Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings

Class 6A, Week 12, 2024

Copyright Seventy Seven's Football Publishing, LLC.

1. Greenwood (10-0)

2. Benton (9-1)

3. Shiloh Christian (7-3)

4. Mountain Home (9-2)

5. LR Catholic (9-1)

6. Lake Hamilton (8-3)

7. El Dorado (7-4)

8. Van Buren (4-7)

9. Marion (7-4)

10. Russellville (5-6)

NOT RANKED

6A East: Jonesboro (3-8), West Memphis (1-9), Sheridan (3-8) and Sylvan Hills (0-10).

6A West: Fort Smith Southside (4-6) and Siloam Springs (2-8).

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

NO. 4 MOUNTAIN HOME (9-2) at No. 5 LR Catholic (9-1): Mountain Home topped Little Rock Catholic 21-16 a year ago in the opening round of the state playoffs at War Memorial Stadium, the site of this year's quarterfinal matchup.

Little Rock Catholic clinched a first-round playoff bye 2 weeks ago by outlasting Sylvan Hills 21-6 in each team's regular-season finale. Rockets tailback Noel Lewis rushed for 62 yards and 2 TDs against the Bears, while QB Jackson England completed 12 of 18 passes for 147 yards and a rushing score against Sylvan Hills. LR Catholic ranks No. 2 in Class 6A in scoring defense (allows less than 19 points per game), yielding 2 touchdowns or fewer 7 times this fall behind playmakers Brock Hatchett (team-high 63 tackles), Evan Scott (45 stops), Aiden Gaiser (45 tackles) and Bo Bradford (25 stops), while Christopher Pace led the way with 3 sacks.

Mountain Home won its first home playoff game since 2006 last week, outlasting Sheridan 57-50 in the Bombers' highest-scoring postseason game on record. Mountain Home erased a late 50-42 deficit and scored the game's final 15 points for victory. Bombers senior tailback Jacob Chenoweth (29-223 rushing, 5 TDs; 2-51 receiving; 2 pass interceptions) was the top performer. Mountain Home and Greenwood are the only two Class 6A schools to advance to the state quarterfinals each of the past 5 seasons.

This is a fascinating quarterfinal contest between teams with a combined 18-3 record, but we like the Bombers to make the semifinals for the first time since 2006 in a tight, low-scoring contest.

WEEK 12 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted)

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly selected 3 of 4 games (75 percent) involving 6A teams a week ago and has picked 89 of 107 games (84 percent) for the season.

TOP OF BRACKET

No. 7 El Dorado (7-4) at NO. 1 GREENWOOD (10-0): Greenwood has won 6 of the past 8 meetings with El Dorado, but the Wildcats won the last meeting, topping the Bulldogs 27-17 in the 2021 Class 6A state final. Greenwood puts its 68-game home winning streak on the line this week against an El Dorado team that was the last visiting team to win inside Smith-Robinson Stadium, 24-14 in the 2014 state quarterfinal.

El Dorado approached 300 yards rushing in last week's 38-31 victory over Russellville. The Wildcats led 24-14 in the third period, but the Cyclones battled back to tie it at 31-31 with 3:26 left to play. That's when El Dorado junior quarterback Cannon Jacobs got to work, rushing for 21 yards to start the Wildcats' game-winning drive, which culminated with sophomore tailback Jeremiah Warner's game-winning TD run from 7 yards out to set the final score. Warner rushed 13 times for 77 yards. Jacobs (24-138 rushing, 2 TDs;  11-18 passing, 100 yards) completed 2 TD passes to senior 2-way playmaker A.J. Gilmore (3 tackles, fumble recovery, INT. on defense). Jervalen Junior and Jakori Lumsey each posted 6 tackles.

Greenwood, winners of 24 consecutive games dating back to 2022 and holder of a 68-game winning streak at home, clinched the outright 6A West title and home-field advantage through the semifinals 2 weeks ago with a 42-0 victory over Mountain Home. 

Junior QB Kane Archer (16-17 passing, 162 yards, TD;  11-143 rushing, TD) led a Greenwood offense that also received TD contributions from Kaylor Jasna, Khalil Davis, Cooper Goodwin, and Grant Karnes in the victory. Greenwood senior defensive stalwart  Cash Archer intercepted 2 passes against Mountain Home.

El Dorado arrives in the quarterfinals with momentum after starting conference play 0-2 and losing 4 starters in July, but Greenwood looks too strong to be denied in this one.

NO. 4 MOUNTAIN HOME (9-2) at No. 5 LR Catholic (9-1): See Hootens.com Game of the Week.

BOTTOM OF BRACKET

No. 6 Lake Hamilton (8-3) at NO. 2 BENTON (9-1): Lake Hamilton has won 13 of the past 22 meetings with Benton, but the Panthers have won 2 in a row, including a 31-0 playoff quarterfinal victory in 2022.

Lake Hamilton eliminated Jonesboro 41-27 last week. The Wolves outgained the Golden Hurricane 438-353, including 382 rushing yards (6.6 yards per carry). Senior RB Hayden Barton (221 yards, 3 TDs) and Dylan Murphy (96 rushing, TD) led the offense. Senior QB Landon West totaled 69 offensive yards, threw a TD pass and rushed for a TD. Senior Dawson Trott (17 tackles against Jonesboro), Hagan Tyler (10 stops) and Caleb Rouse (7 tackles) paced the Lake Hamilton defense.

Benton ended the regular season 2 weeks ago with its ninth win in a row, beating Marion 55-10 to earn the outright 6A East conference title and subsequent No. 1 playoff seed. The Panthers won without junior all-state QB Drew Davis, but sophomore Chase Cobb (18-27 passing, 369 yards, 4 TDs) guided Benton to almost 500 total yards. The Panthers triggered the Arkansas Activities Association Sportsman rule when it scored 35 consecutive points in the second and third quarters. Benton rushed for 128 yards and 4 more scores. Davis is doubtful to play this week, but the Panthers believe he could return for a potential semifinal game.

Lake Hamilton will look to limit possessions with a running game that averages almost 300 yards per game, but Benton's run defense is stout and will propel the Panthers into the semifinals for the eighth time in 11 years.

No. 8 Van Buren (4-7) at NO. 3 SHILOH CHRISTIAN (7-3): These teams met 2 weeks ago when Shiloh beat Van Buren 36-7.

Van Buren, the only 6A road team to win in the opening playoffs round last week, rallied late for a 29-26 victory at Marion. The Pointers came up with the winning score with 39 seconds to play on a TD pass from sophomore quarterback Hayden Williford to Elijah Johnson. Van Buren slammed the door when Landon Evans intercepted a pass in Pointers territory with 25 seconds left in regulation. Van Buren approached 200 yards rushing, led by tailback Cameron Keller (197 rushing, 2 TDs, while Williford passed for 178 yards and TDs to Johnson and Trenton Cooley. The Pointers led 22-7 in the second quarter after Cooley's 85-yard TD catch and run, and 22-20 entering the fourth quarter. Van Buren won the turnover battle 3-1. Ian Rowe (9 tackles) led the defense, while Evans, John Michael Fisher, and Donovan Akins each recorded 7 tackles. 

Shiloh Christian's 36-7 Week 10 win over Van Buren was never in doubt as the Saints surged to a 14-0 lead after one quarter, 28-0 at halftime, and 36-7 after three quarters. Shiloh rushed for 208 yards against Van Buren, led by freshman Max Eldridge (88 yards), while senior Hudson Ball rushed for 3 TDs. Sophomore QB Cole Creighton (9-14 passing, 117 yards, TD pass to Carter Henley). Junior Mason Mounce, Henley, Eldridge, and A.J. Ylanan led the defense 2 weeks ago.

Van Buren has some momentum after upsetting Marion, but the Pointers are still fresh on Shiloh's mind and the Saints will win to advance to the semifinals for the seventh consecutive season.