8-Man Picks

Published On: August 26, 2025Categories: Featured, High School, Rankings and Picks

8-man rankings

2025 Week 0

1 Strong (8-0)

2. Rector (3-4)

3. Cedar Ridge (10-2)

4. Brinkley (8-3)

5. Midland (11-1)

OTHERS

Augusta (1-7)

Cave City (3-7)

Corning (7-1)

Dermott (2-6)

Guy-Perkins (1-7)

Hermitage (0-8)

Marshall (3-6)

Marvell (3-6)

Rose Bud (2-7)

Southside Bee Branch (4-4)

Subiaco Academy (4-7)

Woodlawn (6-4)

NOTE Cave City drops from 11-man

(Favored teams in ALL CAPS and highlighted)

CEDAR RIDGE at Rose Bud: Cedar Ridge has an all-state senior in Jonas Elms (5-10, 190) at quarterback. Elms moves from wide receiver, where he had 500 yards receiving and 500 yards rushing and passing. He rushed for 7 TDs and caught 6 TD passes. Elms is supported by Cash Martin, who had 300 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns and TE Wesley Horton, who had 250 yards receiving and 2 TDs. Horton had more than 100 tackles at defensive tackle and is expected to be double-teamed. The player to watch for Rose Bud is junior running back Daxton Clark, who transferred from Heber Springs.

Dermott at MIDLAND: Midland, which was state runner-up a year ago, has a returning starting quarterback in Chase Rascoe, who has 4.7 speed in the 40 and will be joined by running back Jayce Adams, who had 106 yards in the state championship game. Dermott, which was down to 11 players a year ago because of injuries, has 3 players with excellent speed in the backfield with quarterbacks Dajoyn Brown and Braden Ford, who possess 4.5 speed. Running back Anthony Richardson Jr. reportedly has 4.3 speed.

Hermitage at SOUTHSIDE BEE BRANCH (Thursday): Southside Bee Branch made its football debut a year ago and went 4-4 and return 3 big linemen in senior center Ballard Hall (6-1, 235), sophomore Jacob Barnes (6-3, 250) and sophomore Jake Swiney (5-9, 240). Hermitage has a new coach in Robert Allen and is coming off a season that was limited to 3 games because of injuries.

Brinkley at CORNING: Corning features QB/RB Connor LeGrand, who also runs track and plays basketball. LeGrand is joined by Jagger George (5-9, 155), Owen Burkhart (5-9, 175) and Braeden Hollis (5-11, 170). WR Carson Dodson (5-6, 150), has the ability to go deep. Brinkley has 2 running backs with 4.7 speed in Omarion Palmer and Ricklynn Allison. Brinkley’s defensive line has 4 returning starters led by end Keithan James.

Cave City at MARSHALL: Cave City drops from Class 4A to 8-man. Coach Tommy Cody says the big issue was being down to 5 healthy linemen, with only a week before the season begins. “This is going to be a learning experience for us because you have a bunch of players who’ve never played 8-man and a coach who’s never coached 8 man,” Cody says of the Cavemen, who have a 20-man roster. The school will re-evaluate after the season, Cody says, as to whether to move back to 11-man football. Marshall features speedy slot receiver Jake Massey, who is a transfer from Harrison and has 3 big returning linemen in Kaleb Spurlock (6-3, 230), Brody Smith (6-0, 250) and Adam Branscum (5-10, 260).

Southwest Christian at SUBIACO ACADEMY: Subiaco Academy will start a sophomore quarterback in Chris Berg, who will be flanked by an 1,100-yard running back in John Crank (4.6 speed) and Landon Koch,who rushed for more than 800 yards last year.