Class 2A Week 11 Rankings and Playoff Selections

Published On: November 10, 2026Categories: Featured, High School, News, Rankings and Picks

RK — PR. TEAM (RECORD, WEEK 10 RESULTS)

↔ 1. Mount Ida (10-0; beat Hackett 41-6)
↔ 2. Baptist Prep (10-0; beat LR Episcopal 43-0)
↑ 4. Marked Tree (8-2; beat East Poinsett County 32-14)
↑ 5. Gurdon (8-2; beat Dierks 40-20)
↑ 6. Des Arc (8-2; beat Earle 24-20)
↓ 3. Earle (8-2; lost to Des Arc 24-20)
↔ 7. Hazen (8-2; beat Hampton 58-0)
↔ 8. Dierks (7-3; lost to Gurdon 40-20)
↑ 12. Hector (7-3; beat Bigelow 35-28)
↑ 13. Carlisle (6-4; beat Poyen 47-14)
↑ 9. East Poinsett County (6-4; lost to Marked Tree 32-14)
↑ 10. Magnet Cove (6-4; lost to Foreman 34-22)
↓ 11. Bigelow (5-5; lost to Hector 35-28)
↑ 15. England (6-3; beat Bearden 42-35)
↑ 19. Mineral Springs (5-5; beat Murfreesboro 52-8)
↑ 17. Junction City (4-6; beat Spring Hill 30-6)
↑ 18. Foreman (5-5; beat Magnet Cove 34-22)
↓ 14. Bearden (5-5; lost to England 42-35)
↓ 16. Poyen (6-4; lost to Carlisle 47-14)
↑ NR. Cross County (beat Clarendon 56-34)

NOT RANKED

1-2A: Mountain Pine (0-10); Hackett (2-8), Mountainburg (3-7)

2-2A: Clarendon (4-6), Marianna (2-8), McCrory (0-10)

3-2A: Spring Hill (1-9), Murfreesboro (2-8)

4-2A: LR Episcopal (2-8), Hampton (0-10)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

3-2A (3) DIERKS (7-3) at 1-2A (2) Magnet Cove (6-4): The Dierks Outlaws ended the regular season losing its final 2 games, including a 40-20 loss to Gurdon in the de facto 3-2A title game last week. QB Maclane Smith (151 rushing yards, 3 TDs; 30 passing yards) and Drake Thatcher (18-73 rushing) led on offense. Tristen Godwin led the defense with 10 tackles and Cooper Smith had 7. Magnet Cove Coach Dean Adams says Dierks can not be taken lightly. “They played for a conference championship just last week, so they are not your typical 3 seed,” Adams says. “We can’t play like we did the last game (34-22 nonconference loss to Foreman) and expect to be successful, but I think our players will bounce back and be focused for them.” Nehemiah Norwood rushed for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns; QB Cooper Ballentine threw a TD pass to Parker Scott. Truett Scott had 10 total tackles, and Hayden Jones had 6, including a sack. Bentley Ross and Norwood had 5 tackles each. Both teams like to run the football. The team that controls the clock and converts first downs into points has the best chance to advance to the quarterfinal round.

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly predicted 10 of 15 games (67 percent) and, for the season, has correctly predicted 136 of 181 games (75 percent).

WEEK 11 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted in orange)

TOP HALF OF THE BRACKET

3-2A (4) Junction City (4-6) at 1-2A (1) MOUNT IDA (10-0): This is not a typical first-round matchup as 2 of the state’s top 2A programs meet. Junction City made a late-season run to reach the playoffs, finishing with a 30-6 win over Spring Hill, behind Jermaine Kennedy (154 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and Nemo Caldwell (2 TDs). “Junction City is a very tough matchup for us and anyone else,” Mount Ida Coach Mike White says. “They are big and physical. We will have to play disciplined on both sides, execute our offense and control the clock.” Mount Ida finished the regular season undefeated with a 41-6 rout of Hackett. Kaceston Phimvongsa rushed for 154 yards and a TD; Chris Dorrell had 66 yards rushing and 9 tackles. Both Phimvongsa and Dorrell have rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the season. Mount Ida also intercepted 4 passes, led by Jett Brooks (2) and Hayden Mosher (INT. for TD). “I’m honored to share the field with Coach White again,” Junction City Coach Devin Ball says. “I believe we are the most prepared we can be for this battle.”

4-2A (3) Carlisle (6-4) at 2-2A (2) DES ARC (8-2): Des Arc beat Carlisle 32-24 in the season’s second game. Last week, Carlisle hammered Poyen to earn a playoff spot and a rematch with Des Arc as QB Michael Spingola (124 passing yards; 135 rushing, 5 TDs) and Jayden Elliott (4-103 receiving) sparked the offense; Caydn Mask had 21 tackles. “They know what we’re going to do,” Carlisle Coach BJ Harrison says. “We know what they are going to do. Now it just comes down to execution and who wants it more.” Des Arc knocked off Earle last week to earn the No. 2 seed. QB Hudson Goodman scored 2 TDs while CJ Willhite scored 1. “It’s going to be a classic,” Des Arc coach Nick Smith says. “There’s no doubt about it.”

1-2A (4) Bigelow (5-5) at 3-2A (1) GURDON (8-2): Bigelow ended the regular season with a 35-28 loss to Hector despite the efforts of Wrangler Manes (280 total yards, 3 TDs). Jake Piro had 15 tackles. Gurdon beat Dierks 40-20 last week to win the 3-2A title, with Demonta Smallwood (181 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and Eric Hughes (146 yards, 2 TDs) leading the Go-Devils. “We’re gonna have to play well in all 3 phases this week,” Bigelow Coach Luke Starks says. Gurdon Coach Kyle Jackson says Bigelow will be a challenge. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us, containing their quarterback,” Jackson says. “They are solid on defense and make you work for everything you get. We are going to have to block on the perimeter better than we did last week in order to have any success.”

2-2A (3) EARLE (8-2) at 4-2A (2) Hazen (8-2): Earle is coming off a 24-22 loss to Des Arc last week when a win would have given Earle the 2-2A conference title. Darion Maples (163 yards, 2 TDs) led the Bulldogs’ offense; Xavier Jarrett and Jordyn Williams had 8 tackles each. “They have a lot of weapons,” Hazen Coach Clay Totty says of Earle. “That will be a challenge for us.” Hazen secured the No. 2 seed by shutting out Hampton last week. Dalton Jones rushed for 142 yards and 3 TDs; Noah Adkins had 70 yards and a TD.

BOTTOM HALF OF THE BRACKET

2-2A (4) East Poinsett County (6-4) at 4-2A (1) BAPTIST PREP (10-0): Baptist Prep finished the school’s best regular season and won its first conference title since 2004 with a 43-0 win over LR Episcopal last week. Shep Garrison rushed for 100 yards, and Aaron Fielder had 150 total yards. EPC ended the regular season with a 32-14 loss to Marked Tree. Jeb Holiman passed for 216 yards, including a 55-yard TD pass to Quincy Perry. Hunter Thrasher recovered a fumble for a TD. Ashton Reel led the Warriors with 16 tackles, bringing his total to more than 100 for the season. “This is a huge game this week,” Baptist Prep Coach Riley Perkins says. “They [Warriors] do a great job, and going to 3 straight title games proves that. They have a lot of talent and speed.” EPC Coach Justin Lovell says the Warriors need to play clean football. “We have to quit shooting ourselves in the foot and finish drives,” he says.

1-2A (3) Hector (7-3) at 3-2A (2) MINERAL SPRINGS (5-5): Hector’s Dawson Hall rushed for 108 yards and a TD in the Wildcats’ 35-28 win over Bigelow, securing the 3 seed. Hudson McAlister returned a kickoff 79 yards for a TD. “I think we’re in for a really good football game Friday night,” Mineral Springs Coach Jarrod Jackson says of the matchup with Hector. “I believe the fans will get their money’s worth. We’re excited about the opportunity to keep playing and look forward to the challenge.” Mineral Springs has a .500 record, but wins over Dierks and Murfreesboro to end the season earned it a home game. QB Jamerian Staten (120 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 125 passing, TD) led the way in the win over Murfreesboro. “They are a good football team that is getting hot at the right time,” Hector Coach Tyler Gililland says of Mineral Springs. “We have good memories traveling to Mineral Springs after upsetting them on a big comeback with a late FG in 2023. We’re hoping to take that energy for our trip this week.”

4-2A (4) England (6-3) at 2-2A (1) MARKED TREE (8-2): The England Lions clinched a playoff spot with a 42-35 win over Bearden as QB Dallys Woods rushed for 2 touchdowns and passed for 169 yards and 2 TDs, 1 each to Jarvis Drayer and Kevin Strong. Mason Guess had 13 tackles. “England will have an explosive offense,” Marked Tree Coach Waylon Dunn says. “We will have to play disciplined football and be good tacklers.” Marked Tree finished the 2-2A with 1 loss and earned the No. 1 seed. PJ Powell rushed for 84 yards and 2 TDs in the Indians’ win over EPC last week. DJ Stacy returned a fumble for a touchdown. “Marked Tree is a good football team with a lot of speed and athleticism,” England Coach Marquez Jackson says. “Our biggest challenge this week will be limiting the things they do well and controlling the tempo of the game. Making the playoffs was a goal we set early in the summer, and we are proud to have accomplished that. However, we are not satisfied with simply making it. We want to compete, continue to improve and give ourselves an opportunity to make a deep playoff run.”