Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 11, 2021
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

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

GAME OF THE WEEK
Mountainburg at E. Poinsett County
EPC, the 3-2A runner-up, was open last week after beating Marked Tree 46-20 Week 9. EPC senior LB Candon Argo logged 51 rushing yards and a TD, seven tackles and a 99-yard fumble return for a TD. Mountainburg, the fourth seed from the 4-4A, just held Yellville-Summit to less than 150 yards in a 14-0 shutout. MHS junior LB Zac Walker and sophomore DT Bobby Dean recorded 12 tackles apiece. Mountainburg known for its first-round prowess, advancing to the second round five of the past six years. Mountainburg's round trip this week: 630 miles; nine hours, 40 minutes. Watch extended highlights of EPC’s 22-18 loss to McCrory earlier this year. 

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked nine of 13 games (69 percent) involving Class 2A teams. It is 158 of 186 (85 percent) for the season.

WEEK 11 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
TOP OF THE BRACKET
MAGNET COVE has a bye.
MARKED TREE (3) at Murfreesboro: Murfreesboro, the 7-2A third seed, has dropped three straight, including a 51-9 non-conference loss last week to Mount Ida. Murfreesboro ran 25 more plays than Mount Ida but produced 169 fewer yards with three turnovers, including a pick-6 interception. Marked Tree senior QB Aidan McGuire and junior RB Jaylon Bradley combined evenly for 306 yards in a 14-6 win over Cross County. MT, the 3-2A fourth seed, is trying to win a playoff game for the first time since 2017 when it beat former 7-2A member and current 8-man outfit, Spring Hill. MT's round trip: 524 miles, nine hours.
FORDYCE has a bye. 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. Earle at HECTOR (2): 3-3A third seed Earle had mustered 31 total yards last week in a 42-8 loss at No. 2 McCrory before the Jaguars pulled starters after the third quarter. Hector, the 4-2A third seed, fell at No. 8 Quitman 40-14, despite getting four receptions for 65 yards and a TD from junior WR Landen Coffman. Hector committed five turnovers in the loss.  Watch extended highlights of Earle’s 46-14 loss to Gurdon earlier this year. 
Bearden at CLARENDON (45): Clarendon, the 6-2A top seed,  jumped Des Arc 47-0 last week in an almost flawless flogging. The Lions piled up 598 yards by averaging 9 yards per rushing attempt and 18 yard per pass completion. Senior ATH Quincey McAdoo erupted for 105 rushing yards and a TD, 75 receiving yards and a TD, a 49-yard punt return and an 82-yard fumble return for a TD. Bearden, the fifth seed from the 8-2A, counters with junior LB Thomas Brunston and freshman LB Hunter Stringfellow. Five freshmen have started for Bearden since Week 8. Watch extended highlights of Clarendon’s 22-20 loss to Hazen earlier this year. England at LAFAYETTE COUNTY (28): LC, the second seed from the 7-2A, features junior RB K.J. Haynes (1,041 rushing yards), senior DT Adrian Madison (67 tackles, 10 TFL) and junior LB Calan Sanders (57 tackles). England senior QB Chandler Cheek leads the Lions in total offense.  
Foreman at QUITMAN (23): Quitman, the 4-2A runner-up to Bigelow, pulled away from Hector in the second half last week for a 40-14 win. Junior DE Logan Love recorded three sacks, while junior CB Ethan Milam intercepted three passes. Junior LB Braden Haynes returned a fumble 45 yards for a TD. Foreman sophomore Tyrance Marks ran for 320 of Foreman's 400-plus yards last week in a 21-14 victory over Mineral Springs (0-8). Foreman's round trip: 462 miles, eight hours. 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. Mountainburg at E. POINSETT COUNTY (8): See Game of the Week.

BOTTOM OF THE BRACKET
DIERKS has a bye.
Carlisle at POYEN (1): Carlisle, the 6-2A fourth seed, posted its first win of 2021 last week by torching England 50-22. Carlisle senior RB Jason Sullivan carried 23 times for 270 yards and five TDs to top 1,000 yards for the season and 3,000 career rushing yards. Poyen, the 5-2A third seed, endured a pick-6 interception and a 70-yard fumble return for a TD in a 30-6 loss to Magnet Cove, its fifth loss in the past six years to MC.    
Mineral Springs at BIGELOW (42): 4-2A winner Bigelow stormed Conway Christian 54-14 last week behind senior RB Hunter  Alexander's 142 yards and three TDs. Alexander has rushed for 1,072 yards (11 YPC) and 23 TDs this fall. Sophomore backup QB Rhett Neumeier completed nine of 12 passes for 130 yards and two TDs. Twenty-four Bigelow defenders logged at least one tackle. Look for better Friday nights in 2022 for winless Mineral Springs, where the junior high went 5-3. Watch extended highlights of Bigelow's 44-14 win over Quitman earlier this year.  HAZEN (16) at Hampton: Hazen, the 6-2A third seed, owns wins over No. 3 Clarendon (22-20) and 5-2A champion Magnet Cove (20-7) with a quality loss to No. 2 McCrory (24-12). Hazen junior QB Luke King has passed for 2,138 yards and 24 TDs. Senior WR/S Austin Duck has caught 29 passes and recorded 75 tackles, while sophomore RB/LB Kolton Tosh has logged 48 receptions for 514 yards with 103 tackles. Hampton senior RB Zy Johnson carried 19 times last week for 136 yards and a TD in a 14-6 win over Parkers Chapel. Johnson has rushed for 1,018 yards this season for Hampton, the third seed from the 8-2A. 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.
Yellville-Summit at MCCRORY (35): 3-2A champion McCrory's first team-defense held Earle to minus-46 yards rushing and 77 yards passing last week in a 42-8 win. Senior LB Lathan Briley recorded 10 tackles, including four TFL, while freshman S Levi Tucker intercepted two passes. Y-S junior QB Jayven Keymer accounted for most of Yellville's 100-plus yards in a 14-0 loss to Moutainburg. Y-S is the fifth seed from the 4-2A. Watch extended highlights of McCrory’s 31-24 OT loss to Baptist Prep earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of McCrory’s 22-18 win over EPC earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of McCrory’s 34-26 win over Des Arc earlier this year.
Cross County at MOUNT IDA (15): 5-2A second seed Mount Ida averaged 8.4 yards per rushing attempt last week in a 51-9 non-conference rout of Murfreesboro. Cross County, the fifth seed from the 5-2A, lost to Marked Tree 14-6. Senior A.J. Beale leads Cross County in total offense and tackles as a running back/linebacker-safety, including 124 rushing yards last week. Seven sophomores and a freshman are two-way starters. Common opponent: Mount Ida defeated Poyen 20-14. Poyen defeated Cross County 32-14. 
Gurdon at JUNCTION CITY (11): Junction City, the 8-2A second seed, has beaten Gurdon three out of four times in the playoffs, the latest a 44-37 shootout in the 2019 state semifinals. Junction City boasts an all-time postseason record of 70-17, per JC historian Wayne Pumphrey. Gurdon, the fourth seed from the 5-2A, was idle last week. The Go-Devils have lost three three straight games in the same season for the first time since going 4-6 in 2017. Watch extended highlights of Gurdon’s 46-14 win over Earle earlier this year. 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. Parkers Chapel at DES ARC (21): No. 5 Des Arc, the 6-2A second seed, endured a 47-0 defeat last week to No. 3 Clarendon, its most lopsided loss since falling to Junction City 48-0 in the 2014 quarterfinals. Last week, Des Arc failed to cover two onside kicks, muffed another kickoff, and two of its fumbles were returned for TDs. For 8-2A fourth seed Parkers Chapel, junior DT Elijah Brown has emerged this season as a playmaker on the defensive line. Watch extended highlights of Des Arc’s 34-26 loss to McCrory earlier this year.