Class 2A Week 12 Rankings, Matchups and Selections

Class 2A Rankings

Week 12, 2025

RK-PV Team (Record; Week 11 Result)

1. ↔ 1. East Poinsett County (10-1; Conway Christian 49-7)
2. ↔ 2. Junction City (10-1; beat Bearden 65-12)
3. ↔ 3. Mount Ida (10-1; beat McCrory 45-8)
4. ↔ 4. Carlisle (10-1; beat Spring Hill 47-6)
5. ↔ 5. Cross County (9-2; beat Bigelow 49-0)
6. ↑  8. Poyen (7-4; beat Gurdon 40-37)
7. ↑  9. Des Arc (7-4; beat Hector 58-36)
8. ↑ 16. Mineral Springs (5-6; beat Hampton 32-6)
9. ↓  6. Hampton (9-2; lost to Mineral Springs 32-6)
10. ↓  7. Hector (9-2; lost Des Arc 58-36)
11. ↓ 10. Bearden (6-5; lost to Junction City 65-12)
12. ↓ 11. Bigelow (4-7; lost to Cross County 49-0)
13. ↓ 12. Conway Christian (5-6; lost to East Poinsett County 49-7)
14. ↓ 13. McCrory (6-5; lost to Mount Ida 45-8)
15. ↓ 14. Gurdon (6-5; lost to Poyen 40-37)
16. ↓ 15. Spring Hill (5-6; lost to Carlisle 47-6) 
17. ↔ 17. Murfreesboro (5-5; did not qualify for playoffs)
18. ↔ 18. Foreman (4-6; did not qualify for playoffs)
19. ↔ 19. Earle (5-5; did not qualify for playoffs)
20. ↔ 20. Magazine (6-4; did not qualify for playoffs)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

2-2A (2) Cross County (9-2) at 3-2A (1) JUNCTION CITY (10-1)

Junction City won 36-22 when these teams met in the first round last fall.

Cross County, coached by Van Paschal, has won 5 in a row since losing to No. 1 East Poinsett County 20-16 on Oct. 10. 

Cross County routed Bigelow 49-0 behind Caden Crafford (249 rushing, 4 TDs) and Braxton Armstrong (190 rushing, 3 TDs).

Paschal, who has coached at Brinkley, Barton,  Sheridan, DeQueen, Monticello, Wynne and Heber Springs, says his team will be more prepared this season — for the travel (nearly 4-hour bus ride) and Junction City’s talent than it was last fall.

“We know how to get down there, and we know how they play,” Paschal says. “We’ve just got to do what we do. I’ll be honest: I don’t think everybody thought it was do-able last year. If you don’t believe, you’re not going to achieve. That’s the bottom line. I think this year is different. I think everybody on the bus will have a different mindset.”

Paschal says the Dragons are as big and fast as they were in 2024. 

“They look good in a suit, but I’ve seen teams like that before,” he says. “You’ve got to play hard. At this stage in the game, it boils down to always turnovers. Penalties are big and huge, especially with what we do offensively. We can’t give up big plays. They are going to get some because they’ve got a lot of playmakers. We’ve got to put points on the board when we get it, and hold them to less than what they’ve been getting. If we do that, we’ve got a chance.”

Junction City beat Bearden 65-12 in the first round, totaling 594 yards of total offense, including 516 yards rushing. Defensively, the Dragons intercepted 4 Bearden passes. 

QB Dakorey Larry passed for 74 yards and a TD and rushed for 101 yards and a TD. Dakylan Hampton had 3 TDs, 5 tackles and an INT. Zamundrae Gray, Nemo Caldwell, Jakorey Larry, Brennan Lee and Cam Flowers. 

Junction City Coach Devin Ball says he knows Paschal and his staff will have the Thunderbirds ready. “We will be prepared to give them the contest they deserve,” Ball says.

Cross County is one of the few Class 2A teams that can match Junction City physically after competing in the 2-2A, which one coach called the SEC of 2A football. But Junction City, with its size, speed and home-field advantage, may have the edge.

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly predicted 6 of 8 Class 2A games (75 percent) and has correctly predicted 154 of 186 games (83 percent) for the season.

TOP HALF OF BRACKET

3-2A (4) Mineral Springs (5-6) at 2-2A (3) DES ARC (7-4): Mineral Springs has won 4 consecutive games after upsetting No. 1 seed Hampton 32-6 in the first round. Freshman Jamerian Staton (10-117 rushing, 2 TDs) and Keithen Dixon (rushing TD) led on offense. Christian Matlock (10 tackles) and Cayden Collins (forced safety) led the defense. Mineral Springs Coach Jarrod Jackson says his team is playing its best ball, as evidenced by its victory over a Hampton team that entered the game 9-1. “Des Arc comes in as a 3 seed, with their power running game,” Jackson says. “If we’re going to win, we’ll have to play smart, disciplined, assignment football for 4 quarters and our guys are ready for that fight.” Des Arc upset then-No. 7 Hector 58-36. Jamie Collins (35-197 rushing, 2 TDs; TD reception) led the offense, along with Cane Childers and Hudson Goodman, who each rushed for more than 100 yards. Des Arc Coach Nick Smith says he knows his team is in for a fight. “They have some really athletic kids,” Smith says. “It’s just something that we’ve got to be ready for defensively.”

2-2A (2) Cross County (9-2) at 3-2A (1) JUNCTION CITY (10-1). See Hootens.com Game of the Week, above.

BOTTOM HALF OF BRACKET

4-2A (3) Poyen (7-4) at 2-2A (1) EAST POINSETT COUNTY (10-1): Poyen was another team that went on the road and won in the first round, beating Gurdon 40-37. QB Colt Barrett passed for 318 yards and 2 TDs. He also rushed for 78 yards and a TD. Austin Harness rushed for 2 TDs. “They are a great football team with lots of tradition and are very well coached,” Poyen Coach Vick Barrett says of EPC, which beat Conway Christian 49-7 in a rematch of last year’s 2A title game. Eli Blagg (8-13 passing, 126 yards, 3 TDs) and Dee Buchanan (11-107 rushing, TD) and Jacob Gaines (13-96 rushing, TD) led the offense. “I know they have a really talented QB,” EPC Coach Brandon Powell says of Colt Barrett. 

4-2A (2) Carlisle (10-1) at 1-2A (1) MOUNT IDA (10-1): The Carlisle Bison beat Spring Hill 47-6 last week after a sluggish start, with Zayden Hale rushing for 3 TDs and Jimmy Cham making 2 FGs. Carlisle Coach Gary Wilson says the Bison cannot afford another slow start. “Offensively, we’ve got to find a way to get it started before the third quarter, because if we go down there to Mount Ida, and we don’t play well in the first half, we won’t be in position to make the fourth quarter matter.” Mount Ida beat McCrory 45-8, led by Dalton Young (8-111 rushing, TD; 11 tackles), Brady Rowland (3 sacks) and Cain McCullough (87 rushing, 2 TDs). “Carlisle is a tradition-rich program that expects to win,” Coach Mike White says. “We must play sound defense and tackle well in space. Offensively, we must execute our offense to perfection and win the line of scrimmage.”