Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 6A, Week 11, 2024

Copyright Seventy Seven's Football Publishing, LLC.

1. Greenwood (10-0)

2. Benton (9-1)

3. Shiloh Christian (7-3)

4. Mountain Home (8-2)

5. LR Catholic (9-1)

6. Lake Hamilton (7-3)

7. Marion (7-3)

8. El Dorado (6-4)

9. Russellville (5-5)

10. Jonesboro (3-7)

NOT RANKED

6A East: West Memphis (1-9), Sheridan (3-7) and Sylvan Hills (0-10).

6A West: Fort Smith Southside (4-6), Van Buren (3-7) and Siloam Springs (2-8).

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

6A East (6) Sheridan (3-7) at 6A West (3) MOUNTAIN HOME (8-2): Sheridan leads this series 2-1 after sweeping neutral-site nonconference games in 2018 and 2019. The Bombers won the only previous playoff meeting 41-0 in 2006, when the Bombers advanced to the Class 6A state final. Sheridan faces a roundtrip bus ride of 366 for this game. 

Sheridan returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and the Yellowjackets search for their first playoff victory since beating Jacksonville 15-10 in the first round of the 2011 postseason. League coaches picked Sheridan last of 8 in this summer's Hooten's Arkansas Football magazine, but the Yellowjackets surpassed those modest expectations under first-year coach Kevin Kelley, who guided Pulaski Academy to 9 state titles between 2003-2020. Kelley's explosive offense averages more than 41 points per game, and the Yellowjackets led El Dorado during most of the first half last week before falling 84-49 in Union County. QB Dax McMellon completed 34 of 52 passes at El Dorado for 464 yards and 4 TDs, while sophomore tailback Zay Stephens (20-117 rushing, 2 TDs; 6-120 receiving), Payton Sterritt (7-89 receiving, TD), Jace Bradshaw (6-82 receiving, TD), J.P. Black (4-80 receiving, TD) and Mason Mangrum (3-34 receiving, TD) contribute. Braxton Fox (15), Jacob Pilkington (13), and Jaxson Delk (11) were the leading tacklers. Mountain Home, with its best regular-season record since 1966, hosts a playoff game for the first time since 2008. The Bombers have advanced to the quarterfinals each of the past 4 seasons under Coach Steve Ary. Mountain Home averages 34.0 points on offense and allows 21 ppg. The Bombers lost at Greenwood last week 42-0 with a chance to nab a share of the 6A West title. Mountain Home tailback Jacob Chenoweth has rushed for more than 1,800 total yards, while Dawson Dunlap paces the defense.

Mountain Home's dominant rushing attack (more than 3,000 yards) helps it hold the ball and extend drives.

WEEK 11 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted)

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly selected 8 of 8 games (100 percent) involving 6A teams a week ago and has picked 86 of 103 games (84 percent) for the season.

TOP OF BRACKET 

6A West (1) Greenwood has a first-round bye, and will host the Russellville-El Dorado winner. 

6A West (5) Russellville (5-5) at 6A East (4) EL DORADO (6-4): Russellville leads the all-time series 5-4-1, but El Dorado won the last meeting 54-14 in 2019 in Pope County. Russellville makes the 390-mile roundrip trek this time. Winner advances to play at Greenwood in the quarterfinals. 

Russellville, returning to the playoffs after missing last season, closed out its regular season last Friday night with a 56-24 loss at Lake Hamilton. Russellville, which averages about 26 points per game while yielding 34 ppg, beat Van Buren, Fort Smith Southside and Siloam Springs in the conference. Senior QB Luke Jones completed 14 of 26 passes for 240 yards and 2 TDs last week at Lake Hamilton, while Marcellus Olson-Pratt rushed for 87 yards and a TD. Julius Thompson (10-152 receiving, TD) was the leading receiver at Lake Hamilton. Daejuan Ford also caught a TD pass. 

El Dorado surges into the postseason on a 3-game winning streak, including last week's wild 84-49 victory over Sheridan. The Wildcats won despite allowing the Yellowjackets to recover a two onside kicks in the first half. El Dorado took the lead for good at 42-36 on an A.J. Gilmore TD run with 42 seconds left in the first half. The Wildcats rushed for 319 yards against Sheridan, led by Jeremy Samuel's' 173 yards.

The home-field advantage and an emerging offensive line pushes this decision to El Dorado on Friday night. 

6A East (2) Little Rock Catholic has a first-round bye, and will host the Sheridan-Mountain Home winner next week.

6A East (6) Sheridan (3-7) at 6A West (3) MOUNTAIN HOME (8-2, 5-2): See Hootens.com Game of the Week, above.

BOTTOM OF BRACKET 

6A East (1) Benton has a first-round bye, will host the Jonesboro-Lake Hamilton winner. 

6A East (5) Jonesboro (3-7) at 6A West (4) LAKE HAMILTON (7-3): Jonesboro has won 3 of the past 5 meetings, but Lake Hamilton won nonconference matchups in 2022 and 2023 by a combined 12 points.

Jonesboro beat rival West Memphis 42-20 last week to punch its playoff ticket behind RB T.J. Brown (210 rushing yards, 4 TDs), QB Asa Myers (126 passing yards) and tight end/H-back Myerion Taylor (3-58 receiving). Jonesboro's defense limited West Memphis to less than 200 total yards, led by Jabarie Prince (13 tackles), Markeice Stafford (8 tackles), K.J. Anderson (6 tackles), and junior Jaques Jordan (6 tackles). Jonesboro averages almost 30 points per game while allowing 31 ppg.

Lake Hamilton clinched the No. 4 seed with last week's 56-24 home victory over Russellville. The Wolves trailed 10-7 after the first quarter, but scored 21 second-quarter points for a 28-10 halftime lead, and extended the advantage to 49-17 after 3 quarters. Lake Hamilton rushed for 355 yards and 3 TDs, led by Hayden Barton (186 rushing, 2 TDs), Dylan Murphy (92 rushing) and Carson Jackson (68 rushing, TD). Senior QB Landon West (4-5 passing, 106 yards) completed TD passes to Murphy, Jackson, and Parker VanDee. The Wolves average nearly 35 points per game while allowing less than 24 ppg. Jonesboro will have to deal with Lake Hamilton's dominating run game (291 yards per game) or the Wolves will advance to the quarterfinals for the fifth time in 6 seasons.

BYE 6A West runner-up Shiloh Christian plays host to the Van Buren-Marion winner

6A West (6) Van Buren (3-7) at 6A East (3) NO. 7 MARION (7-3): Marion won the only other meeting between the teams (55-34 in the 2020 state quarterfinals) when the Patriots advanced to the semifinals for the second time ever.

Van Buren enters on a 3-game losing streak, including a 36-7 loss last week to Shiloh Christian after trailing 28-0 at halftime. The Pointers have been outscored 370-230 on the season. Van Buren QB Hayden Williford (1,556 passing, 14 TDs, 5 INTs., 58 percent completions), tailback Cameron Keller (1,114 rushing, 12 TDs) and senior receiver Trenton Cooley (59-945 receiving, 10 TDs) spark the offense. Junior Darren Mays (70 tackles), Landon Evans (66 tackles) and John-Michael Fisher (54 tackles) lead on defense.

Marion, making its 20th consecutive playoff appearance, will host a playoff game for the ninth year in a row. Marion averages 32.2 points per game on offense and allows 25.4 ppg. Marion started 7-1 overall, 5-0 in the East before losing its final regular-season games — at Little Rock Catholic (23-14) Week 9 and Benton (55-10). Marion tied Benton at 7-7 last week on a Jeremiah Dent TD run before the Panthers responded with 35 unanswered points. Three-year Marion starters Jalen Smith, Carius Curne, Cam Garrett, Mitrell Lewis, Charlie Cantrell, and Taheem Frost aim to play at least one more game for the Patriots

Van Buren made a nearly identical 550-mile round trip to Crittenden County in the opening round of last year's playoffs, winning 55-32 at West Memphis. Marion's aggressive man-coverage defensive scheme and running game tips this one to the Patriots.