Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 14, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

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

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked three of four games (75 percent) involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com has picked 261 of 307 Class 2A games (85 percent) this season.

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 5 Walnut Ridge at No. 1 Junction City
Top-ranked Junction City reaches the state semifinals for the 10th time in the past 12 seasons. The Dragons have recorded seven shutouts this fall, 35 shutouts over the past six seasons. During that stretch since 2006, Junction City has held opponents to 10 points or less 61 times. The Dragons have not lost this year since they fell Week 1 at Class 3A Earle 14-7 in a downpour. They allow just 126 yards and 4.5 points per game. Senior linebackers Hayden Smith (111 stops) and Will Houston (78) pace the Dragons in tackles. Sophomore end Jamario Bell (76 tackles, five sacks) simply terrorized Salem in a 34-6 quarterfinal win last week with 10 tackles, two TFL, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery. Junction City's 26 interceptions this fall are the most in school history, according to historian Wayne Pumphrey. Senior QB Shaq Hunter has passed for 1,328 yards and 24 TDs with six interceptions, just 75 yards short of the school's career passing record. Sophomore Jaqwis Dancy has rushed for a team-high 1.411 yards and 14 TDs.
No. 5 Walnut Ridge reaches the state semifinals for the first time since playing for the 1971 Class A state title (35-20 loss to Atkins). Walnut Ridge faces its third 8-2A member in four weeks. It whipped Strong 32-16 two weeks ago and knocked off 8-2A Rison 62-40 in the first round. Last week, the Bobcats were almost flawless while rolling up 542 yards and 23 first downs in a 50-26 rout of 7-2A member Murfreesboro. Walnut Ridge features senior quarterback Zach Crisler (677 rushing yards), who has completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,555 yards and 21 TDs with four interceptions. Crisler's favorite target is senior WR Hunter Flippo (683 yards, nine TDs), who torched Murfreesboro last week with six receptions for 163 yards and a TD. Senior utility man Eric Wilcoxson has 86 tackles at linebacker, 516 receiving yards and a team-high 747 rushing yards. Senior Rowdy Ditto paces the Bobcats with 90 tackles. The offensive line has played well, spearheaded by senior three-year starters Ditto (5-10, 240) at left tackle, center Hunter Ingram (5-11, 210) and left guard Logan Brady (5-10, 215).
Walnut Ridge coach Larry Treadway and Junction City coach David Carpenter coached together as assistants in 1981 for Coach John Outlaw at Arkadelphia . Those Badgers reached the Class 3A state semifinals. Treadway coached the secondary, while Carpenter helped with the linebackers.

WEEK 14 SEMIFINAL PREDICTIONS (Favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
Mineral Springs at BEARDEN (6): Bearden historian Jackie Bevill chronicles this as the fifth meeting of the two schools. Bearden smoked Mineral Springs 51-0 in the second round of the 2009 playoffs. Bearden reaches the state semifinals for the sixth time in the past seven years. The Bears held explosive Magnet Cove to 265 yards last week in a 35-7 road victory. Junior Darwin Parham leads the down linemen with 108 stops, including 11 two weeks ago in an 18-14 win over Gurdon. Bearden senior linebacker B.J. Ross has 129 tackles, including 15 against Gurdon. Junior safety Quentin Wilson intercepted a pass last week, his 10th of the season. Bearden sophomore QB Jamond Young, who has alternated with junior Javeaz Sledge (injured foot), led Bearden on two second-half scoring drives against Gurdon. On the game-winning drive, Young executed like a veteran by running for first downs twice and completing three passes, including a 6-yard TD with a minute to go. Last week, Young played most of a 35-7 victory at Magnet Cove and responded with 119 rushing yards and a 75-yard kickoff return for a TD.
Mineral Springs advances to the state semifinals for the first time since 1994 (36-0 loss to Barton). Mineral Springs crushed Poyen 48-8 two weeks ago and edged Carlisle 22-21 last week without its career rushing leader RB Rashad Williams (5,230 yards), who returns this week after a one-game suspension. Junior QB Kendrick Langston has flourished this fall in Coach Nick Evans' Spread. Langston has rushed for 1,765 yards (9.5 ypc) and 16 TDs and passed for 1,017 yards and seven TDs with three interceptions. Senior receiver Avante Evans (32 receptions, 573 yards) intercepted two passes last week at Carlisle. Junior safety Shavon Velcoff recorded 20 tackles at Carlisle. Senior DT Derrick Muldrow (6-2, 315) has amassed 126 tackles, 33 TFL and seven sacks this year. Muldrow racked up 18 tackles last week at Carlisle. Senior OLB Larry Hinton (114 tackles) and senior safety E.J. Stewart (53 tackles, seven INTs) solidify a Mineral Springs defense that has allowed 35 points over the past six weeks.

Walnut Ridge at JUNCTION CITY (5): See Game of the Week.