Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 12, 2010
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

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

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Strong at No. 2 Magazine
Strong has won seven straight after a 55-6 loss Week 4 at Bearden. Senior quarterback Kenneth Dixon has rushed for 1,950 yards and 34 touchdowns this fall behind junior center Johnique Williams (5-11, 225), strongside guard Bernard Hicks (5-10, 275) and tackle Hunter Keaster (5-11, 185). But Dixon is not a one-man show. Senior Mario Benson supplies big plays when needed. Benson returned a kickoff 46 yards for a TD last week in the 54-40 win over Murfreesboro. Senior Davonte Ford rushed 13 times last week for 239 yards, while Dixon ran for 232 yards and caught a 66-yard TD reception. On defense, sophomore linebacker Lamar Williams (90 tackles) and junior LB Arriun Gatson pace the Bulldogs.

Magazine counters with a faster-than-you-think defense that allows just 10 points per game, and its starters have allowed even fewer than that. Junior LB Josh Dority (4.6 speed) paces the Rattlers with 102 tackles. Junior CB Cory Chambers has intercepted nine passes, and he leads the Rattlers in receiving with 20 receptions for 435 yards and four TDs. Junior QB Ryan Chambers has completed 41 of 83 passes for 735 yards and 12 TDs with four interceptions. Ryan Chambers has rushed for 903 yards (7.6 yards per carry). Senior Chang Yang (4-11, 125) has rushed 47 times for 308 yards and six TDs. Senior Long Yang has rushed 40 times for 403 yards and five TDs.

TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs at 11 a.m. Saturday on FOX 16, KFSM Ch. 5, and Saturday afternoon on hootens.com, featuring Des Arc at Bigelow and Strong at Magazine.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 11 of 14 (79 percent) games involving Class 2A teams. HAFR is 238-53 (82 percent) for the season.

WEEK 12 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread.
Click to watch game highlights from 2A
TOP HALF OF THE BRACKET
Strong at MAGAZINE (8): See Game of the Week.
E. Poinsett County at CARLISLE (12): Carlisle's huge line cleared the way for 394 yards last week in a 24-12 win over 4-2A fifth seed Union Christian. Senior D.J. Miller ran for 119 yards and a TD, mostly in the first half. Senior fullback Ben Walker ran for 83 yards and two TDs, while freshman Bo Weddle ran for 88 yards. Carlisle held Union Christian to 23 rushing yards, but allowed 126 passing yards and two TDs. Two weeks ago, Miller paced Carlisle running attack with 153 yards against rival Hazen. The Bison held Hazen to 115 yards. EPC got past Conway Christian 46-38 last week with junior QB Darius Barnes running for 142 yards and two TDs. Barnes (1,177 rushing yards, 15 TDs, 12 ypc) has passed for 1,075 yards and 16 TDs with seven interceptions this year. Senior Byron Ford has rushed for 1,009 yards and 12 TDs and caught 23 passes for 372 yards and four TDs. Junior A.J. Turner paces EPC with 151 tackles (22 TFLs).
Hackett at SPRING HILL (2): No. 2 Spring Hill has allowed 34, 40, 41, 26 and 56 points the past five weeks in close victories. Last week, senior Rodrea Jones ran for 222 yards and six TDs in a 69-56 win over Clarendon. Spring Hill amassed 665 yards of total offense. Jones (ankle) did not play two weeks ago in the 35-26 win over Murfreesboro, but the Bears still rolled up 464 rushing yards with junior Routon Hendrix running for 220 yards (14.7 ypc) and two TDs. Hackett senior QB Evan Ray completed an efficient nine of 12 passes for 200 yards and four TDs and ran for 31 yards and a TD last week in a 40-28 win at Hazen. Junior RB Dylan Yazzel ran nine times for 80 yards, and junior Dexter Holcombe caught four passes for 86 yards and two TDs.
MAGNET COVE (14) at McCrory: McCrory stuffed 7-2A fourth seed Gurdon 30-6 last week when junior QB Collin Campbell ran for 104 yards and two TDs and passed for 78 yards and a TD. McCrory defended its 3-2A crown by starting six sophomores, including 1,200-yard rusher Logan Best. McCrory defeated run-first teams Augusta (16-12), Cross County (8-6) and Marked Tree (30-26) in 3-2A action. Magnet Cove's balanced attack features sophomore QB Hunter Linam, who completed an efficient eight of 11 pass attempts for 111 yards and three TDs last week in a 40-8 first-round blowout of Augusta. The sophomore QB may have enjoyed his best night of the season, even checking down to secondary receivers. Senior all-state athlete Josh Scott (5-10, 210) makes plays as a place-kicker, deep-snapper, guard and linebacker. Scott has intercepted four passes, returning one for TD against Two Rivers and another 45 yards for a TD Week 4 in a 34-21 win at Parkers Chapel. Junior Jeff Pinkston paces a balanced running attack with 983 yards (11 ypc) and 13 TDs. Senior RB Taylor Bray has rushed for 829 yards and 13 TDs. Led by 14 seniors, the Panthers have blistered Quitman (54-28), Conway Christian (42-8), Two Rivers (42-0) and Augusta (40-8) since a Week 7 hiccup (29-22 loss) at Bigelow where they committed six turnovers, losing two fumbles inside their 15-yard line and two inside the Bigelow 20.

BOTTOM HALF OF THE BRACKET
Des Arc at BIGELOW (1): No. 8 and 5-2A top seed Bigelow earned a first-round bye last week. The Panthers topped Magnet Cove 29-22 Week 7 to claim the league championship. Senior linebacker Tye Kibbons leads a Bigelow defense that is deceptively fast. Kibbons recorded 17 tackles in the win over Magnet Cove. Bigelow has since whipped Marked Tree (28-6), Hector (41-7) and Conway Christian (60-12). Bigelow defeated Quitman 48-12 Week 3; Des Arc beat Quitman 28-8 last week. Des Arc, the 2008 state runner-up, has won four straight since losing to Carlisle 32-0 Week 7. Des Arc senior safety Cody Robinson (elbow) and senior end Josh Childers (knee) have returned from injuries. Childers came back two weeks week and helped contain Clarendon QB Jamarlin Jackson. Robinson ran for 113 yards two weeks ago when senior quarterback Justin Hollis ran for 184 yards and passed for 100 yards at Clarendon. Last week. Robinson ran for 103 yards and three TDs and intercepted a pass in that 20-point win over Quitman.
Junction City at BEARDEN (10): Bearden won this matchup 35-8 Week 6 at Junction City, but both 8-2A heavyweights have improved greatly since then. Injuries, primarily 13 severely sprained ankles, have knocked nine Junction City players out of one game or more. Five freshmen have played prominent roles for the Dragons. But senior lineman Walker Cannon (6-3, 265), junior LB Bronte Elliott (65 tackles), senior FB/LB Denzel Hayes (69 tackles, 8.5 TFL) and junior LB Brandon Nathan (38 tackles) have been steady performers. Senior RB-QB Rodney Larry paces the Dragons with 1,378 yards (10 ypc) and 23 TDs as the triggerman in a new Pistol formation. Bearden leads the state in scoring defense (8.9 ppg), paced by senior LB Dermarcie Berry and Alan Holmes. Junior QB Defonta Lowe smoothly operates Bearden's Single Wing and Spread attacks. Lowe has rushed for 1,209 yards (11 ypc) and 20 TDs and completed 45 of 62 passes for 958 yards.
PARKERS CHAPEL (2) at Mineral Springs: Mineral Springs scored 23 points in the fourth quarter last week to rally past then No. 25 Mountain Pine 55-40. Mineral Springs sophomore RB Rashad Williams has rushed for 2,111 yards (11.9 ypc). Senior QB Jason Ware is one of the better dual-threat QBs in 2A football, passing for 1,720 yards and 20 TDs and running for 1,309 yards and 18 TDs. Sophomore Derrick Muldrew paces the Hornets with 100 tackles. Mineral Springs has an opportunity to make its deepest postseason run since reaching the quarterfinals in 2006 when it lost to eventual state champion Jessieville 28-21. Parkers Chapel overcame 10 penalties and three turnovers last week in a 27-6 win at Walnut Ridge. Parkers Chapel held Walnut Ridge to 166 total yards and intercepted four passes, returning two for TDs. Senior QB Zach Abbott (1,500 yards) triggers a smashmouth offense behind an offensive line that averages 245 pounds per man. Junior fullback Randy Taylor eclipsed 800 yards for the season last week.
Horatio at DANVILLE (18): Danville lost Week 5 at 4-2A champion Magazine but has not been tested since. The Little Johns are explosive with junior RBs Sean Tyra, Jaylen Ester and Dadrian Ester, senior receiver Mike Mims, junior athlete Blake Noakes and junior place-kicker Ulises Gutierrez. Gutierrez kicked a 39-yard field goal into the wind last week in a 52-16 blowout of Norphlet. Noakes has returned six punts for TDs this fall, including a 67-yarder last week. Senior end Trey Bailey leads the Little Johns with 12 sacks. Horatio junior QB Corey Moreland triggers a balanced offense that outscored England 46-40 a week ago. Moreland passed for three TDs, including the 39-yard game-winner to Isauro Gonzalez with 54 second left. Horatio got past Mineral Springs 35-26 Week 7 and scored 40 points in a two-point loss to Spring Hill. Horatio (5-5) forfeited two games at midseason due to an ineligible player. Horatio won a playoff game last week for the first time since 1996 when it reached the state semifinals with wins over Rison, Shiloh Christian and Sparkman