Class 7A Week 4 Rankings and Selections

7A Rankings

Week 4, 2025

RK-PV TEAM (RECORD) Week 3 Result

1. ↔  1. Bryant (3-0; did not play)
2. ↔ 2. Bentonville (3-0; beat Lee’s Summit, Mo., North 42-28)
3. ↔ 3. Fayetteville (2-1; lost 42-29 to Texas High (Texarkana)
4. ↔ 4. Rogers (3-0; did not play)
5. ↔ 5. Bentonville West (2-1; did not play)
6. ↔ 6. Conway (2-1; did not play)
7. ↔ 7. LR Christian (2-1; beat Class 6A West Memphis 51-0)
8. ↔ 8. Pulaski Academy (0-3; lost to Highland Park, Texas, 58-26)
9. ↔  9. Cabot (0-3; did not play last week)
10. ↔ 10. LR Central (2-1; beat Rogers Heritage 48-26)

NOT RANKED
7A Central: LR Southwest (0-3), North LR (1-2)
7A West: Springdale (1-2), Rogers Heritage (0-3), Springdale Har-Ber (1-2), FS Northside (0-3)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 3 FAYETTEVILLE (2-1) at No. 5 Bentonville West (2-1)

Top 5 teams collide in this 7A West opener, with the Purple Dogs traveling to Bentonville West. Coach Casey Dick’s Fayetteville team makes consecutive appearances in the 7A Game of the Week, after losing at Texas High of Texarkana 42-29 in a back-and-forth affair. This game could prove integral to postseason seedings. Fayetteville WR Catavion Taylor and RB Kaleb Johnson have already established themselves as top 7A West weapons. 

Fayetteville faced an uphill fight last week after turning the ball over on downs and via fumble in its first 2 possessions against Texas High: Longhorns RB Tradarian Bell, an Oregon commit, scored touchdowns as a receiver and runner. Fayetteville battled to lead 29-28 early in the fourth before faltering late. 

Bentonville West counters with QB Tre Thompson and a talented skill group. Coach Bryan Pratt’s work has transformed the improving Wolverines into hopeful contenders for the 7A West crown. Dane Renick and Brison Johnson lead a defense that held 6A No. 1 Greenwood to one of its lowest offensive outputs over the past few seasons 2 weeks ago in a 43-42 defeat, which was not decided until the final 5 seconds.

Bentonville West comes out swinging, but Fayetteville wins it in the 4th quarter with poise from junior QB Hank Hendrix.

WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS  (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted)

7A CENTRAL

NR North Little Rock (1-2) at No. 8 PULASKI ACADEMY (0-3) (Thursday): Coach Brad Bolding got his first win back at NLR last Friday as the Charging Wildcats scored the final 28 points in a 42-13 win over Class 6A Catholic. Junior RB Christian Reeves (no relation to acter Christopher Reeves, who played Superman in the first 4 movies) had a breakout performance with 304 yards on 13 carries. He ran for a 92-yard TD on the first series. Pulaski Academy needs a win after dropping its third consecutive to start 2025. Senior QB William Svoboda leads the Bruins, who have lost to Class 5A No. 1 Joe T. Robinson; 31-17 at West Monroe, La. and 58-26 against Texas powerhouse Highland Park. This demanding out-of-conference schedule might give the Bruins an advantage early in conference play, including Thursday night.

No. 1 BRYANT (3-0) at No. 10 LR Central (2-1): Central ended a 38-game losing streak last fall, winning twice, and the Tigers have matched that total in 3 games this fall, providing hope that this matchup with Bryant could be a historic night at a historic venue, Quigley Stadium. Three weeks in, Central boasts playmaking QB Bryson Kennedy, who had 178 yards and 2 TDs last week against Heritage. Ray Stewart had nearly 200 yards of total offense last week with 3 TDs. Bryant’s depth will be the difference, specifically in the backfield. RBs Kolln Robinson and Terry Hodges are a 1-2 punch. Coach Quad Sanders’ Bryant squad is No. 1 until further notice.

No. 9 Cabot (0-3) at No. 7 LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN (2-1): Cabot, much like Pulaski Academy, needs to start 7A Central play with a win after going 0-3 and getting outscored 181-52 in nonconference play. QB Maddox McCrory can make all throws and leads a potent offense. Christian has handled 6A opponents El Dorado and West Memphis. Its lone loss came to a Shiloh Christian team that is comparable to Cabot’s first 3 opponents. Little Rock Christian RB Jackson Ward is a workhorse. Throw out the records; this one is a toss-up, but LR Christian uses the home field to its advantage here.

(NR) LR Southwest (0-3) at No. 6 CONWAY (2-1): LR Southwest lost 35-20 to 6A Fort Smith Southside in Week 3. The Gryphons topped the 200-yard mark on the ground and have established that they can move the ball offensively. QB Derrick Vasser (89 yards) led a slew of rushers. On defense, linebacker Charles Oliver stood out with 10 tackles, a pass breakup, and an interception, earning defensive player of the game honors. Mario Maxwell continues to shine and is considered one of the top all-around playmakers on defense. Conway is still without the services of QB Wesley Tapp, but last week the Wampus Cats blanked Marion 19-0, and they win this one at home.

7A WEST

No. 2 BENTONVILLE (3-0) at (NR) Springdale Har-Ber (1-2): Bentonville won 45-27 last week over Lee’s Summit North (Mo.), making big plays on defense (4 turnovers) and special teams (returning a blocked punt for a TD). Bentonville accounted for more than 450 offensive yards, led by QB Cole Slepecki, who threw for 287 yards and 4 TDs. Conrad Schmitz made big plays in space, grabbing 3 of Slepecki’s TD passes. Har-Ber opened with a loss to Broken Arrow (Okla.), but played well against NWA foes, handling Farmington and dropping a heartbreaker to Greenwood. Bentonville RB Chris Ficklin quietly rushed for over 100 yards a week ago and has a big game at Har-Ber to lead the Tigers on the road.

No. 4 ROGERS (3-0) at (NR) Fort Smith Northside (0-3): Rogers is 3-0 and averaging 57.3 points per Friday night, led by senior QB Jeff Regan, who scored 6 TDs last time out as he led the Mounties to 84 points in a win over 6A Sheridan. Rogers scored 63 in the first half. Northside is winless and needs to play well defensively to stay in this game. The Grizzlies have firepower offensively, led by bruising Warren Bijou, but they cannot afford for this one to turn into a track meet.

(NR) SPRINGDALE (1-2) at (NR) Rogers Heritage (0-3): Springdale’s lone victory came over 6A Van Buren. The Bulldogs lost their Week 0 opener at LR Central, 26-7; Heritage lost last Friday to Central 46-24 at home. Carson Hayter (4.4 speed) is hearing 20 points. This one should be evenly matched. QB Julian Castaneda led a second-half comeback against Central that turned it into a 2-score game.