Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 6A, Week 10, 2024

Copyright Seventy Seven's Football Publishing, LLC.

1. Greenwood (9-0)

2. Benton (8-1)

3. Shiloh Christian (6-3)

4. Mountain Home (8-1)

5. LR Catholic (8-1)

6. Marion (7-2)

7. Lake Hamilton (6-3)

8. El Dorado (5-4)

9. Russellville (5-4)

10. Van Buren (3-6)

NOT RANKED

6A East: Jonesboro (2-7), West Memphis (1-8), Sheridan (3-6) and Sylvan Hills (0-9) .

6A West: Fort Smith Southside (3-6) and Siloam Springs (2-7).

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 4 Mountain Home (8-1, 5-1) at NO. 1 GREENWOOD (9-0, 6-0): The winner earns a No. 1 playoff seed and first-round bye. Greenwood has beaten Mountain Home 7 times since 2020 by a combined 322-48, including 2 times in 2023.

Mountain Home is 8-1 for first time since 1966, second time overall, after last week's 42-7 dismantling of Van Buren. Tailback Jacob Chenoweth scored 3 TDs against Van Buren, while Barrett Miller scored twice. The Bombers outgained the Pointers 436-156, including 353 rushing yards. Dawson Dunlap leads a Bombers defense that has allowed 36 points in their 4-game winning streak. The Bombers average almost 300 yards rushing per week despite a plethora of injuries at quarterback. Mountain Home owns Class 6A's second-best scoring defense (18.7 points per game). 

Greenwood has been a juggernaut this season, leading 6A in scoring offense (58 points per game) and scoring defense (16.4 ppg). Greenwood was stunned last Wednesday the death of junior playmaker Isaiah Arrington and 2 family members in a house fire, but the Bulldogs were all business last Friday night as Grant Karnes returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown at Fort Smith Southside en route to a 70-28 victory, the 22nd win in a row for the Bulldogs. Greenwood junior quarterback Kane Archer (22-26 passing, 365 yards, 8 TDs) led the Bulldogs, who led 35-7 after the first quarter and 70-14 at halftime.

WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted)

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly selected 5 of 8 games (63 percent) involving 6A teams a week ago and has picked 78 of 95 games (82 percent) for the season.

6A EAST 

NO. 2 BENTON (8-1, 6-0) at No. 7 Marion (7-2, 5-1): Marion leads the series 3-2 (including a 2020 playoff forfeit), but Benton has won the past 2 seasons by a combined 116-36. A Marion victory likely forces a 3-way tie at the top of the 6A East standings with Benton, Marion, and Little Rock Catholic. Marion, which has won 2 conference titles (1984 and 2006), absorbed its first league loss a week ago, surrendering 20 second-half points in a 23-14 loss at Little Rock Catholic. The Patriots led 7-3 at halftime and got touchdowns from Zayden Walker to Jeremiah Dent (48-yard catch and run) and a 95-yard kickoff return score from Jalen Smith, who went over 1,000 rushing yards at Catholic. Marion defensive back Brian Benford recorded an interception against Catholic. Marion is 4-0 so far this season at home, beating Harding Academy, Sylvan Hills, West Memphis, and Sheridan by a combined 172-41. Benton clinches a second straight outright 6A East title with a victory here, and the Panthers would be the first repeat 6A East winner since Pine Bluff won the conference title in 2016 and 2017. Benton won its eighth consecutive game last week, 49-7 over West Memphis. Benton scored on all 5 first-half possessions against West Memphis, and each TD drive took less than a minute. The Panthers led 21-0 at the end of the first period and 42-0 at halftime. Karson Collatt caught 2 first-half TD passes from Drew Davis, while T.J. Williams ran for a score, Maddox Davis caught a TD toss, and Weston Monson returned an interception for a TD. Benton outgained West Memphis 490-158. League coaches voted these as the top two 6A East teams when the 2024 Hooten's Arkansas Football magazine hit the stores in July.

Sheridan (3-6, 2-4) at NO. 8 EL DORADO (5-4, 3-3): El Dorado has a one-game edge on Sheridan and West Memphis entering this game, but El Dorado clinches the No. 4 playoff seed and hosts a first-round playoff game with a win. Sheridan clinched its first playoff berth since 2020 in a come-from-behind 65-41 decision against Sylvan Hills. The Yellowjackets outgained the Bears 670-187 behind sophomore tailback Zay Stephens' 309 total yards with 3 touchdowns and QB Dax McMellon's 464 passing yards and 5 TD passes. Lawson Wallingsford, Jacob Pilkington, Braxton Fox, and Brady Dillon lead on defense. El Dorado also rallied in the second half last week, outscoring Jonesboro 14-0 after halftime to claim a 21-14 victory. Tailback Jeremy Samuel (38-262 rushing, 2 TDs) has rushed for 1,078 yards in 2024 with 12 TDs. El Dorado junior QB Cannon Jacobs came up with the game-winning TD on a 2-yard score with 5:57 left in the ballgame. El Dorado's ball-control offense gives the Wildcats the edge in this south Arkansas showdown.

NO. 5 LR CATHOLIC (8-1, 5-1) at Sylvan Hills (0-9, 0-6): Sylvan Hills, which has lost 19 consecutive games and has been eliminated from playoff consideration, played one of its better games last week in a 65-41 loss at Sheridan. The Bears won the turnover battle 3-1 and twice took the lead, including 27-20 in the third period. Sylvan Hills expects to have its leading passer (Tyler Hampton), and 4 other starters who have missed significant time in 2025. Little Rock Catholic bounced back from its loss to Benton 2 weeks ago, scoring the game's final 13 points to top No. 4 Marion 23-14 at War Memorial Stadium. Catholic, which trailed 7-3 at halftime, took its first lead on the opening drive of the second half when QB Jackson England hit Paul Plafcan for a 17-yard TD toss for a 10-7 lead. The Rockets took the lead for good late in the third quarter when England hit Plafcan for a 48-yard TD toss late in the third quarter that gave Catholic a 16-14 advantage. Tailback Noel Lewis capped the scoring with a 2-yard TD run in the fourth. A Walter Menefee interception ended Marion's final possession. Little Rock Catholic clinches the No. 2 playoff seed with a win and a Marion loss., but the Rockets would likely finish third should Marion knock off Benton.

JONESBORO (2-7, 2-4) at W. Memphis (1-8, 1-5): The winner of this game advances to the playoffs. These schools split 2 nonconference meetings the past 2 seasons, with Jonesboro winning the 2023 season-opener 30-16. West Memphis trailed Benton 42-0 in the third period a week ago, but did get a TD run from Eric Sykes. Jonesboro got a 2 TD runs from tailback T.J. Brown last week, but allowed almost 300 yards rushing in a 21-14 loss to visiting El Dorado. The Golden Hurricane get big plays from Brown, Kelen Smith, Myerion Taylor, and 2-way standout Nigel Bell.

6A WEST

No. 4 Mountain Home (8-1, 5-1) at NO. 1 GREENWOOD (9-0, 6-0): See Hootens.com Game of the Week, above.

No. 9 Russellville (5-4, 3-3) at NO. 7 LAKE HAMILTON (6-3, 4-2): A Russellville victory coupled with a Shiloh Christian win would give the Cyclones the No. 4 playoff seed and a home first-round playoff game. The Cyclones outlasted Siloam Springs 38-14 as QB Luke Jones passed for 172 yards and 2 TDs. Marcellus Olson-Patton caught a TD pass from Lucas Stokes, and he also took a handoff 34 yards to the end zone in the third quarter. Lake Hamilton beat Shiloh Christian 35-28 last week, outgaining the Saints 479-419. The Wolves rushed for 376 yards, led by Dylan Murphy (191 yards, TD) and Hayden Barton (88 rushing, 4 TDs). Hagan Tyler (17 tackles) led the defense, along with 10 tackles each from Caleb Rouse, David Felan, and Dawson Trott.

FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (3-6, 0-6) at Siloam Springs (2-7, 0-6): Neither of these teams can make this year's playoff field, but the winner avoids a last-place finish. Siloam Springs led Russellville 2-0 after the first quarter last week, and trailed 24-14 after 3 quarters before falling 38-14. The Panthers likely return their 2 leading rushers (Mason Short and Ryan Estacio), and promising tight ends Boaz Benson and Hudson Loughridge, as well as team leader Francisco Suarez in 2025. Fort Smith Southside got 2 TDs a week ago from tailback Jayden Webb in a 70-28 loss to Greenwood. The Mavericks expect to return their leading passer (Blake Forsgren), leading rusher (Webb), and 2-way playmaker Peyton Zimmermann in 2025. Southside makes a few more plays in this one to end 2024 on a high note.

NO. 3 SHILOH CHRISTIAN (6-3, 4-2) at No. 10 Van Buren (3-6, 2-4): Shiloh Christian could still get a first-round playoff bye with a win here and a Mountain Home loss. Van Buren is locked into the No. 6 playoff seed from the 6A West and will play a first-round road game in the playoffs against the East's No. 3 seed, which will be Marion or Little Rock Catholic. Van Buren won the turnover battle last week against Mountain Home 3-1, but fell 42-7. Pointer QB Hayden Williford (151 passing yards, TD) against Mountain Home, with Trenton Cooley (4-79 receiving) and Toray Wilford (3-35 receiving) serving as his primary targets. Blayne Pruitt intercepted a pass, and Jace Ponder (7 tackles) led the way on defense. Shiloh Christian rolled up 419 yards (213 passing, 206 yards rushing) in last week's 35-28 loss to Lake Hamilton. Saints QB Cole Creighton (20-25 passing, 213 yards, 2 TDs; 45 rushing, TD) led an offense that also featured junior tailback Mason Griffin (130 rushing, TD). Five Saints caught passes, including Griffin and Zane Sluyter, who caught TD passes. Seniors Hudson Ball (12 tackles against Lake Hamilton) and Carter Henley (10 stops) led the defense.