Hootens.com Rankings
Class 7A, Week 13, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Bentonville (11-0)
2. North Little Rock (10-1)
3. Fayetteville (8-3)
4. Fort Smith Southside (8-3)
5. Springdale Har-Ber (7-5)
6. Conway (8-3)
7. West Memphis (8-4)
8. Cabot (7-5)
9. Rogers Heritage (7-4)
10. Bryant (6-5)
11. Little Rock Central (4-7)
12. Rogers (6-5)
13. Springdale (4-6)
14. Fort Smith Northside (3-7)
15. Van Buren (2-8)
16. Little Rock Catholic (2-8)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Fayetteville at No. 2 North Little Rock.
Defending state champ and preseason No. 1 Fayetteville looks for a third straight title game appearance. Fayetteville lost its first two games against out-of-state competition and Week 10 at Bentonville 24-17. The Purple Dogs played a tougher schedule than North LR and have three players committed to sign with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton says quarterback Austin Allen is better than his brother (current Hog backup QB Brandon Allen). Senior Brice Gahagans (5-10, 185; 4.7 speed), the school's all-time leading rusher, played his best game last week. Linebacker Brooks Ellis and safety Alex Brignoni, the other UA commits, headline a defense with underrated linemen. Fayetteville's starters held Conway to 77 yards in last Friday's mercy-rule (38-3 midway third quarter) win over Conway. Conway coach Clint Ashcraft says Fayetteville's defense "exposed us up front."
"If there is a team that can stop North Little Rock's running attack, it's Fayetteville," says Har-Ber coach Chris Wood, whose team lost at North LR 41-37 last November and at Fayetteville 38-21 three weeks ago. "Fayetteville has seen a lot of good running teams but not as much speed as North Little Rock."
Coach Brad Bolding has North LR in the semis for the third time in four years and poised for its first 11-win season in school history. North LR has never played in a state championship game but (North LR Ole Main) was awarded the 1972 title before big school playoffs were implemented. North LR is undefeated against Arkansas competition this fall, losing only at Longview, Texas 30-14. The Charging Wildcats run better than they pass and catch. University of Alabama recruit Altee Tenpenny (6-0, 215; 4.35 speed) gets 16 carries weekly, gaining 7.6 yards per tote for 1,328 yards this fall. Junior Juan Day (6-2, 210; 4.5 speed) rushes 99 yards weekly (8.8 yards per carry) and senior three-year starter Rodney Bryson (5-11, 190) has 524 yards (7.6 per carry) this season.
North LR's athletic defensive front averages 270 pounds and must pressure Allen. North LR all-state safety Gary Vines (6-0, 185), a three-year starter, is on the Farm Bureau Awards Class 7A/6A Defensive Player of the Year watch list.
Fayetteville likely uses man coverage, hoping to force North LR to pass. Fayetteville sacked Conway's QB six times last Friday.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted three of four Class 7A games. For the season, hootens.com has correctly predicted 102 of 127 games (80 percent).

WEEK 13 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS
FS Southside at BENTONVILLE (20): Southside makes its fifth straight semifinal appearance. The Rebels won at Bentonville 27-24 in the second round of the 2009 playoffs. Since then, Bentonville has made back-to-back state championship game appearances. Bentonville seniors Tearris Wallace (almost 4,500 career yards rushing) and linebacker Garrett Kaufman (220 tackles in two seasons) are on the Farm Bureau Awards watch list for Class 7A/6A Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Southside sustained three key injuries in last week's 24-22 upset of Har-Ber, including leading receiver Austin Griffin (fractured pelvis) and noseguard Fred Holden (broken leg). Junior starting right guard Richie Savathrongxay (6-0, 285) is questionable. Elusive QB Isaac Jackson (6-3, 195), more than 1,977 yards offense and 27 TDs this fall, passed for three TDs last week but must find running lanes for the Rebels to have a chance at Bentonville. All-state fullback David Price (6-1, 240; 4.7 speed) leads the Rebels with 823 yards rushing.
FAYETTEVILLE (8) at North LR: Game of the Week.