Class 2A Week 9 Rankings and Selections

HOOTENS.COM

Class 2A, Week 9

RK — PR. TEAM (RECORD, WEEK 8 RESULTS)

1. ↔ 1. Mount Ida (9-0, beat Magnet Cove 22-14) 
2. ↔ 2. Baptist Prep (8-0, beat Carlisle 14-12)
3. ↔  3. Earle (7-1, beat Marked Tree 34-32)
4. ↔  4. Marked Tree (6-2, lost to Earle 34-32)
5. ↔  5. Gurdon (6-2, beat Spring Hill 48-20)
6. ↔  6. Dierks (7-1, beat Foreman 43-34)
7.  ↑   8. Des Arc (6-2, beat Marianna 52-6)
8.  ↑   9. Hazen (6-2, beat Bearden 30-6)
9.  ↓   7. Bearden (5-3, lost to Hazen 30-6)
10.  ↑  12. East Poinsett County (5-3, beat Clarendon 66-40)
11. ↔ 11. Magnet Cove (5-3, lost to Mount Ida 22-14)
12. ↔ 12. Bigelow (4-4, was idle)
13. ↔ 13. Hector (5-3, beat Mountainburg 34-20)
14. ↔ 14. Carlisle (4-4, lost to Baptist Prep 14-12)
15. ↔ 15. England (5-2, beat LR Episcopal 54-17)
16. ↔ 16. Poyen (6-2, beat Hampton 36-0)
17. ↔ 17. Junction City (3-6, beat Murfreesboro 40-6)
18. ↔ 18. Clarendon (4-4, lost to EPC 66-40)
19. ↔ 19. Foreman (4-4, lost to Dierks 43-34)
20. ↔ 20. Mineral Springs (3-5, was idle)

NOT RANKED

1-2A: Mountain Pine (0-8), Hackett (2-6), Mountainburg (2-6)

2-2A: Cross County (4-4), Marianna (1-7), McCrory (0-8)

3-2A: Spring Hill (1-7), Murfreesboro (1-7)

4-2A: LR Episcopal (1-7), Hampton (0-8)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 8 Hazen (6-2) at No. 15 ENGLAND (5-2)

Both teams are 3-2 in 4-2A play, along with Bearden, Carlisle and Poyen. Baptist Prep controls the conference race, and the other 5 teams listed are battling for playoff seeds 2-4. The winner of this game takes a big step toward securing a playoff spot; everything comes down to Week 10. 

Hazen comes off a surprising 30-6 win over highly ranked Bearden. Noah Adkins, who fought through a stomach bug, finished with 155 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 12 carries. Dalton Jones rushed for a TD and passed for another to Blade Brown. The Hornets also got a FG from Luis Dubon.

This has been a bounce-back season for England as well as Hazen. The Lions, under second-year coach Marquez Jackson, have been competitive in every game, even the loss to Baptist Prep. 

England beat LR Episcopal last week as QB Dallys Woods passed for 331 yards and 7 TDs; Kevin Strong had 220 receiving yards and 3 TDs; and Jarvis Drayer caught 8 passes for 174 yards and 4 TDs. He also intercepted 2 passes. 

“We understand what’s at stake, especially with so many teams tied,” England Coach Jackson says. “So, there’s little room for error. Our focus will be on controlling what we can, executing, playing physical and limiting mental mistakes. 

“We respect Hazen, but we believe in our guys and the work they’ve put in.”

If Hazen can keep the ball away from England’s playmakers with long, sustained drives, the Hornets will have a chance. 

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly predicted 12 of 14 Class 2A games (86 percent). and has correctly predicted 115 of 152 games (76 percent) for the season.

1-2A

No. 11 MAGNET COVE (5-3, 4-1) at Mountain Pine (0-8, 0-5): Magnet Cove will be the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. It lost last week to top-ranked Mount Ida by a TD. Zane Cardenas scored both Panthers TDs. He also had 6 tackles. Mountain Pine fell to Hackett 43-14. Gavin Ventress had 11 tackles, an interception, and a tackle for loss. Adrian Clayborn caught a 28-yard TD pass. 

Hackett (2-6, 1-3) at No. 13 HECTOR (5-3, 2-2): Hackett beat Mountain Pine last week for its first conference win. They are technically still alive for the playoffs but will need a lot of help over the final 2 weeks. Tomas Ruiz rushed for 93 yards and 2 TDs; Remington Hodges had 7 tackles, a sack, returned an INT for TD and 2 fumble recoveries. Hector can clinch a playoff spot with a win. Cayden Manrique rushed for 197 yards and a TD while Hudson McAlister rushed for 153 yards and 3 TDs in the Wildcats’ win over Mountainburg. Easton Pruitt led Hector with 10 tackles. 

Mountainburg (2-6, 1-3) at No. 12 BIGELOW (4-4, 2-2): Mountainburg is still alive for a playoff spot but will need 2 wins and some help. Last week, the Dragons lost to Hector as Easton Overbey passed for a TD and ran for another; Brayden Dudley scored 2 TDs and had 12 tackles; Hayden McGill and Daniel Soule each had 11 tackles. Bigelow can clinch a playoff spot with a win. Two weeks ago, the Panthers lost to Magnet Cove. Wrangler Manes (115 yards, 3 TDs), Nathan Brackett (18 tackles) and Guy Starks (16 tackles) were the statistical leaders.

OPEN No. 1 Mount Ida

2-2A

Cross County (5-3, 2-3) at No. 3 Earle (7-1, 5-0): Cross County is tied for fifth with Clarendon and needs to win out and get some help to make the playoffs. The Thunderbirds beat McCrory last week behind Koby Walker (227 rushing, 4 TDs), Ryan Lamb (2 TDs) and Caden Finley (10 tackles). Earle won a wild game over Marked Tree to stay perfect in conference. The Bulldogs can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win Friday. 

No. 7 DES ARC (6-2, 4-1) at McCrory (0-8, 0-5): Des Arc scored early and often when beating Marianna and clinching a playoff spot. It could force a tie for first, but must first beat McCrory, then Earle, in Week 10. CJ Willhite rushed for 115 yards and 2 TDs; Luke McIntosh had 2 TDs. McCrory lost to Cross County as Cameron Welch threw a TD pass; Caden Ayers rushed for 84 yards and a TD on 12 carries. 

No. 4 MARKED TREE (6-2, 4-1) at No. 18 Clarendon (4-4, 2-3): Marked Tree came up short in a battle for first against Earle last week, but the Indians have clinched a playoff spot. PJ Powell rushed for 114 yards and passed for 101 yards; Deangelo Risper scored 2 TDs; Demarion White returned a KO 70 yards for a TD and Dontavous White returned an interception 101 yards for a score. Clarendon is on the outside of the playoff race. The Lions lost to EPC 66-40 last week. Kyle James threw 4 TD passes, 3 to Brennan Hampton. Rod Stewart caught the other. Maliki Horns returned a KO for a TD. 

Marianna (1-7, 0-5) at No. 10 EAST POINSETT COUNTY (5-3, 3-2): Marianna fell to Des Arc 52-6 last week; EPC beat Clarendon 66-40. Ryder Gill rushed for 190 yards and 5 TDs and caught a 50-yard TD pass. Kavon James had 201 yards rushing. Jeb Holliman had 197 yards. AJ Johnson and Brody Daniel each intercepted a pass. The Warriors can clinch a playoff spot with a win.

3-2A

No. 6 DIERKS  (7-1, 4-0) at Mineral Springs (3-5, 2-2): Dierks has clinched a playoff spot but is eyeing a showdown for the 3-2A title next week against Gurdon. QB Maclane Smith passed for 213 yards and 3 TDs against Foreman, and rushed for 2 TDs and 2 2-point conversions. Jason Bailey led Dierks with 9 tackles. Mineral Springs was idle last week. Two weeks ago, the Hornets lost to Gurdon 55-16. Courtney Thomas rushed for 167 yards and 2 TDs. The Hornets can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Murfreesboro this week or next. 

No. 19 Foreman (4-4, 3-2) at No. 5 GURDON (6-2, 4-0): Foreman has all but clinched a playoff spot as the Gators enter their final conference game. Last week, Foreman lost a wild one to Dierks. QB Briley Shoals passed for 281 yards and 5 TDs; Hayden Easter caught 6 passes for 118 yards and 3 TDs; Gunner Phillips had 7 tackles and 2 INTs. Gurdon has already clinched a playoff spot and will play for the conference title next week against Dierks, no matter what happens this week. Last week, the Go Devils beat Spring Hill 48-20. Braxton Nolan rushed for 164 yards and 3 TDs. Demonta Smallwood had 105 yards and a TD. 

Spring Hill (1-6, 0-5) at MURFREESBORO (1-7, 0-4): Spring Hill’s Lucas Smith caught 3 passes for 82 yards in the Bears’ loss to Gurdon last week. Murfreesboro played without 11 starters and lost 40-6 to Junction City. “I was super proud of my kids. It took them all 4 quarters to get to 40,” Coach Jay Turley says. 

OPEN No. 17 Junction City (3-6, 2-3)

4-2A

No. 9 BEARDEN (5-3, 3-2) at No. 14 Carlisle (4-4, 3-2): Bearden fell into a 5-way tie for third place with a 30-6 loss to Hazen. The Bears played without 2 starters who were ejected against Baptist Prep the prior week. Matthew Chambers scored the Bears’ only TD in the first quarter. Carlisle is the only team to truly test Baptist Prep this season, leading in the third quarter before falling 14-12. Bison QB Michael Spingola rushed for 299 yards and a TD, but the loss left Carlisle in third place, along with Bearden, Hazen, Poyen, and England. Bison kicker Jimmy Cham kicked 2 first-half FGs.  

No. 2 BAPTIST PREP (8-0, 5-0) at No. 16 Poyen (6-2, 3-2): Baptist Prep can clinch the conference title and No. 1 seed with a win after beating Carlisle last week. QB Titus Benson passed for 180 yards and a TD and ran for 122 yards and the other Baptist TD. Boaz Benson had 21 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. Poyen can throw things into a tizzy with a win. Last week, the Indians beat Hampton in a game that was stopped at halftime because of injuries. Walker Smith and Barrett Clifton led Poyen with 2 TDs each. 

No. 8 Hazen (6-2, 3-2) at No. 15 ENGLAND (5-2, 3-2): See Hootens.com Game of the Week.

LR EPISCOPAL (1-7, 0-5) at Hampton (0-8, 0-5): Little Rock Episcopal is coming off a 54-17 loss to England. Injuries forced Hampton to stop the game at halftime with Poyen. Rhys Winters caught 2 passes for 22 yards. Hampton Coach Nick Palese says he will move up freshmen to the high school team after Thursday’s final junior high game.