hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 15, 2018
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Hazen (13-0)
2. Junction City (11-2)
3. Foreman (11-2)
4. Mount Ida (11-3)
5. Conway Christian (10-3)
6. Hampton (8-3)
7. Des Arc (9-4)
8. Earle (9-4)
9. Gurdon (9-3)
10. Fordyce (6-6)
11. Salem (9-2)
12. Mineral Springs (9-3)
13. Mountain Pine (8-4)
14. Hector (7-4)
15. Mountainburg (8-3)
16. E. Poinsett County (6-5)
17. England (4-7)
18. Magnet Cove (5-6)
19. Magazine (6-5)
20. Quitman (6-5)
21. Poyen (6-4)
22. Hackett (4-5)
23. McCrory (5-5)
24. Rector (5-5)
25. Lavaca (4-6)
26. Bearden (3-7)
27. Bigelow (4-6)
28. Carlisle (4-6-1)
29. Parkers Chapel (2-8)
30. Clarendon (3-7)
31. Dierks (3-8)
32. Murfreesboro (3-7)
33. Marianna (2-7)
34. Brinkley (2-8)
35. Strong (1-9)
36. Midland (2-7)
37. Marked Tree (1-8)
38. J.C. Westside (2-8)
39. W. Yell County (2-7)
40. Cross County (3-8)
41. Lafayette County (1-9)
42. Spring Hill (1-8)
43. Cutter M. Star (1-9)
44. Marvell (0-10)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Hazen vs. No. 2 Junction City
These teams met for the 2014 Class 2A championship with Junction City winning 38-6 for its third consecutive state title and its sixth in a 12-year span. Junction City returned to the state title game last year in Class 3A but lost 48-14 to Rivercrest. Hazen is 0-3 all-time in state final appearances.
Junction City's offensive line, spearheaded by senior guard Cody Adkins, averages 295 pounds and clears lanes for senior RB Dhante Gibson (1,580 yards, 22 TDs) and junior RB Jakiron Cook (1,118 yards, 17 TDs). While JC often spreads the field to run, junior QB Brady Hutcheson has bolstered Junction City's passing numbers the past three weeks by completing a combined 19 of 23 attempts for 425 yards in blowouts of Mountainburg (50-14) and Des Arc (55-13) and a dominating 40-20 win last week over defending Class 2A champion Foreman. JC's 5-2 defense has tightened behind senior DL Sema'j Levingston (46 tackles, 6.5 TFL), senior LB Jvacye Cook (74 stops) and sophomore Tanner Barnett (team-high 85 stops). Junction City allowed 103 points in its first three games. It has allowed 94 points (9.4 ppg) in the 10 games since.
Hazen counters with linemen (on both sides) who average 240 pounds. Senior LT Cade Perry and 260-pound center Jackson Shelman spearhead an O line that has paved the way for 362 (mostly rushing) yards per game. Junior running backs Ay'Jon Green (1,499 yards, 23 TDs) and Tarrell Penn (1,496 yards, 26 TDs) voluntarily split the carries every week. A week ago, Hazen trucked Mount Ida for 351 yards in a 42-0 blowout. An aggressive Hazen defense allows just 136 yards and eight ppg. Perry averages 15 stops a week at middle linebacker, while Shelman, 240-pound Blayne Toll and 230-pound NG Jake Walker anchor the interior line.   

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked one of two semifinal games (50 percent) last week. Hootens.com has picked 228 of 284 (80 percent) for the season.

WEEK 15 CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
HAZEN (6) vs. Junction City: See Game of the Week.