Class 6A Week 11 Rankings, Playoff Matchups and Selections
Class 6A Rankings
Week 11, 2025
RK. – PV. TEAM (RECORD; WEEK 10 RESULT)
1. ↔ 1. Greenwood (10-0; beat Mountain Home 42-10)
2. ↔ 2. Shiloh Christian (8-2; beat Van Buren 51-7)
3. ↔ 3. Mountain Home (8-2; lost to Greenwood 42-10)
4. ↔ 4. Sylvan Hills (9-1; beat LR Catholic 50-22)
5. ↔ 5. Benton (8-2; beat Marion 38-21)
6. ↔ 6. El Dorado (7-3; beat Sheridan 62-23)
7. ↑ 8. Jonesboro (6-4; beat West Memphis 56-25)
8. ↑ 9. Van Buren (5-5; lost to Shiloh Christian 51-7)
9. ↓ 7. Marion (6-4; lost at Benton 38-21)
10. ↔ 10. FS Southside (5-5; beat Siloam Springs 37-31)
NOT RANKED
6A EAST: LR Catholic (2-8), Sheridan (3-7), W. Memphis (0-10)
6A WEST: Lake Hamilton (3-7), Siloam Springs (3-7), Russellville (0-10)
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked all 8 games (100 percent) involving Class 6A teams, and has picked 88 of 102 games (86 percent) in 2025.
CLASS 6A GAME OF THE WEEK
E5 Marion (6-4, 4-3) at W4 VAN BUREN (5-5, 4-3)
This is the third playoff meeting between these schools in the past 6 seasons. Marion beat Van Buren in the 2020 Class 6A quarterfinals 55-34 to advance to the semifinal round for the second time. Van Buren returned the favor last November, scoring with a little more than a minute left to eliminate Marion 29-26. This is the first meeting of these schools in Van Buren.
Marion’s 2-game winning streak ended in last week’s 38-21 loss at 6A East co-champion Benton. The Panthers scored 21 unanswered points after the break to lead 35-21 early in the fourth period. Marion got touchdowns from Zadean Wilson, and 2 from tailback Rico Ward to account for the scoring. Patriots senior defensive lineman Makhi Guyton came up with a sack, fumble recovery, and blocked field goal; senior defensive back Brian Benford, Jr., intercepted a pass.
Van Buren has lost 3 consecutive games after falling 51-7 at 6A West runners-up Shiloh Christian. The Pointers trailed 16-0 after a quarter, and 51-7 at halftime. Van Buren QBs Hayden Williford and Tristan Ray combined to complete 24 of 41 passes for 205 yards and a TD with 4 interceptions. The Pointers rushed 16 times for 15 yards. Seven Van Buren receivers caught passes against Shiloh Christian, led by Austin Riggs (8-42) and Toray Williford (4-74 receiving, TD). Blayne Pruitt (5 tackles against Shiloh Christian), Donovan Akins (4) and Jaxson Silvers (4) led on defense. This feels like an even game in many respects, but the long bus trip and Van Buren’s 4-1 home mark so far in 2025 is enough to create the edge here.
TOP OF BRACKET
East No. 1 seed Sylvan Hills has a first-round playoff bye and will host the Marion-Van Buren winner on Nov. 21.
E5 Marion (6-4, 4-3) at W4 VAN BUREN (5-5, 4-3): See Hootens.com Class 6A Game of the Week, above.
West No. 2 seed Shiloh Christian has a first-round playoff bye and will host the Lake Hamilton-El Dorado winner on Nov. 21.
W6 Lake Hamilton (3-7, 2-5) at E3 EL DORADO (7-3, 5-2): These schools haven’t played since El Dorado won 48-27 in the 2021 state quarterfinals en route to that season’s Class 6A state title. Lake Hamilton punched its 2025 playoff ticket last week with a 61-14 road victory at Russellville. The Wolves led the Cyclones 20-0 after a quarter, 47-8 at halftime, and 54-8 after 3 quarters. Lake Hamilton rolled up 589 yards against Russellville, including 328 passing and 261 rushing. Sophomore QB Jace Bohannan (8-8 passing, 328 yards, 4 TDs) threw 2 TDs to J.J. Johnson, and 1 to Coy Autrey and Hunter Edgmon. Bohannan’s 328 passing yards rank fourth on Lake Hamilton’s single-game passing list.. Three Wolves ran for 58 yards or more, including Johnson, Autrey, and Braxton Schmidt. Blaine Sears and Latrell Conley each recorded 8 tackles. “We need to run the ball and play defense,” Lake Hamilton Coach Tommy Gilleran says. “If we keep the ball, it gives them less time to score. They have an elite RB and a huge offensive line.” El Dorado clinched the No. 3 playoff seed last with a 62-23 win at Sheridan, shutting the Yellowjackets out in the second half and stopping Sheridan on 9 of 12 fourth-down plays. Marcevious Ishmeal (13 tackles, 2 pass deflections), Jakaden Kemp (7 tackles, forced fumble, recovered fumble) and Spencer Poole (6 tackles, INT. return for TD) led on defense. Wildcats QB Cannon Jacobs and tailback Jeremy Samuel helped El Dorado average more than 38 points per game in 2025. El Dorado continues to impress in 2025, and its defense causes chaos in this week’s playoff opener.
BOTTOM OF BRACKET
West No. 1 seed Greenwood has a first-round bye and will host the winner of Friday’s FS Southside-Jonesboro matchup on Nov. 21.
W5 SOUTHSIDE (5-5, 3-4) at E4 Jonesboro (5-5, 4-3): These teams have not met in at least 25 years. Jonesboro earned the East’s No. 4 playoff seed and a home playoff game by beating West Memphis 56-25 last Friday night. The Hurricane led 21-6 after the first quarter, 49-18 at halftime, and 56-18 to open the fourth quarter. Jonesboro QB Asa Myers completed 10 of 15 passes for 167 yards with 4 TDs and zero interceptions against West Memphis. Tailback T.J. Brown (15-160 rushing, TD) and WR Kameron Davis (7-150 receiving, 3 TDs) helped lead the offense. Kenneth Douglas (9 tackles against West Memphis) and Noah Wendel (7 stops) led on defense. Fort Smith Southside outlasted Siloam Springs last week 37-31 by rallying in the second half. Mavericks QB Blake Forsgren completed 13 of 19 passes for 136 yards and 2 TDs, and he added 2 TD runs. Terrell Warren ran 14 times for 110 yards. The Mavericks led 21-14 at halftime. Senior 2-way player Peyton Zimmerman delivers big plays at receiver and in the secondary; Wilson Key makes clutch plays at receiver. LBs Ethan Dunn and Malachi Warren and safety Layden Rowe anchor the Mavericks defense. “Jonesboro is athletic and well coached on defense,” FS Southside Coach Kim Dameron says. “They have hit some explosive plays running the ball and on the RPO. It’s definitely a challenge for us in all 3 phases. We have to be able to run the ball and not turn it over.” FS Southside deals with the 512-mile round-trip, mixing the run and pass to win a low-scoring game in Craighead County.
East No. 2 seed Benton has a first-round bye and hosts the winner of the Sheridan-Mountain Home game on Nov. 21.
E6 Sheridan (3-7, 2-5) at W3 MOUNTAIN HOME (8-2, 5-2): This is a rematch of a first-round playoff game of a season ago, when Mountain Home rallied in the fourth quarter to a 57-50 victory. Sheridan hung with El Dorado for a half last week, but the Yellowjackets did not score after halftime in a 62-23 home defeat. Sheridan rolled up 447 offensive yards, including 302 passing yards on 29 of 59 attempts. The Yellowjackets get good play weekly from sophomore QB Easton Barksdale, tailback Zay Stephens, receiver J.P. Black, and offensive linemen Eythan Cowden and Bradley Sturdivant. Sheridan’s defense is anchored by Jaxson Delk, Reid Stevens, Ross Stevens and Lawson Wallingsford. Mountain Home fell to top-ranked Greenwood 42-10 last week. The Bombers got a 19-yard TD pass from senior QB Brantlee Phillips, a Southeast Missouri State, to Carter Adkins, and a 25-yard field goal from Isaac Ballard. Adkins has caught 8 TD passes this season. Blake Vacco is the leading tackler for a Bombers defense that has allowed fewer than 20 points per game. “They have their own style,” Mountain Home Coach Steve Ary says of Sheridan. “We have to score points with them, and recover onside kicks. We have to be ready for anything.” This game could turn into a shootout, and both teams are equipped for it. We like the Bombers this week at home, where Mountain Home was 4-1 during the regular year.