Hootens.com Rankings
Class 3A, Week 15, 2015
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Harding Academy (13-1)
2. Rivercrest (11-3)
3. Smackover (11-3)
4. Prescott (11-3)
5. Danville (8-4)
6. Lamar (10-3)
7. Fordyce (8-4)
8. Glen Rose (10-3)
9. Episcopal Collegiate (8-3)
10. Charleston (7-5)
11. West Fork (8-4)
12. Centerpoint (8-4)
13. H. G. Haskell (6-5)
14. Paris (7-5)
15. C. Harmony Grove (8-4)
16. Greenland (10-2)
17. Hoxie (9-3)
18. Fouke (7-4)
19. McGehee (3-8)
20. Bald Knob (6-5)
21. Osceola (5-6)
22. Booneville (4-7)
23. Horatio (5-5)
24. Mansfield (3-7)
25. Lavaca (4-6)
26. Marianna (6-5)
27. Atkins (6-5)
28. Mayflower (3-8)
29. Cedar Ridge (7-4)
30. Manila (6-5)
31. Piggott (6-4)
32. Two Rivers (2-8)
33. Perryville (4-6)
34. Elkins (5-6)
35. Mountain View (6-5)
36. Melbourne (4-6)
37. Jessieville (3-7)
38. Genoa Central (2-8)
39. Cedarville (2-9)
40. Green Forest (3-7)
41. Yellville-Summit (1-9)
42. Rose Bud (2-8)
43. Marshall (2-8)
44. Corning (0-10)
45. Barton (2-8)
46. Bismarck (1-9)
47. Drew Central (2-8)
48. Lake Village (0-10)

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Harding Academy vs. No. 2 Rivercrest
These teams meet for the third time in seven years. Harding Academy eliminated Rivercrest 42-7 in the first round of the 2008 playoffs. Rivercrest beat Harding 14-10 to claim the 2010 state championship.
Harding Academy rallied past 4-3A champ Danville and 5-3A champ Prescott the past two weeks, reaching the finals for the third time in eight seasons under Coach Roddy Mote (92-12 at Harding). Senior quarterback Alex Francis completed 32 of 39 passes for a season-high 385 yards and five touchdowns in last week's 49-36 win over Prescott. The Wildcats, which trailed 30-22 at halftime, intercepted three passes in the fourth quarter. Senior end Weston Burks intercepted two passes, returning one 5 yards for a TD, and collected eight tackles and a sack. Sophomore linebacker Dalton Koch and sophomore safety Peydon Harlow led Harding with nine tackles apiece. Harding's Spread passing attack features multiple matchup problems. Francis (3,647 yards, 47 TDs in 2015) completes 67 percent of his passes, distributing the ball to six different players. Turley (6-4, 170) paces the Wildcats with 63 catches for 953 yards and 13 TDs. Harlow (6-2, 175) averages a team-high 16.5 yards per reception. Senior Luke Fouts (6-2, 190) has caught 42 passes for 571 yards and 15 TDs. Three weeks ago, Rivercrest gave up 305 yards passing in a 62-52 win over Episcopal Collegiate. Senior center/LB Ty Mote, the coach's son, anchors the line and paces the Wildcats this year with 76 stops. Koch has recorded a team-high 17 tackles for loss. Senior end Miles Clements, who missed four weeks with an injury, has gathered 40 tackles (16 TFL) and two sacks in nine games.
Rivercrest upset top-ranked Smackover last week to reach the state championship game for the fourth time in 14 years and second time under Coach Kelly Chandler (75-42-1 at Rivercrest). The Colts have won seven straight games this fall since a 39-21 loss to Manila, holding five opponents to 13 points per game. Personnel changes on defense have sparked Rivercrest's run over the past two months. All-state senior LB Brayden Wilson (97 tackles in 2015) has played more at defensive end, while sophomore safety Carl Coleman (56 tackles the past six weeks) and freshman LB Kentavious Robinson (51 tackles the past five weeks) have emerged in the back seven. Junior end Preston Wilson paces the Colts with 101 tackles. Senior tackles Dylan Henard (92 tackles) and Braxton Brown (73 tackles) control the interior line. Senior end Hank Hill has racked 85 stops. Rivercrest has collected 12 takeaways in the playoffs, including three in last week's 15-13 win over Smackover. The Colts also won the battle up front, while their linebackers and defensive backs tackled well. Junior QB Kesler Pierce threw a 32-yard TD pass to senior tight end Ryan Rogers and a 33-yarder to senior receiver Peyton Adams. All-state senior RB Cecil Langston ran 35 times for 184 yards, becoming the school's all-time leading rusher. Langston (6,084 career yards) has 329 carries this year for 3,040 yards (9.2 yards per carry) and 33 TDs. Langston needs 114 yards to break Kenneth Dixon's single-season state rushing record.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com missed both semifinal games involving 3A teams. For the season, hootens.com has correctly predicted 259 of 330 winners (78 percent).

WEEK 15 PLAYOFF PREDICTION (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread)
HARDING ACADEMY (6) vs. Rivercrest

FARM BUREAU AWARDS
The Farm Bureau Awards will be held Monday, December 14 in North Little Rock. Finalists for Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year are Episcopal Collegiate's Allie Freeman, Prescott's Trevor Pipkin and Rivercrest's Cecil Langston. Finalists for Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year are Glen Rose's Jordan Johnson, Marianna's Jermarcus Arnold and Smackover's Keiandre Purifoy. Finalists for Class 3A Coach of the Year are Danville's D.J. Crane, Harding Academy's Roddy Mote and Rivercrest's Kelly Chandler.