23-7 after the first quarter, but PA rallied within 30-27 early in the third period before the Bulldogs pulled away. PA junior QB Brandon Cobb completed 29 of 55 passes for 375 yards and 4 TDs, and he rushed for 61 yards and another score. Andrew Fiser (11-215 receiving, 3 TDs)  excelled vs. Greenwood, while Patton Whicker recorded 10 tackles and Miles Ward finished with 9. Lake Hamilton needs this game more, but PA continues to click on offense enough to outscore the Wolves in this one.

Siloam Springs (0-9, 0-7) at VAN BUREN (3-6, 2-5): Van Buren beat Siloam Springs 56-21 a season ago. Siloam Springs has been eliminated from playoff contention, and the Panthers need a victory to avoid a second consecutive winless season, and a 27th straight loss. But there's hope on the horizon for Siloam Springs as the Panthers' leading passer (Dane Marlatt) and receivers Mikey McKinley and Max Carter are expected to return in 2024. Siloam took its bye a week ago, and the Panthers trailed Mountain Home 21-7 in the second quarter 2 weeks ago before losing 51-14. Van Buren also expects to return playmakers at QB

(Elijah Johnson), tailback (Cameron Keller), and at receiver (Trenton Cooley, Philip Steele). Second-

leading tackler Landon Evans (61 stops in 2023) is also an underclassman. Van Buren rolled up 420 yards

and trailed 20-17 last week in the third quarter at Mountain Home before falling 41-24. Van Buren has been in a lot of games this year, and we think the Pointers win this one and carry momentum into the off-

season.

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