Hootens.com Rankings
Class 7A, Week 11, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Bentonville (10-0)
2. North Little Rock (9-1)
3. Fayetteville (7-3)
4. Springdale Har-Ber (6-4)
5. Fort Smith Southside (7-3)
6. Conway (7-2)
7. Rogers Heritage (7-3)
8. Bryant (6-3)
9. West Memphis (7-3)
10. Rogers (6-4)
11. Little Rock Central (4-6)
12. Cabot (6-4)
13. Springdale (4-6)
14. Fort Smith Northside (3-7)
15. Van Buren (2-8)
16. Little Rock Catholic (2-8)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 10 Rogers at No. 6 Conway.
Rogers makes just its fifth playoff appearance and first since 2006 when it beat Conway 42-0 in the first round on its way to the state finals. The return of quarterback Nick Wary from injury makes Rogers' throwback triple-option attack hard to defend. The Mountaineers totaled more yards in last week's 41-28 loss to cross-town rival Rogers Heritage but had a fumble returned and a blocked punt returned for TDs. Wary (981 yards rushing in seven games this season) carried 26 times for 161 yards and scored all four TDs last Friday. Seven Rogers starters have missed multiple games with injury. Wary is one of four QBs Rogers has used.
"(The triple-option offense) is very different," says Conway coach Clint Ashcraft. "Trying to duplicate it in practice is difficult. If one of our guys misses an assignment, and Rogers gets the ball in the right guy's hands, it's going to be a big play."
Conway counters with sturdy running back Jeff Anderson (6-0, 220; 1,478 yards rushing), who reminds Rogers coaches of Bentonville's standout Tearris Wallace. Conway senior QB Cody Rhodes completed 78 of 128 passes (61 percent) for 1,080 yards with seven TDs and six interceptions during the regular season. Conway chunked it 23 times in last week's 41-0 win over LR Catholic. Senior standout lineman Brannon Kotch (6-1, 254; 300-pound power cleans) takes a handful of snaps weekly as a Wildcat QB.
"Conway is similar to Har-Ber as far as their style and the quality of their athletes," says Rogers third-year coach Shawn Flannigan, whose team lost Week 8 at Har-Ber 37-7. "Our kids have never (been to the playoffs before). We're trying to not make a big deal about it. We don't want our kids thinking about being in the playoffs instead of playing a game."
Rogers is bigger and Conway track coaches have warned Ashcraft about Rogers' skill-player speed. Conway enjoys more overall speed, homefield advantage and playoff experience. Still, Conway's seniors have never won in the postseason, losing at home to teams from the West the past two years. In fact, Conway hasn't won a playoff game at home since it beat Lake Hamilton 39-15 in 2003.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 9 of 10 games (90 percent) involving Class 7A teams, nailing the 19-point spread in FS Southside's 45-26 win over FS Northside. For the season, hootens.com has correctly predicted 96 of 119 games (81 percent).

WEEK 11 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
TOP HALF OF PLAYOFF BRACKET
Bentonville has a first-round bye
Rogers Heritage at WEST MEMPHIS (5): Two of the state's top juniors meet. West Memphis linebacker Jarvis Cooper is ranked as the state's No. 2 recruiting prospect in the 2014 class by hootens.com. Heritage QB Josh Qualls (5-11, 170) is ranked No. 4. Heritage returned a blocked punt and a fumble for a TD in last week's 41-28 win over cross-town rival Rogers High. Forrest Johnson (5-9, 160) leads Heritage with more than 1,100 yards receiving. West Memphis has won four of its past five games. Its defensive front likely stymies Heritage.
FS Southside has a first-round bye
Little Rock Central at SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (8): Dejavu. Har-Ber has won at home over LR Central in the first round the past two seasons, 38-0 in 2010 and 21-16 last year. LR Central brings a more balanced attack to Springdale this November, owns a speed advantage and outstanding special teams. LR Central won three straight and trailed just 7-0 at halftime last week before losing at North LR 42-14. Har-Ber has seen it all. The Wildcats lost their first two games of 2012 at Missouri powerhouses and then to No. 1 Bentonville (28-7) and at defending state champion Fayetteville (38-21) in conference play. Har-Ber junior receiver Nick Byrne, an Arkansas State recruit who caught six passes for 103 yards in last week's 31-17 win over Springdale High, has 37 catches for 639 yards this season. Har-Ber, which scores 28.2 points, lost nine fumbles over the past two weeks after totaling just five in its first eight games.

BOTTOM HALF OF PLAYOFF BRACKET
North LR has a first-round bye
Cabot at BRYANT (3): Bryant has beaten Cabot four of the past six years, including the past three seasons. Cabot beat Bryant 14-0 in 2008 for its last win in the series. Bryant, the only 7A school in the 7A/6A South conference, lost Week 5 on a last-second field goal at Pine Bluff 24-21 and last week at El Dorado 42-35. Bryant played three 7A schools to start the season, including a 19-18 win at LR Catholic and a 28-8 win over LR Central. Cabot lost to LR Central 21-14, but beat LR Catholic 28-7 for its only win over a 7A school this year. Cabot could be peaking after comfortable wins over Jonesboro (38-12) and Searcy (35-13) the past two weeks. Cabot looks to control the ball while Bryant's speed advantage and three-year starting QB Hayden Lessenberry challenges the Panthers.
Fayetteville has a first-round bye
Rogers at CONWAY (2): See Game of the Week.