Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 15, 2016
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Hampton (13-0)
2. Mount Ida (12-1)
3. England (13-1)
4. Danville (11-1)
5. Des Arc (10-2)
6. C. Harmony Grove (8-5)
7. Hector (10-2)
8.  Conway Christian (10-3)
9.  Earle (8-4)
10. Hackett (10-2)
11. Bearden (5-5)
12. Rison (6-4)
13. Murfreesboro (8-4)
14. Foreman (8-4)
15. Dierks (6-5)
16. E. Poinsett County (6-4)
17. Cross County (10-3)
18. McCrory (6-4)
19. Quitman (7-4)
20. Lavaca (6-5)
21. Carlisle (7-5)
22. Mountainburg (7-4)
23. Marked Tree (6-5)
24. Salem (6-5)
25. Parkers Chapel (4-6)
26. Woodlawn (4-5)
27. Hazen (4-7)
28. Lafayette County (2-9)
29. Mineral Springs (3-7)
30. Clarendon (3-7)
31. Strong (2-8)
32. Magnet Cove (3-8)
33. Palestine-Wheatley (6-5)
34. Bigelow (3-7)
35. Augusta (2-7)
36. Brinkley (3-6)
37. Cutter M. Star (3-7)
38. J.C. Westside (4-7)
39. Spring Hill (2-8)
40. Magazine (4-6)
41. Poyen (1-9)
42. Decatur (1-8)
43. Western Yell County (1-9)
44. Marvell (0-9)
45. Rector (1-7)
46. Midland (0-10)
47. Mountain Pine (0-9)

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Hampton vs No. 2 Mount Ida
Hampton reaches the state title game for the first time in school history. Starting six sophomores on defense, Hampton blitzed preseason No. 1 England into submission last week 54-32 with sophomore linebackers D.D. Stephens and Tre Murphy, sophomore end Rusty Williams and all-state senior QB/DE Monta' Thomas harassing England QB Brayden Brazeal into a miserable 48 percent passing night with three interceptions. Hampton held England to a season-low 50 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Meanwhile, Thomas (1,980 rushing yards, 14 ypc, 36 TDs), who managed just 86 rushing yards at Des Arc, gutted England for 229 yards.  Senior Emmanuel Hegler has rushed for 1,136 yards and 13 TDs.

Mount Ida, which won the 2007 state title, counters with a Veer attack, spearheaded by senior RT Logan Abernathy (6-3, 260) and TE Anthony Spurling (6-3, 230). Mount Ida rolled up 406 rushing yards last week in a 13-point win over Camden Harmony Grove. Junior RB Cade Helms (1,456 yards) and sophomore RB Jonathan Lagrange (1,317 yards, 26 TDs) are big, bruising 'backs, while sophomore scatback Gage Dyer (5-7, 145) offers a change of pace. Mount Ida lacks team speed on defense and has been vulnerable to the pass in a loss to Dierks, win over Conway Christian and win over Harmony Grove, which passed for 223 yards. Rison does not run the Veer as Mount Ida does, but it employs a smashmouth running offense. With multiple injuries Week 9, Rison held the football 36:30, snapped it 67 times, ran for 250 yards but still lost to Hampton 44-33. Hampton big-played Rison, scoring on TD drives of one, one, three, four, five and eight plays. Thomas ran nine times for 117 yards and four TDs. Hampton handed Rison one of its five losses in 70 years when Rison scored 30 or more points.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked one of two games involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com is 216-55 (80 percent) for the season.

WEEK 15 STATE TITLE PREDICTION (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
HAMPTON (12) vs Mount Ida