Hooten’s Arkansas Football Rankings
Class 7A, Week 14, 2020
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Bryant (12-0)
2. North Little Rock (11-1)
3. Conway (8-4)
4. Cabot (8-4)
5. Bentonville (10-1)
6. LR Catholic (5-7)
7. Rogers (6-3)
8. Bentonville West (6-5)
9. FS Northside (5-5)
10. Fayetteville (4-6)
11. Har-Ber (5-7)
12. Springdale (3-8)
13. LR Central (3-5)
14. FS Southside (2-9)
15. Heritage (1-10)
16. LR Southwest (0-7)

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Bryant vs. No. 2 North LR
The sixth meeting in 36 months between these teams is set for noon Saturday in Little Rock. Bryant won the past five, including Oct. 30 when the Hornets totaled 992 all-purpose yards in a 58-21 romp at North LR. North LR, which scores 40.2 points per game, led Bryant 14-9 late in the second quarter before losing its only game of the season.

Bryant led Conway 49-12 by halftime last Friday while North LR three-year starting QB Kareme Cotton ran for a TD with 17-seconds remaining to beat Cabot 49-42. The Charging Wildcat defense limited one-dimensional Cabot to 40 yards rushing a week ago but allowed 492 yards passing.

Bryant’s balanced attack totals more than 500 yards weekly, but in the first meeting with North LR this season the Hornets passed for 562 yards and rushed for 389 yards, gaining 10.5 yards per carry.

Bryant makes its third straight finals appearance and looks to become the first team to three-peat in the state’s largest classification since Pine Bluff (1993-95). Bryant beat North LR for the championship the past two years. North LR makes its fifth straight title game appearance, winning it all just once (2017).  

Both teams are healthy for the rematch, the head coaches say.

LAST WEEK
hootens.com correctly predicted both Class 7A semifinal winners. For the season, hootens.com is 88-15 (85 percent) in Class 7A.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREDICTION (favored team in CAPS)
BRYANT (30) vs. North LR