Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 13, 2021
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. McCrory (10-1)
2. Clarendon (8-2)
3. Fordyce (8-3)
4. Des Arc (10-2)
5. Hazen (9-2)
6. Bigelow (11-1)
7. Magnet Cove (7-4)
8. Poyen (7-4)
9. E. Poinsett County (5-7)
10. Quitman (8-4)
11. Hector (8-4)
12. Mount Ida (7-4)
13. Dierks (5-5)
14. Gurdon (7-5)
15. Junction City (5-5)
16. Hampton (3-7)
17. Lafayette County (5-5)
18. Earle (3-6)
19. Marked Tree (5-6)
20. Carlisle (1-10)
21. Mountainburg (4-6)
22. Cross County (1-9)
23. Yellville-Summit (4-7)
24. Murfreesboro (3-8)
25. Foreman (2-9)
26. Parkers Chapel (1-8)
27. Conway Christian (1-9)
28. Magazine (2-7)
29. J.C. Westside (2-7)
30. Bearden (0-11)
31. England (0-9)
32. Mineral Springs (0-9)

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 4 Des Arc at No. 1 McCrory
This is a rematch of a hard-hitting Week 1 clash between then-No. 1 Des Arc and then-No. 5 McCrory. McCrory won 34-26 in September by rushing for 238 yards (5.6 YPC), while senior QB Cason Campbell completed eight of 15 passes for 175 yards and three TDs with one interception. Des Arc ran for 302 yards in the loss with junior slotback Trevion Reed carrying for 147 yards and two TDs. For the season, Reed has rushed for 829 yards (14.3 YPC) and 18 TDs. Junior FB Jack Kearby has carried for 1,084 yards (6.7 YPC) and eight TDs. Senior LB Cooper Childers has recorded 86 tackles, five FF, three FR and an INT. Des Arc, the 6-2A second seed and defending Class 2A state runner-up, reached the quarterfinals with decisive wins over Parkers Chapel (52-6) and Gurdon (42-12). McCrory, the 3-2A champion, whipped Yellville-Summit (44-8) and Mount Ida (36-7) the past two weeks. For the season, Campbell has passed for 1,184 yards and 11 TDs with three interceptions. Senior RB Reid Kennon has rushed for a team-high 1,142 yards and 17 TDs. Senior LB Lathan Briley leads the Jaguars with 92 tackles. Watch extended highlights of Des Arc’s 34-26 loss to McCrory earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of McCrory’s 31-24 OT loss to Baptist Prep earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of McCrory’s 22-18 win over EPC earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of McCrory’s 34-26 win over Des Arc earlier this year.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked six of eight games (75 percent) involving Class 2A teams. It is 164 of 194 (85 percent) for the season.

WEEK 13 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
TOP OF THE BRACKET
FORDYCE (24) at Magnet Cove: 5-2A champion Magnet Cove has won five straight games, bolstered by a defense that has allowed 19 points during the run. Magnet Cove defeated 3-2A fourth seed Marked Tree 34-16 last week. Junior QB Jacob Clausen completed nine of 12 passes for 89 yards and five TDs to four different receivers. Senior RB/LB Brett Williams rushed 16 times for 97 yards and logged seven tackles. Two-time defending state champion Fordyce counters with the biggest linemen left in the the 2A playoffs, averaging 290 pounds on the offensive line and 275 pounds on the defensive line. Fordyce manhandled Hector 42-7 last week when eight rushers carried a combined 46 times for 439 yards. Junior Jarique Walker paced Fordyce with 12 totes for 139 yards. Watch extended highlights of Fordyce’s 22-20 over Camden Harmony Grove earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of Fordyce’s 20-16 win over Rison. Watch extended highlights of Fordyce’s 42-6 win over Junction City earlier this year.

E. Poinsett County at CLARENDON (19): Second-ranked Clarendon blew out Des Arc 47-0 three weeks ago, bombed Bearden 56-6 Week 11 and shut out Lafayette County 43-0 last week. Ten ball carriers combined on 28 rushing attempts for 245 yards and three TDs against LC. Senior ATH Quincey McAdoo recorded a team-high 5.5 tackles and a fumble return for a TD to go along with two receptions for 56 yards and a TD. After an 0-6 start, 3-2A runner-up EPC has won five straight games, including a 28-20 mild upset of Quitman last week. EPC super sophomore Dennis Gaines followed up a 240-yard rushing performance Week 11 by running 21 times for 92 yards at Quitman. Gaines logged eight tackles and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a TD. Senior LB Josh Gilmore tallied nine stops, including four sacks. Junior QB Carter Smith completed five of 14 passes for 67 yards and two TDs, including the game-winning 10-yard TD toss to sophomore Tyler Moore with 4:39 left in the game. Watch extended highlights of EPC’s 22-18 loss to McCrory earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of Clarendon’s 22-20 loss to Hazen earlier this year.   

BOTTOM OF BRACKET
HAZEN (8) at Poyen: Hazen knocked off then-No. 1 Bigelow 16-13 last week with junior QB Luke King completing 16 of 30 passes for 195 yards and a TD. For the season, King has passed for 2,662 yards and 30 TDs. Sophomore Justin Schlenker caught six passes last week for 110 yards and a TD to go with 11 tackles. Freshman LB Landon Adkins logged 12 tackles, including two sacks. Senior LB Austin Duck led Hazen with 16 tackles. Poyen defeated Dierks (48-27) for the fourth time in two seasons and by almost the same score as in the second round of the 2020 playoffs (48-26). Poyen senior QB Colton Lowe rushed for 222 yards and five TDs, virtually matching his numbers (224 rushing yards and four TDs) from Week 5 at Dierks. Senior LB Tony Nannemann (five tackles) led 13 Poyen defenders who recorded tackles last week. Watch extended highlights of Hazen’s 38-0 win over Stuttgart JV earlier this year. Watch extended highlights of Hazen’s 22-20 win over Clarendon earlier this year.

Des Arc at MCCRORY (6): See Game of the Week.