Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 11, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Junction City (9-1)
2. Bearden (8-2)
3. Rison (7-3)
4. Salem (10-0)
5. Gurdon (9-1)
6. E. Poinsett County (9-1)
7. Carlisle (8-1)
8. Magnet Cove (9-1)
9. Walnut Ridge (7-2)
10. Norphlet (6-4)
11. Strong (5-5)
12. Hackett (9-1)
13. Mountainburg (8-2)
14. Hazen (7-3)
15. Bigelow (8-1)
16. Conway Christian (7-3)
17. England (7-3)
18. Murfreesboro (7-3)
19. Mineral Springs (7-3)
20. Dierks (7-3)
21. McCrory (6-3)
22. Parkers Chapel (4-5)
23. Foreman (5-5)
24. Mount Ida (6-4)
25. Des Arc (5-4)
26. Marked Tree (3-6)
27. Palestine-Wheatley (4-6)
28. Augusta (3-7)
29. Cross County (3-6-1)
30. Cutter M Star (4-6)
31. Hector (6-4)
32. J.C. Westside (4-5)
33. Decatur (6-4)
34. Hampton (2-6)
35. Magazine (3-6)
36. Poyen (2-8)
37. Quitman (4-6)
38. Brinkley (3-8)
39. Clarendon (1-9)
40. Spring Hill (1-10)
41. Woodlawn (0-9)
42. Union Christian (2-8)
43. Mountain Pine (0-10)
44. Cedar Ridge (0-10)
45. Hermitage (2-8)
46. Western Yell County (1-9)
47. Marvell (0-10)
48. Hartford (0-10)
49. Lafayette County (0-10)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 9 Walnut Ridge at No. 3 Rison
Contrasting styles collide in Cleveland County after Walnut Ridge travels more than three hours to Rison. Walnut Ridge play-making QB Zach Crisler (5-11, 185) tries to beat Rison's run-stopping defense through the air. Crisler has completed 64 of 112 passes this fall for 1,023 yards and 17 touchdowns with five interceptions. The gritty senior's favorite target is All-3-2A senior receiver Hunter Flippo, who has 26 receptions for 428 yards and seven TDs. All-league LB Rowdy Ditto paces the Walnut Ridge defense with 74 tackles. Rison counters with a straight-ahead, quick-hitting offense that has attempted just 38 passes the entire season. Rison averages 283 yards rushing per game behind an offensive line anchored by OG Terrell Gray (6-3, 265) and OT Conner James (6-5, 280). Juniors Jokenzie Broughton (701 yards), Zuntario Oliver (670 yards), Nathan Wilson (646 yards) and senior Jarvis Broughton (398 yards) share the carries. Rison prides itself on defense and special teams. The Wildcats allow 182 yards and 14.3 points per game.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 20 of 24 games (83 percent) involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com has picked 241 of 281 Class 2A games (86 percent) this season.

WEEK 11 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
TOP HALF OF THE BRACKET
Gurdon has first-round bye.
Foreman at BEARDEN (15): No. 2 Bearden (8-2A) got past No. 11 Strong 22-15 last week without starting QB Javeaz Sledge (sprained foot) in the fourth quarter. Senior B.J. Ross took direct snaps during a 17-play, 79-yard scoring drive that consumed eight minutes. Foreman's 230-pound RB Eddie Batey is a load, and Dairyon Jones runs well at slotback. Bearden beat Gurdon 28-26 two weeks ago. Gurdon downed Foreman (7-2A) 41-6 last week. Sledge is doubtful to play this week.
J.C. Westside at MAGNET COVE (16): J.C. Westside (4-2A) senior running backs Taylor Houston (5-6, 200) and Chris McCormick (6-2, 200) are hard to tackle. Magnet Cove (4-2A) QB Hunter Linam may have success throwing the ball this week. Linam has completed more than 50 percent of his passes this season for 1,200 yards with just three interceptions.
McCRORY (2) at Conway Christian: Bigelow's Terrell Dunlap ran 31 times for 279 yards last week against Conway Christian (5-2A), which tries to slow McCrory senior TB Logan Best (5,700 career yards) this week. Conway Christian QB Tanner Stevenson has completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,618 yards and 33 TDs. A year ago in the first round, Best ran for a career-high 427 yards and seven TDs in McCrory's 62-43 win over Conway Christian.
Poyen at HACKETT (18): Hackett, the 4-2A champion, has won two playoff games in the modern playoff era (1969-present). Poyen has won two of its past three games.
England at MINERAL SPRINGS (3): No. 19 Mineral Springs (7-2A) playmakers, TB Rashad Williams (5,000 career yards) and DT Derrick Muldrow (10 tackles and two sacks last week vs. Spring Hill) are healthy again. England (6-2A) has dropped two straight to Hazen (26-6) and Carlisle (30-14). Carlisle ran for 320 yards on England.
Norphlet at E. POINSETT COUNTY (6): Intriguing matchup. No. 6 EPC's (3-2A) defense allows 201 yards and 14 ppg. Its plethora of skill players should match up well with Norphlet's all-league WR Vincent Hegler (875 receiving yards; 325 rushing yards) and all-8-2A QB Mike Tipton (1,600 passing yards and 16 TDs). EPC sophomore QB Aaron Scales has completed 60 precent of his passes for 1,125 yards and 19 TDs with just five interceptions. Scales (505 yards), Trevor McDaniel (575 yards), Jammar Sturdivant (473 yards), Caleb Harston (411 yards) and Byron Scales (355 yards) pace a balanced rushing attack.
Mount Ida at CARLISLE (8): No. 7 Carlisle's eight seniors made sure last Friday night was not their last football game at Fred Hardke Field with a dominating 30-14 win over England. Junior Deron Ricks ran for 145 of Carlisle's 320 yards last week. Ricks should top 1,000 yards for the season this week against a Mount Ida (5-2A) defense that allowed a combined 116 points in losses to Magnet Cove, Bigelow and Conway Christian.

BOTTOM HALF OF BRACKET
SALEM has first-round bye.
Brinkley at BIGELOW (13): No. 15 Bigelow and senior TB Terrell Dunlap (279 yards vs. Conway Christian last week) run to the second round. Bigelow's front seven slows a Brinkley team (6-2A) that won its way into the postseason with a 36-14 win over Clarendon last week.
Marked Tree at JUNCTION CITY (35): No. 1 Junction City (8-2A) forced six turnovers last week in shutting out No. 10 Norphlet 49-0. Junction City has shut out five of its past six opponents. The Dragons allow 128 yards per game. Senior LB Hayden Smith leads the Junction City D with 80 tackles.
DIERKS (10) at Hector: Hector (4-2A) last won a playoff game in 2006 under former head coach Bryan Rust (now at Pottsville). Dierks limped to a fourth-place finish in the 7-2A after season-ending injuries to leading rusher and tackler Remington Jester and WR/CB Tyler Narens. Freshman tailback Trendin McKinney promoted from the unbeaten junior high team to account for more than 200 all-purpose yards last week vs. Murfreesboro.
STRONG (6) at Hazen: No. 11 Strong pushed the better teams in the 8-2A with four offensive linemen who weigh 290 pounds, another at 320 pounds and a scheme that gets the football to its playmakers (WRs Antonio Green, Jarvis Nute and Will Smith) in one-on-one matchups. Hazen may have been looking ahead last week when it lost turnovers and made several key mistakes in a 20-16 loss to rival Des Arc. Hazen needs junior QB Gage Johnson (ankle) to return this week, allowing sophomore Lucas Tenison to go back to running back. Tenison almost carried Hazen to victory last week, rushing for more than 100 yards in the second half.
Walnut Ridge at RISON (12): See 2A Game of the Week.
Des Arc at MOUNTAINBURG (6): Des Arc enters the game as healthy as it has been this season and fresh off a 20-16 upset of Hazen. Mountainburg's D features playmaking DT Stephen Stearman (6-5, 305), DE Matthew Dewater (5-10, 155) and DE Frank James (6-1, 165).
Decatur at MURFREESBORO (15): Matchup features two outstanding athletes in Decatur sophomore QB Victor Urquidi (1,129 rushing yards; 767 passing yards; 126 tackles at LB) and Murfreesboro senior QB Peter Saygnaphay. Saygnaphay ran for 373 of Murfreesboro's 671 rushing yards last week at Dierks.