Class 6A Week 8 Rankings and Selections

HOOTENS.COM

WEEK 8, 2026

RK.— PV. TEAM (RECORD; WEEK 7 RESULT)

1. ↑ 2. Sheridan (7-0; beat Searcy 48-45)
2. ↓ 1. Searcy (6-1; lost at Sheridan 48-45) 
3. ↔ 3. Sylvan Hills (5-2; beat W. Memphis 54-27)
4. ↔ 4. Mountain Home (6-1; beat Siloam Springs 40-3)
5. ↔ 5. Benton (4-3; beat El Dorado 49-28)
6. ↔ 6. Van Buren (6-1; beat Russellville 23-14)
7. ↔ 7. Lake Hamilton (5-2; beat LR Southwest 47-7)
8. ↔ 8. El Dorado (4-3; lost to Benton 49-28)
9. ↔ 9. Jonesboro (3-4; beat Marion 49-14) 
10. ↔ NR. FS Southside (2-5; beat LR Catholic 36-35)

NOT RANKED

6A EAST: Marion (1-6), W. Memphis (1-6).

6A WEST: LR Catholic (1-6), Siloam Springs (1-6), LR Southwest (0-7), Russellville (1-6).

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly picked 7 of 8 games (88 percent) last week involving Class 6A teams and has picked 58 of 78 games (75 percent) for the season.

WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS (Favored team in ALL CAPS and HIGHLIGHTED IN ORANGE) 

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 7 Lake Hamilton (5-2, 4-0) at No. 4 MOUNTAIN HOME (6-1, 4-0):

Lake Hamilton holds a 4-2 all-time edge, but Mountain Home has won the past 2 by a combined score of 78-7, including 42-7 in 2025. The winner remains undefeated in 6A West play, and each will play Van Buren (4-0 6A West) over the final 2 weeks of the regular season. Lake Hamilton led Little Rock Southwest 37-0 at halftime last week before winning 47-7 at home. Lake Hamilton junior QB Jace Bohannan (13-18-154 passing, 3 TDs) targeted D.J. Wilson (4-65-2 receiving) and J.J. Johnson (3-26-1) in the passing game. Tailback Braxton Schmidt rushed for 113 yards and 3 TDs on 10 carries. 

Mountain Home limited Siloam Springs to 172 total yards in last week’s 40-3 victory. Bombers sophomore QB Conner Gentry (7-13-83 passing; 10-112-1 rushing) led an offense that featured sophomore Easton Shrable (23-149-1 rushing). Mountain Home senior end Ford Coleman leads the defense. This could be a pivotal game in the 6A West, and we are taking Mountain Home with its stingy defense and home-field advantage. 

6A EAST

Memphis (1-6, 0-4) at No. 8 EL DORADO (3-4, 1-3): El Dorado has won 4 of the last 6 meetings with West Memphis, including the past 2. West Memphis trailed favored Sylvan Hills 14-6 midway through the second period last week en route to a 54-27 home loss. The Blue Devils continue to play without starting QB Andrew Clay, but junior Keaton Troxler filled in nicely, throwing 2 TD passes to Brelene Perkins and using his legs to pick up several first downs. Blue Devils middle linebacker Carelle Miller performs consistently on defense. El Dorado forced 4 Benton turnovers in a 49-28 loss. Wildcats tailback Jaylon Dunn rushed for 113 yards and 3 TDs, and QB Gavin Jacobs connected with Christian Williams for a 49-yard completion to set up another touchdown. The loser faces long odds to make the playoffs, and El Dorado’s ball-hawking defense makes the difference this week.

No. 5 Benton (4-3, 3-1) at No. 2 SEARCY (6-1, 3-1): Benton has won 2 of 3 meetings all time with Searcy, but Searcy bested Benton 28-27 in the 2019 Class 6A state championship game. Benton outgained El Dorado 441-334 last week, surviving 4 turnovers in a 49-28 home victory. Lamarion Bradley (22-190-3 rushing) led the ground attack, while A.P. Lewis (10-104-2 receiving; 89-yard kickoff-return TD) played a major role. Searcy swapped haymakers last week at Sheridan, losing 48-45 in the waning seconds. Junior QB Jacob Miles completed 25 of 32 passes at Sheridan for 372 yards and 5 TDs with 1 interception. Senior tailback Deandre Shockley rushed for 40 yards. Lions senior receiver Jackson Smith (9-240-5 receiving) caught all of Miles’ TD passes; Will Manning caught 9 for 60 yards. Kayden Hickman (13), Will Gaines (11), and Carter Blanchard (10) led the defense. Gaines and Hickman each recorded 2 sacks; sophomore Bryson Allen intercepted a pass. The winner takes a big step toward a first-round playoff bye and a home quarterfinal game, and we are taking Searcy’s explosive offense to win this one. 

No. 9 Jonesboro (3-4, 1-3) at No. 3 SYLVAN HILLS (5-2, 3-1): Sylvan Hills is 6-5 all-time against Jonesboro, including a 49-42 win in 2025. Jonesboro scored the final 42 points of last week’s 49-14 home victory over Marion. The Hurricane got 2 touchdowns apiece from tailback Tevin Olider and QB C.J. Lovelace, and Lovelace tossed a 47-yard TD pass to wideout Jaylen Heard. O’Jay Cullins and Aiden Grimes also rushed for TDs. P.J. Williams returned an interception for a score in the fourth quarter.  Sylvan Hills led West Memphis 14-0 after a quarter and 21-6 at halftime last week, pulling away in the second half for a 54-27 road win. Bears QB Caden Burnett continues distributing the ball to playmakers E.J. Duckery, Jeremiah Carey, Isaiah Howell, and Kaden Williamson. Jonesboro finished strong last week against Marion, but Sylvan Hills is operating at too high a level right now. 

No. 1 SHERIDAN (7-0, 4-0) at Marion (1-6, 1-3): Marion is 6-0 all-time vs. Sheridan, winning 62-52 last fall. Marion led Jonesboro 14-7 just before halftime but eventually lost 49-14. Sophomore athlete Drace McGee scored both Marion touchdowns on runs while lined up at quarterback. Marion defensive backs Colton Kimbel and Kole Clay continue to play well for the Patriots. Sheridan scored with less than 10 seconds remaining to slip by Searcy 48-45, taking over the top spot in the 6A East and the No. 1 spot in this week’s Class 6A rankings. QB Easton Barksdale (38-67-559 passing, 5 TDs, 0 INTs) put up eye-popping numbers, throwing to senior Dylan Smith (7-199-2), Wylie Depriest (7-74-2) and junior Hunter Socia (10-164-1). Senior tailback Zay Stephens carried the ball 23 times for 90 yards and a touchdown. Reid Stevens and Jacob Livingston led the Yellowjackets defense with 7 tackles apiece, with Stevens also intercepting a pass. This is Marion’s Homecoming game, but Sheridan is too much to handle as it chases the 6A East crown. 

6A WEST

No. 7 Lake Hamilton (5-2, 4-0) at No. 4 MOUNTAIN HOME (6-1, 4-0): See Game of the Week for notes.

Siloam Springs (1-6, 1-3) at LR CATHOLIC (1-6, 0-4): Little Rock Catholic, which is 2-0 all-time against Siloam Springs, lost 36-35 last week at Fort Smith Southside as the Mavericks stuffed the Rockets on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion with 13 seconds left in regulation. Rockets QB Phillips Blair (10-13-101 passing, TD; 25-169 rushing, 3 TDs) led the way, with Benny Blomely (6-101-1 receiving) and Luke Burdine (21-79 rushing, TD) pitching in. Siloam Springs trailed Mountain Home 7-3 after a quarter last week, but lost 40-3 at home. Siloam Springs QBs Cooper Hahn (8-17-86 passing) and Emerett Patterson (3-7-47 passing) led the offense. The loser faces long odds to finish in the top 6 and make the playoffs, but the Rockets make enough plays to win at War Memorial Stadium. 

No. 6 VAN BUREN (6-1, 4-0) at LR Southwest (0-7, 0-4): The schools meet for the first time. Little Rock Southwest trailed favored Lake Hamilton 7-0 after a quarter last week, but fell 47-7. Gryphons freshman QB Zykian Brown has provided consistent play in conference games. Van Buren beat Russellville 23-14 after leading by the same score at halftime. Senior QB Hayden Williford (14-20-132 passing; rushing TD) led a balanced Pointers attack that rushed for 174 yards, with Hayden Christenberry (19-82 rushing) leading the way; Williford and Patricio Caudle also added rushing scores. Abe Cone (5-43 receiving) and Drenoun Brouwer (3-41) led the receivers. Jaxson Silvers, Nathan Hunter and T.J. Woodruff each recorded 10 tackles. Little Rock Southwest likely needs to win out to make the playoffs, but a focused Van Buren outfit takes this one. 

No. 10 FS SOUTHSIDE (2-5, 2-2) at Russellville (1-6, 1-3): Fort Smith Southside leads this series 6-4, including a 56-15 victory in 2025. Russellville held Van Buren to 306 yards last week in a 23-14 loss. Cyclones tailback Sam Callahan (35-182-2 rushing) was the offense. Southside won a dramatic 36-35 game over Little Rock Catholic last week, denying the Rockets a go-ahead 2-point conversion with 13 seconds to play. Mavericks QB Michael Nolewajka (13-13-172 passing, TD) kept Southside balanced on offense; sophomore tailbacks Drale Morris and Terrell Warren combined for 31 rushes, 223 yards, and 4 TDs. Senior Sebastian Luht (7-86-1 receiving) caught the winning TD in the fourth quarter. Sawyer Pierce (14); Layden Rowe (12), and Alexander Garcia (11) were Southside’s leading tacklers. Russellville continues to compete with some of the top teams, but Southside wins behind its emerging offense.