Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 13, 2011
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

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

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Magazine at No. 2 Junction City
Magazine has not traveled in the postseason since 2007 when it lost at Murfreesboro 49-12. The Rattlers are 9-2 in the playoffs since, capturing the state title in 2010. Magazine's talented seniors lost to eventual state champion Junction City 56-0 as sophomores, and they have not forgotten. "That (Junction City) was probably the best 2A team in 10 years," Magazine coach Josh Jones said. "Since the bracket came out, our guys have been thinking about Junction City." Defending state champion Magazine has won 26 games in a row, dating to that semifinal loss to Junction City in 2009.

Magazine senior receiver Cory Chambers shifted to QB at midseason and leads the Rattlers with 1,100 yards rushing. Jones had praised Chambers' decision-making until last week, when an underhand throw resulted in a grounding penalty and Chambers missed a few open receivers. But Magazine still pulled away from Salem 34-2. Magazine, which averages 34 points per game, punted just five times in the regular season. Senior LB Josh Dority leads the Rattlers with 131 tackles and is on the Farm Bureau Awards watch list for Class 2A's Defensive Player of the Year.

Junction City's defense allows 7 ppg. The Dragons yield just 61 yards passing a game and have intercepted 13 passes. Junior end Hayden Smith and senior Winston Steward pace the Dragons with 74 tackles apiece. As a team, Junction City has recorded 39 tackles for loss. On offense, the Dragons average 8 yards per rushing attempt. Junction City has not lost this season since the opening (27-14) defeat to Class 3A No. 6 Rison. It has won 64 of its past 73 games.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked six of eight (75 percent) games involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com is 231-49 (83 percent) for the season.

WEEK 13 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
TOP HALF OF PLAYOFF BRACKET
Gurdon at CARLISLE (9): Gurdon beat Spring Hill (35-7) last week for the second time this season. The Go-Devils pulled away from Spring Hill 42-26 Week 7. Gurdon's senior-laden defensive line boasts NG JuJuan Marks (12 sacks), DE Larry Mitchell (more than 30 tackles), DE Jacob Cooley (six QB hurries) and DT Logan Britt (five sacks). Sophomore QB Austin Kirkpatrick has passed for 883 yards and 10 TDs and rushed for 664 yards and 13 TDs. Gurdon has advanced past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1998. Carlisle counters with an offensive line that averages 250 pounds per man and opens lanes for sophomore RB Bo Weddle (1,152 yards in 2011). Weddle proved durable last week by running 29 times for 151 yards and two TDs in a 22-16 win over 2010 state runner-up Danville. Weddle also paces the Bison in tackles, followed closely by seniors Ty Vaughn and Zac King. Carlisle tries to advance past the third round of the playoffs for the first time since losing in the 2008 semifinals at Junction City 29-7.

BEARDEN (5) at E. Poinsett County: Bearden tries to give EPC its first true challenge of the season. EPC has outscored opponents by an average of 52-11. EPC's defense allows 205 yards per game, while its offense piles up 402 yards per game, mostly on the ground. Senior QB Darius Barnes has rushed for 1,378 yards (14 ypc) and 23 TDs. Senior LB (and Razorback commit) A.J. Turner paces the Warrior defense with 172 tackles. The EPC defense has forced 33 turnovers. Bearden averages 35.5 ppg and allows just 8.4 ppg this year. Bearden senior LBs Tyler Crouse and Blane Word, junior LB B.J. Ross, junior NG Austin Thompson and junior DE Markel Johnson spearhead a speedy defense that held Mount Ida on fourth-and-short five times last week in a 31-6 victory. Junior D-back Zach Craig returned an interception 35 yards for a TD. Senior QB/safety Defonta Lowe returned from a severe ankle sprain (suffered Week 8 at Hampton) to run 13 times for 44 yards and a TD vs. Mount Ida. Bearden's leading rusher B.J. Ross carried 11 times last week for 91 yards and two TDs.

BOTTOM HALF OF PLAYOFF BRACKET
MAGAZINE (3) at Junction City: See Game of the Week.

Strong at MCCRORY (2): McCrory tries to contain Strong senior QB Kenneth Dixon (5,600 career rushing yards), who terrorized Mountainburg two weeks ago with 227 yards rushing and six-of-eight passing, including a 17-yard TD toss late to beat the Dragons on the road 35-28. Last week, Dixon ran over Magnet Cove for 254 yards (12 ypc) and three TDs and passed for 81 yards and a TD in a 33-14 win at Magnet Cove. In the second half at Mountainburg and the entire game at Magnet Cove, Dixon took snaps in an empty backfield and rarely was stopped. He is on the watch list for the Farm Bureau Awards Class 2A Offensive Player of the Year. McCrory counters with 17 players and a huge line, anchored by senior Jemar Clark (6-6, 305), that paves the way for junior RB Logan Best (2,791 yards). Best ran wild two weeks ago for 407 yards and seven TDs in a 62-43 win over Conway Christian. Last week, Best ran 28 times for 273 yards and four TDs in a 38-12 victory over Hazen. Both teams are playing their best of the season. McCrory is finally healthy but has no depth. Strong's defense held Magnet Cove's 2,000-yard rusher Jeff Pinkston to 88 yards on 18 carries.