8-Man Week 1 Rankings and Selections
8-MAN RANKINGS
Week 1, 2026
- ↔ 1. CORNING (1-0; def. Friendship Aspire 70-12)
- ↔ 2. CEDAR RIDGE (1-0; def. Abundant Life 54-28)
- ↔ 3. WOODLAWN (1-0; def. SS Bee Branch 66-62)
- ↔ 4. IZARD COUNTY (0-0; Did not play)
- ↔ 5. MAGAZINE (0-0; Did not play)
- ↔ 6. STRONG (0-0; Did not play)
- ↑ NR. LAFAYETTE COUNTY (1-0; def. Riverdale 60-6)
- ↔ 8. ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN (1-0; def. Unity 50-0)
- ↑ 10. BRINKLEY (0-0; Did not play)
- ↑ NR. SOUTHSIDE BEE BRANCH (0-1; lost to No. 3 Woodlawn 66-62)
Not Ranked
West: Guy-Perkins (0-0), Rose Bud (0-0), JC Westside (0-1)
East: Marvell (0-0), Midland (0-0), Rector (0-0)
South: Blevins (0-0), Dermott (0-1), Friendship Asp (0-1), Hermitage (0-1)
Unsanctioned: Cave City (1-0)
Hootens.com GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 CORNING (1-0) vs No. 7 Lafayette County (1-0) at Hendrix College
Corning is coming off a 70-12 win over Friendship Aspire last Friday, with most of the starters coming out before the first quarter was over. Junior running back TJ SMALL accounted for 42 yards, 2 TDs, and kicked 2 extra points in limited playing time. Junior quarterback JAGGER GEORGE (73 passing yards, 3 TDs) stepped in for senior QB CONNER LEGRAND after Legrand left the game early with an injury. Senior cornerback CADEN SWEANEY recorded 2 tackles and a Pick-6 last week. Lafayette County traveled to Riverdale Academy last Friday and won 60-6. JAZ’MOND RADFORD (129 rushing, 67 passing, 3 TDs) and senior defensive back TREY KNIGHTON intercepted 4 passes.
WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted in ORANGE)
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 7 of 9 games involving 8-man teams.
WEST
No. 8 ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN (1-0) at Abundant Life (0-1): Arkansas Christian defeated Unity, its old Heartland Christian Conference rival, 50-0 last week. Junior QB OWEN PITTS accounted for 200 yards and 5 total TDs. Senior SAWYER VAN ES was credited with 21 total tackles. Cedar Ridge beat Abundant Life 54-28 last week.
Guy Perkins (0-0) at BLEVINS (0-0): Third-year team Blevins, under first-year coach ALBERT BEARD, plays the program’s first home game on Friday. Blevins is led on the field by HAYDEN POWELL, who rushed for 1,128 yards last season, when Blevins finished 3-4. Guy-Perkins, winless last fall, returns 7 starters on both sides, including 3 offensive linemen, led by senior GUS MCGEE, giving second-year coach TONY VARNELL reason for optimism.
No. 4 IZARD COUNTY (0-0) at Dermott (0-1): Izard County moves back to 8-man after spending 2 years in the 2A conference. Izard County was successful in its previous tour in the 8-Man game, reaching the semifinals and winning a state title. First-year Coach CARR HILL was part of that 2022 championship staff, which utilized an innovative Air Raid offense. Sophomore QB KANE JOHNSON played as a freshman. Junior WR JAMES DOWN will be a big-time playmaker for the Cougars this year. Dermott lost to River Oaks last week, 52-6. Senior NATHAN BRONNER scored on a 45-yard touchdown run last Friday.
Arkoma (Okla.) at JC WESTSIDE: JC Westside struggled last week in a 58-6 loss to Quinton (Okla.). Junior LOGAN MEELER scored the Rebels’ only TD. Westside’s opponent, Arkoma (Okla.) went 3-8 last season.
Gans (Okla.) at No. 5 MAGAZINE (0-0): Magazine is another team that moved from 11-man to 8-man this past offseason. Head coach RYAN CHAMBERS led the Rattlers to a 6-win 11-man season in 2025, but the low number of players ultimately led Magazine to switch to 8-man. All-conference senior DANIEL GREEN is Magazine’s best all-around player, with 11 total TDs and 1,300 all-purpose yards last fall. Gans (OK) went 2-7 last season.
Midland (0-0) at ROSE BUD (0-0): Rose Bud is moving from Club 8-man to AAA Sanctioned 8-man. Head coach GARRETT HAAG says that they were down to 12 players before the freshmen moved up. One of those freshmen was QB KADE WORTHAM, who got significant playing time toward the end of the season. Midland also dealt with injuries last season, leading to the cancellation of 3 games. Senior BRODEN BONSELL looks to be the starting QB. Midland is only 2 years removed from its 2024 state championship appearance.
OPEN: No. 10 South Side Bee Branch (0-1)
EAST
Friendship Aspire (0-1) at No. 9 BRINKLEY (0-0): Brinkley played with a 12-man roster last year and still made the playoffs. The Tigers started 1-2 before winning 4 in a row. Senior ALANDE DAVIS will get the start at running back, with junior lefty ZANDER SMITH starting at QB. Friendship Aspire lost to No. 1 Corning 70-12 last Friday. RASHAWD SMITH caught an 85-yard TD in the loss.
No. 2 CEDAR RIDGE (1-0) at Cave City (1-0): “The Backwood Barnburner” takes place for the second time. The 30-minute proximity between the schools makes it 2 of the closest 8-Man matchups. Cedar Ridge is coming off a 54-28 victory over Abundant Life, led by senior DAWSON ENGLES’ 3 TDs. Cave City beat Rector 38-12 in Week 0’s Game of the Week. Senior DAWSON JOHNSON ran for 179 yards and 4 TDs. Cedar Ridge won last year, 56-38.
No. 1 CORNING vs. No. 7 Lafayette County. See Hootens.com Game of the Week.
Midland (0-0) at ROSE BUD (0-0): See game notes, above.
OPEN: Rector (0-0), Marvell (0-0)
SOUTH
BLEVINS (0-0) at Guy Perkins (0-0): See game notes, above.
No. 4 IZARD COUNTY (0-0) at Dermott (0-0): See game notes, above.
Friendship Aspire (0-1) at No. 9 BRINKLEY (0-0): See game notes, above.
No. 1 CORNING (1-0) vs No. 7 Lafayette County (1-0). See Hootens.com Game of the Week.
OPEN: Woodlawn (1-0), Strong (0-0), Hermitage (0-1)