8-Man Week 1 Rankings and Predictions

Published On: September 3, 2025Categories: Featured, High School, Rankings and Picks

8-man rankings

Week 1 2025

Strong (0-0)

Rector (0-0)

Cedar Ridge (1-0)

Brinkley (0-1)

Midland (1-0)

OTHERS

Cave City (0-1)

Corning (1-0)

Dermott (0-1)

Guy-Perkins (0-1)

Hermitage (1-0)

Marshall (1-0)

Marvell-Elaine (0-0)

Rose Bud (0-1)

Subiaco Academy (1-0)

Woodlawn (0-0)

WEEK 1 SELECTIONS (Favored team highlighted and all CAPS)

MARVELL-ELAINE (0-0) at Subiaco Academy (1-0): Subiaco Academy comes off a 52-6 victory over Southwest Christian. John Crank had 120 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns. Landon Koch had 8 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. Collin Cummings had 7 tackles. “I thought we played very well vs. Southwest Christian,” Subiaco Academy Coach B.J. Applegate. “We played aggressively and were good defensively.”

This is Marvell-Elaine’s opener, and the Mustangs have a new quarterback in Mario Kennell, who replaced Ricky Butler, who transferred. “They have an advantage in that they played a game. I look for us to play with intensity and with an edge,” Marvell-Elaine Coach Terrell Hammond says.

Corning (1-0) at RECTOR (0-0): Corning enters off a 32-0 victory over Brinkley. Rector has a new coach in Robert Doorman, who was an assistant to Dave Hendrix. The Cougars, who won the 8-man title in 2023, are coming off a 3-4 season a year ago and have 16 players. “Corning will be tough like always, they’re 2 games in. The advantage is that we have some veteran guys who are ready to go and improve from last year. The disadvantage is the first-game jitters.” Corning was led by sophomore RB Nate Gensen, who rushed for 89 yards on 18 carries with 2 TDs against Brinkley. T.J. Smalls had 80 yards rushing on 18 carries. Defensive end Caden Stanley had 8 tackles, 2 for losses, and 1 sack. Corning Coach Farrell Shelton says his team has to match Rector’s physicality and not let the Cougars get into a situation where they are controlling the line of scrimmage. “Rector is going to be Rector and that’s physical and well-coached,” Shelton says. “Whenever you play Rector, it’s going to be ball control, and turnovers will be huge. They’ll pound you for 4 yards, 4 yards, and we have to focus on limiting their first downs. All of that is predicated on being physical on the line of scrimmage.”

Blevins (1-0) at CEDAR RIDGE (1-0): Blevins defeated Guy-Perkins 64-22 while Cedar Ridge defeated Rose Bud 36-6. Jonas Elms completed 7 of 10 passes for 170 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for 105 yards and 2 TDs for Cedar Ridge. Brentley Bullington caught 5 passes for 120 yards and 2 TDs. Wesley Horton ran for a touchdown, caught a TD pass, threw a TD pass, and had 8 tackles, including 4 TFL. “I can’t ask for a much better start,” Cedar Ridge Coach Scott Morgan says. “We clicked on both sides of the ball, had an onside kick recovered and scored immediately. We were able to run, pass, and play good defense. We weren’t perfect by any stretch. We were able to correct mistakes and are looking for constant improvement.”

Woodlawn (0-0) at ROSE BUD (0-1): Rose Bud comes off a 36-6 loss to Cedar Ridge; Woodlawn is playing its first game under new Coach Doug Means. Rose Bud Coach Garrett Haag says he hopes to use his team’s speed to attack Woodlawn, which has a size advantage up front. “I think we’ve got our benefit game and this game to shake the rust off,” Haag says. “Last week, we got off to a slow start. As far as weakness, we’re a little smaller up front. We’re relying on a lot of underclassmen to do things for us.”

CAVE CITY (0-1) at Abundant Life (1-0): Cave City, which dropped from the 3A ranks to 8-man this fall, lost 38-36 to Marshall, getting stopped on a 2-point conversion late in the game. “I thought we played pretty hard,” Cave Coach Tommy Cody says. “It was a shock early in the game because it was new. I thought we competed OK. We had some chances to lay down, but came back and had a chance to go for 2 to tie the game. Our kids enjoyed the game; it was good for us. Abundant Life comes in off a 42-30 victory over Destiney Christian (Okla.). QB Brandon Walker is Abundant Life’s top player. Cody says his team needs to do a better job of wrapping up after missing 37 tackles last week. “They’re not really big, but a speedy team compared to us.,” Cody says. “Those guys can put up a lot of points.”

Brinkley (0-1) at MARSHALL (1-0): Marshall defeated Cave City 38-36 while Brinkley lost 32-0 to Corning. Brinkley Coach Kevin Mosley says his team experienced a case of first-game jitters with many new players starting. Mosley says he expects QB Hayden Smith, RB Tristan Allison, and WR Keithan James to have better games. Mosley says his team must run the ball and stop the run. Marshall Coach Cody Cassell says his team has to stop Brinkley’s sweep because the Tigers have the speed advantage. Marshall was led by RB Daniel Griffin, who rushed for 175 yards on 15 carries and scored 2 TDs. Griffin forced a fumble on defense, which led to a TD. QB Hayden Childers rushed 12 times for 120 yards and 2 TDs, threw a TD pass, and helped stop Corning’s game-tying 2-point attempt at the end of the game.

HERMITAGE (1-0) at Guy-Perkins (0-1): Hermitage scored a 74-58 victory over South Side Bee Branch in its opener. Guy-Perkins lost 64-22 to Blevins and suffered several injuries. Coach Tony Varnell says his team needs to improve blocking assignments.