hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 13, 2020
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Fordyce (12-0)
2. Gurdon (8-1) 
3. Junction City (8-2)
4. Poyen (10-1)
5. Des Arc (11-0)
6. Bigelow (12-0)
7. Clarendon (7-3)
8. Dierks (9-2)
9. E. Poinsett County (9-3)
10. Foreman (6-5)
11. McCrory (5-4)
12. Magazine (9-3)
13. Hampton (6-6)
14. Hector (5-5)
15. Cross County (5-3)
16. Mount Ida (5-7)
17. Quitman (6-6)
18. Carlisle (5-7)
19. Magnet Cove (4-6)
20. Hazen (4-5)
21. Murfreesboro (5-6)
22. Marked Tree (2-5)
23. Bearden (4-7)
24. Mineral Springs (3-8)
25. Earle (2-6)
26. Mountainburg (3-6)
27. Parkers Chapel (2-9)
28. Yellville-Summit (3-7)
29. J.C. Westside (2-7)
30. Strong (1-7)
31. Cedar Ridge (1-7)
32. England (1-9)
33. Cutter M Star (0-10)
34. Marvell (1-7)
35. Lafayette County (1-7)
36. Conway Christian (0-9)

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 6 Bigelow at No. 5 Des Arc 
Both are undefeated. Bigelow jumped Hampton early last week, led 43-0 at halftime and won easily 43-8. Bigelow gashed Hampton for 12.7 yards per snap with senior RB Brayden Jones (938 rushing yards in 2020) running for 113 yards on just five attempts. Junior QB Keithlin Brown carried 10 times for 103 yards. For the second week in a row, Bigelow held an opponent to less than 50 yards rushing.  Des Arc, led by junior OG Cooper Childers and senior center Jarret Hambrick, counters with one of the more potent running games in 2A football at 380 rushing yards per game. The Eagles flew over Mount Ida 40-0 by halftime last week and landed safely with a 40-22 win. Des Arc held Mount Ida to 11 first-half yards. Senior LB Luke Morton and sophomore LB Jack Kearby lead the Eagles in tackles. Common opponent: Des Arc beat England 38-0 Week 9; Bigelow beat England 49-20 two weeks ago.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked seven of eight games (88 percent) involving Class 2A teams. It is 185 of 216 (86 percent) for the season.

WEEK 13 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS)
TOP OF BRACKET
No. 6 Bigelow at No. 5 DES ARC (1): See Game of the Week.
No. 3 JUNCTION CITY (13) at No. 4 Poyen: Junction City advances to the quarterfinals for the 17th time the past 20 years, while Poyen makes its first quarterfinal appearance in 11 years of varsity football. This will be the first meeting of these two teams. The third-ranked Dragons rallied past McCrory last week for a 50-30 win with junior RB Jamal Johnson rushing for the majority of his 224 yards and two TDs in the second half. Junior A.J. Ivory, who topped 100 yards two weeks ago vs. Marked Tree, carried 14 times at McCrory for 124 yards and three TDs. Johnson, senior LB Tanner Barnett and DE Tate Barnett lead JC in tackles.  Poyen went on the road and dropped Dierks (40-26) for the second time this season. Senior QB Jaxson Carter, who did not complete a pass against Dierks in early October, completed four of six Friday night for 138 yards and two TDs. Senior WR Brandon Sanchez caught two of those  passes for 109 yards and a TD. For the season, Carter has passed for 1,324 yards and 20 TDs with six INTs. Carter has rushed for 981 yards, while junior Blake Rhodes has carried for a team-high 1,130 yards and 10 TDs. 

BOTTOM OF BRACKET
No. 9 E. Poinsett County at No. 2 GURDON (22): No. 2 Gurdon, the 5-2A champion, had a bye two weeks ago and received a forfeit last week from Carlisle. Gurdon first-team defense has allowed one meaningful TD this year to a 2A opponent, Poyen Week 8. Senior TB Jameson Threadgill has rushed for 1,261 yards and eight TDs this fall in eight mostly blowout wins. That's 46 percent of Gurdon's total rushing yards. Seventeen Go-Devils have logged double-digit tackles, led by senior LB Armando Harper's 62 stops in limited snaps during those blowouts. EPC, winner of the 3-2A, received a first-round forfeit from J.C. Westside and eliminated Quitman 56-29 last week. EPC senior QB Preston Rains has passed for 1,427 yards and 14 TDs. He has rushed for a team-high 837 yards and 13 TDs. Senior WR Deuce Moore has caught 63 passes for 1,133 yards and 13 TDs.
No. 10 Foreman at No. 1 FORDYCE (28): Top-ranked Fordyce has not been seriously tested since September, beating Class 3A Rison 29-28 Week 0 and Class 4A Monticello 23-22 Week 3. It has held all other opponents to 16 points or less, including Clarendon last week 49-6. The Redbugs defeated Clarendon in the regular season 51-16. Junior OLB Trey Merritt tops the Fordyce tackle chart, followed by senior ILBs Josh Harrington and Colton Musgrove and junior NG Dakota Wimberly. Fordyce defense forced three fumbles and an interception last week vs. Clarendon.  Foreman's smashmouth attack, behind its huge line, amassed more than 500 yards last week at Magazine in a 34-15 win. Foreman senior RB Javon Allen (1,400 rushing yards this fall) carried 22 times for 200 yards and two TDs, while freshman RB Tyrance Marks covered 204 yards and scored two TDs on 12 attempts. Senior QB Quincey Robinson carried nine times for 104 yards and a TD. The Foreman defense, led by senior LB Nathan Gwin's eight tackles, two TFL and one sack, shut out Magazine in the second half. Senior DE Chris Haywood and DT Kaleb Kegley logged three TFL and a sack apiece.