8-Man Week 2 Rankings and Selections
8-Man Class
Week 2, 2026
- ↔ 1. CORNING (2-0; beat Lafayette Co 44-8)
- ↔ 2. CEDAR RIDGE (2-0; beat Cave City 34-28)
- ↔ 3. WOODLAWN (1-0)
- ↔ 4. IZARD COUNTY (1-0; beat Dermott 46-0)
- ↔ 5. MAGAZINE (1-0; beat Gans, Okla., 37-0)
- ↔ 6. STRONG (0-0; has not played)
- ↑ 9. BRINKLEY (1-0; Beat Friendship Aspire 30-0)
- ↑ 10. SS BEE BRANCH (0-1; did not play)
- ↓ 7. LAFAYETTE COUNTY (1-1; lost to Corning 44-8)
- ↓ 8. ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN (1-1; lost to Abundant Life 40-6)
Not Ranked
West: Guy-Perkins (1-0), Rose Bud (1-0), JC Westside (0-1)
East: Marvell (0-0), Midland (0-1), Rector (0-1)
South: Blevins (0-1), Dermott (0-2), Friendship Aspire (0-2), Hermitage (0-1)
UNSANCTIONED: Cave City (1-1), Barton (0-0)
Hootens.com Game of the Week
No. 5 MAGAZINE (1-0) at JC Westside (0-1): Conference play in 8-Man classification comes next week, but 2 former 1-2A rivals meet in Hartman. This will be the first of 2 games between the Rattlers and Rebels this season, but it’s a nonconference matchup. Magazine is coming off a 37-0 win over Gans (Okla). The Rattlers ran for 236 yards, and senior Daniel Green had a monster game with 3 total touchdowns and an extra 110 passing yards to go with him. Junior Gunner Sterling was a standout on defense with 5 total tackles and a sack in a shutout victory. JC Westside struggled in its season opener, losing 58-6. Junior Logan Meeler scored the Rebels’ lone touchdown. Magazine’s disciplined offensive line and speed at skill positions will be the biggest factors in this game.
WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted)
Hootens.com correctly picked winners in 13 of 17 games last week.
WEST
Southwest Christian (0-0) at No. 10 ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN (1-1): Arkansas Christian looked vulnerable last week against Abundant Life, losing 40-6. Junior Owen Pitts ran for the Knights’ only touchdown and totaled 79 yards. This week, Arkansas Christian takes on their old HCAA Conference opponent, Southwest Christian.
GUY-PERKINS (1-0) at Midland (0-1): Guy-Perkins showed improvement over last season in a 28-12 win over Blevins. Junior Joey Simoncavage scored a 26-yard touchdown. Midland struggled on special teams previously in a 36-18 loss to Rose Bud. Senior Bradley Furlow ran for 154 yards and 2 TDs. Guy-Perkins will have to rely on its athleticism to win, but Midland has the ground control to suffocate the Thunderbirds into a slow game, where the Mustangs play best.
Cave City (1-1) at No. 4 IZARD COUNTY (1-0): Cave City is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Cedar Ridge last week where the Cavemen lost on a walkoff pick six. Senior Dawson Johnson (155 rushing yards) led the offense.. Izard County only played one half against Dermott after a Dermott player went down with a serious injury. The Cougars Air Raid was led by QB Kane Johnson completing 6 of 6 passes for 96 yards and 3 TDs. He also rushed for 42 yards and 2 TDs . Cave City will have to slow down the game, but Izard County’s specialty will be too much.
No. 5 MAGAZINE (1-0) at JC Westside (0-1): See Hootens.com Game of the Week.
Rose Bud (1-0) at No. 3 WOODLAWN (1-0): Rose Bud was able to pull away from Midland last week in a 36-18 win. Senior Eli Jordan and sophomore Kade Wortham were an unstoppable duo in the Ramblers backfield: Jordan rushed for 139 yards and 2 TDs, and Wortham rushed for 120 yards and 2 TDs, in a game that saw the Ramblers rush for 323 yards. Woodlawn also brings a power-running offense with senior Griffin Manes having more than 300 total yards and 3 TDs in a win over South Side Bee Branch. The Bears can throw the ball, with junior Parker Arnold passing for 147 yards and 3 TDs. Woodlawn’s powerful offense will be too much for Rose Bud, which needs to control the clock and make minimal mistakes to keep this one close.
No. 8 SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH (0-1) at Hermitage (0-1): South Side Bee Branch had a week to recover from its 66-62 season-opening loss, but the Hornets still looked like a contender in the process. Junior QB Caden Mahan passed for 130 yards, rushed for 111 and accounted for 5 TDs. Hermitage lost to Caribourne Academy (La.) 2 weeks ago 70-46. The Hornets defense struggled, but the offense is still top 5 within 8-Man and will be too much for Hermitage.
SOUTH
No. 2 CEDAR RIDGE (2-0) at Blevins (0-1): Cedar Ridge is coming off an unforgettable win over Cave City. The Swiss Army knife senior Dawson Engles had his best game with 173 total yards and a TD on offense to go with 3 tackles and the walk-off pick-6 at the end of regulation to win the game 34-28 for the Timberwolves. Blevins lost last Friday to Guy-Perkins, 28-12. Christian Docherty caught both of Blevins TDs from QB John Purtle. Cedar Ridgechampionship dominance will be too much for Blevins this Friday, as the defense will be too much for the Hornets.
No. 7 BRINKLEY (1-0) at Dermott (0-1): Brinkley had a big 30-0 win over Friendship Aspire to open the season. Senior Alande Davis and junior Zayden Smith scored rushing TDs. Dermott had to end its game early against Izard County last Friday after a serious player injury.
No. 8 SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH (0-1) at Hermitage (0-1). See notes in WEST
Barton (0-0) at No. 9 LAFAYETTE COUNTY (1-1): Barton opens their first 8-man season this Friday after dropping to 8-man just a few days before they were scheduled to play Star City in Week 0. Lafayette County lost to Corning last week 44-8. Senior Jayden Sterling scored the Cougars only TD on a 54-yard run late in the game. The Cougars look to bounce back against an inexperienced Barton team.
No. 6 STRONG (0-0) at River Oaks, La. (4-0): Strong opens its 2026 season against a Louisiana foe. The Bulldogs are only 2 years removed from their 2024 state championship season. Strong has not missed the playoffs since AAA sanctioned 8-man football back in 2021.
Rose Bud (1-0) at No. 3 WOODLAWN (1-0). See notes in WEST
OPEN: Friendship Aspire
EAST
No. 2 CORNING (2-0) at Abundant Life (1-1): Corning is coming off a 44-8 win over Lafayette County. Junior QB Jagger George passed for 159 yards and 4 TDs. Junior Eli Wright led the defense with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Abundant Life beat Arkansas Christian 40-6 last week, but Corning’s depth at almost every position will help them win this week.
No. 2 CEDAR RIDGE (2-0) at Blevins (0-1). See notes in SOUTH
No. 7 BRINKLEY (1-0) at Dermott (0-1). See notes in SOUTH
GUY-PERKINS (1-0) at Midland (0-1). See notes in WEST
OPEN: Rector, Marvell