Hootens.com Rankings
Class 6A, Week 12, 2019
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Benton (7-3)
2. Greenwood (9-1)
3. Searcy (9-1)
4. West Memphis (6-4)
5. Jonesboro (8-3)
6. Lake Hamilton (9-2)
7. Siloam Springs (5-6)
8. Pine Bluff (4-7)
9. Marion (6-5)
10. Sheridan (5-6)
11. Sylvan Hills (4-7)
12. El Dorado (4-7)
13. Russellville (2-8)
14. Jacksonville (2-8)
15. Mountain Home (0-10)
16. LR Hall (2-8)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 5 Jonesboro at No. 1 Benton
This is a rematch of last year's quarterfinal game, a 38-37 Benton victory. No. 4-seeded Jonesboro impressed in last week's 35-7 win over El Dorado. Jonesboro rolled up 428 yards against El Dorado, including 291 yards passing and two TDs by junior quarterback Cross Jumper. Junior Connor Clark snagged nine passes for 102 yards and two scores against El Dorado. Senior Arkansas commit Jashaud Stewart recorded 11 tackles, including three for losses with two sacks last week and leads Jonesboro with 107 tackles, 21 TFL and 17 sacks in 2019. Senior Jerrion Green ranks second in tackles (84) and has intercepted a team-high five passes. Green averages 28 yards per kick return and almost 13 yards per punt return.
6A West champion Benton earned a first-round bye. The Panthers flipped an 0-3 start in 2019 for a seven-game winning streak, including the school's first victory over Greenwood (45-38 Week 8). Benton ripped Sheridan 63-28 Week 10, rolling up 481 yards. Junior QB Garrett Brown completes 60 percent of his passes for 2,266 yards and 18 TDs this season, his first as a starter. Senior Deanthony Harper (team-highs of 787 yards rushing and 13 TDs) and sophomore Casey Johnson (591 yards and nine scores) spark the Benton rushing game. Seniors Gavin Wells, Peyton Hudgins and Braxton Slaughter have all caught 30 passes or more and have exceeded 512 yards. Seniors Jaden Woolbright (team-high 85 tackles) and Brett Barbaree (55 stops) and sophomore Cain Simmons (81 tackles) pace the Benton defense.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com last week correctly picked two out of four (50 percent) games involving Class 6A teams. For the season, Hootens.com has correctly picked 86 out of 105 games (82 percent) of games involving Class 6A teams.

WEEK 12 PREDICTIONS (favored teams in CAPS followed by point spread)
TOP HALF OF BRACKET
Pine Bluff at SEARCY (17): Searcy pounded Pine Bluff 42-6 Week 7 when the Lions rolled up 465 yards. It was Searcy's second straight win over Pine Bluff after losing the previous five meetings. This is the third time in four seasons that these schools have met in the playoffs. Pine Bluff outlasted Sheridan 49-48 last Friday night in four overtimes. Pine Bluff senior running back Elisha Taylor scored six TDs at Sheridan. Seniors Gary Tyler and Bradley Clark anchor the Zebras in the trenches. Searcy earned a first-round bye after winning the outright 6A East conference title, the school's first since winning the 1991 AAA-Central championship. Explosive Searcy averages 465 yards and a Class 6A-high 44 points per game behind senior QB Bryce Dixon (3,203 tandem yards and 36 TDs this season) and running back Johnson Guthrie (820 rushing yards and 13 scores). Ten Lions have caught passes this season, led by senior Tanner Leonard's 70 receptions for 1,194 yards and 11 TDs (all team-highs). 
Siloam Springs at GREENWOOD (21): Greenwood beat Siloam Springs 43-13 Week 6 at home, but the Bulldogs led just 15-13 at halftime. No. 6-seeded Siloam Springs earned its first playoff victory since 2014 with a complete 23-13 win last week at Marion. The Panthers forced four turnovers, all in their own territory, and senior running back Jackson Norberg ran for 251 yards and a TD at Marion. Senior kicker Harrison Losh booted three field goals. Greenwood, the No. 2 seed from the 6A West, earned a first-round bye last week. Greenwood boasts the top scoring defense in Class 6A (16 points per game) and its offense averages 407 yards weekly. Senior QB Jace Presley completes 73 percent of his passes for 2,749 yards and 35 TDs in his first year as a starter. Junior Hunter Wilkinson ran for 819 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and 16 scores in the regular season. Fourteen Bulldogs have caught passes this season, including six who have caught 10 balls or more. Junior Jordan Hanna leads Greenwood with 95 tackles, 14.5 for losses and nine sacks. 

BOTTOM HALF OF BRACKET
Jonesboro at BENTON (7): See Hootens.com Game of the Week.
Lake Hamilton at WEST MEMPHIS (13): These teams have not met since the 2008 semifinals, when Lake Hamilton earned a 34-28 victory at West Memphis. Lake Hamilton started 8-0 this season, but lost its final two games after the loss of junior QB Layne Warrick. Lake Hamilton averaged 45 PPG during seven full games Warrick played, but has averaged just 16 PPG since his injury. Hamilton won its first playoff game since 2013 a week ago in a 14-7 victory over Sylvan Hills. Sophomore Owen Miller ran for 180 yards and two TDs against Sylvan Hills. West Memphis earned a first-round bye last week after earning the No. 2 seed from the 6A East. The Blue Devils ride a four-game winning streak, where they have outscored their opposition 107-34. West Memphis mauled Mountain Home 33-7 Week 10 despite the visiting Bombers running 24 of the first 25 offensive snaps in the contest. West Memphis scored the final 33 points against Mountain Home.