Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 10, 2010
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Bearden (7-1)
2. Spring Hill (9-0)
3. Magazine (9-0)
4. Strong (8-1)
5. Danville (8-1)
6. Carlisle (7-2)
7. Junction City (6-3)
8. Magnet Cove (8-1)
9. Parkers Chapel (5-4)
10. Des Arc (6-3)
11. Bigelow (7-2)
12. Hazen (7-2)
13. Horatio (4-5)
14. Mineral Springs (7-2)
15. Norphlet (6-2)
16. England (5-4)
17. McCrory (6-2)
18. Clarendon (6-3)
19. Walnut Ridge (7-1)
20. Gurdon (5-4)
21. Murfreesboro (6-3)
22. E. Poinsett County (6-2)
23. Mountainburg (6-3)
24. Hackett (6-3)
25. Woodlawn (3-5)
26. Cross County (4-4)
27. Mountain Pine (4-5)
28. Mount Ida (3-6)
29. Conway Christian (6-3)
30. Cedar Ridge (4-4)
31. Augusta (5-4)
32. Marked Tree (2-7)
33. Hampton (1-8)
34. Salem (2-7)
35. Palestine-Wheatley (3-6)
36. J.C. Westside (5-4)
37. Union Christian (3-5)
38. Quitman (4-5)
39. Foreman (2-7)
40. Dierks (2-7)
41. Poyen (2-7)
42. Dermott (1-6)
43. Marvell (1-8)
44. Two Rivers (1-8)
45. Western Yell (2-6)
46. Hector (1-8)
47. Hughes (0-9)
48. Hermitage (0-9)
49. Decatur (1-8)
50. Hartford (0-7)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 12 Hazen at No. 6 Carlisle
Just 10 miles separate these rivals on U.S. 70. Carlisle dominated the series from 1988-2003, winning 16 in a row, but the teams have split the past six meetings. Both teams employ punishing running attacks. Carlisle junior Zach King gets the football to senior fullback Ben Walker (124 yards at Des Arc; 172 yards vs. Clarendon), and senior playmaker D.J. Miller. Miller sprinted 52 yards for a touchdown at Des Arc, returned a kickoff 87 yards for a TD at Clarendon, and returned an interception 68 yards for a TD vs. England. Hazen counters with all-state junior RB Matt Tenison (1,360 yards, 21 TDs), junior QB Devin Bonds (107 yards vs. DeWitt) and junior fullback Cameron Vail. Senior playmaker Marcus Smith returned a punt 82 yards and an interception 43 yards for TDs in a 42-12 win over 3-2A champion McCrory. Highlights of the game will be featured 11 a.m. Saturday on FOX 16.

TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs at 11 a.m. Saturday on FOX 16, KFSM Ch. 5, and Saturday afternoon on hootens.com, featuring Hazen at Carlisle and Two Rivers at Magnet Cove.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 22 of 24 (92 percent) involving Class 2A teams. HAFR is 205-48 (81 percent) for the season.

WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
3-2A
Click to watch game highlights from the 3-2A
CEDAR RIDGE (1) at Cross County (Thurs.): The winner grabs the fifth and final playoff berth. Cedar Ridge (third year of varsity football) has won two straight, including a victory over Augusta, which played without leading rusher Ishma Clark. Cross County has struggled with injuries all season. Senior and leading rusher Blake Veasley (ankle) did not play in the second half of last week's 48-24 loss to Walnut Ridge after rushing for 108 yards.
WALNUT RIDGE (10) at Augusta (Thurs.): No. 19 Walnut Ridge ties for the league title for the third time since 1997. It tied McCrory for a conference championship in 1997 and with Marked Tree in 1998. Walnut Ridge last won an outright title in 1977. The 8-2A fifth seed, Parkers Chapel, will provide a stiff first-round test.
MCCRORY (28) at Salem (Thurs.): McCrory successfully defends its league title. With only six seniors on the team, McCrory starts six sophomores, including 1,000-yard rusher Logan Best. Coach Gary Moody calls junior linebacker Cody Davis the top linebacker in the
3-2A.
Hermitage at E. POINSETT COUNTY (35) (Thurs.): No. 22 EPC known for its prolific offense (304 rushing yards per game), but junior A.J. Turner (114 tackles) may be the 3-2A's best defender.
MARKED TREE is open.

4-2A
Click to watch game highlights from the 4-2A
Hartford at HACKETT (42): Streaking Hackett keeps Hartford winless and secures the No. 3 playoff seed, likely playing at No. 18 Clarendon in the first round.
MAGAZINE (35) at Decatur: Third-ranked Magazine repeats as league champion, and the run should continue in 2011 with a talented and experienced junior class coming back. But returning to the state semifinals this year will be difficult with a first-round bye and a probable second-round matchup with No. 4 Strong.
Western Yell at UNION CHRISTIAN (10): Union Christian won seven games in 2009, including a first-round playoff game. It gets back to the playoffs this fall with four wins and a first-round trip to No. 6 Carlisle.
MOUNTAINBURG (15) at Quitman: Mountainburg's stout defensive front did its job this year, holding opponents to 11.5 ppg. As the fourth playoff seed, the Dragons likely travel in the first round to two-time defending state champion Junction City.
J.C. Westside at DANVILLE (36) (Thurs.): No. 5 Danville lost at No. 3 Magazine 28-24 Week 5, and the talented Little Johns have not been tested since. They get a much better playoff draw than 4-2A champion Magazine.

5-2A
Click to watch game highlights from the 5-2A
Hector at MOUNTAIN PINE (21): Mountain Pine gets the third playoff seed, likely plays host to No. 14 Mineral Springs in the first round. Mountain Pine won a playoff game last year for the first time in 24 years.
Conway Christian at BIGELOW (13) (Thurs.): With its 29-22 win over Magnet Cove Week 7, Bigelow has locked up the top playoff seed and first-round bye. Bigelow's speedy defense allows 15 ppg, starting four players who did not play football last year and one who was ineligible.
Two Rivers at MAGNET COVE (38) (Thurs.): No. 8 Magnet Cove ran for more than 370 yards last week in a 42-8 blowout of Conway Christian. As the No. 2 playoff seed, the Panthers should advance to the quarterfinals. An opposing coach called Magnet Cove "the best we've seen in three years." Those teams include the 2008 Carlisle Bison who advanced to the state semifinals. Highlights of the game will be featured 11 a.m. Saturday on FOX 16.
GLEN ROSE JV (2) at Poyen (Thurs.): Poyen fell one win short of reaching the playoffs in its first year of varsity football.
MOUNTAINBURG (15) at Quitman: Mountainburg's stout defensive front did its job this year, holding opponents to 11.5 ppg. As the fourth playoff seed, the Dragons likely travel in the first round to two-time defending state champion Junction City.

6-2A
Click to watch game highlights from the 6-2A
Hazen at CARLISLE (6): See Game of the Week. Highlights of the game will be featured 11 a.m. Saturday on FOX 16.
DES ARC (3) at Clarendon (Thurs.): Des Arc is almost healthy again. Senior RB/S Cody Robinson returned from an elbow injury to run three times for 102 yards in a blowout of Marvell. Des Arc should secure the No. 2 playoff seed and go to Bigelow in the second round.
ENGLAND (35) at Marvell (Thurs): A week after knocking off Clarendon, England had no answer last week for Hazen's Matt Tenison, who rushed for 355 yards and seven TDs. But led by 1,500-yard rusher Mark Hatton, England will make its 8th playoff appearance in school history and its second since 1995.
PALESTINE-WHEATLEY (6) at Hughes (Thurs.): Hughes has not won since it defeated Palestine-Wheatley Week 10, 2005. Hughes, which did not field a team in 2007, owns a 38-game losing streak.

7-2A
Click to watch game highlights from the 7-2A
MINERAL SPRINGS (21) at Dierks (Thurs.): Mineral Springs senior QB Jason Ware put on a clinic last week in a 53-41 loss at Spring Hill, completing 15 of 28 passes for 190 yards and three TDs and running for another 112 yards and two TDs. Super sophomore RB Rashad Williams has rushed for 1,762 yards this year.
Murfreesboro at SPRING HILL (7) (Thurs.): No. 2 Spring Hill senior Rodrea Jones rushed for 222 yards and four TDs against Mineral Springs last week, while Murfreesboro allowed 385 rushing yards (6.8 ypc) to Gurdon. Gurdon converted nine of 12 third downs at Murfreesboro.
HORATIO (30) at Foreman: With a win, Horatio could earn the No. 2 playoff seed and face a quality fourth seed from the 6-2A, possibly No. 12 Hazen.
Mount Ida at GURDON (8): Gurdon's Keon Holliman and Juan Williams ran for a combined 296 yards and five TDs last week in a dominating 36-18 win at Murfreesboro. IF Gurdon beats Mount Ida to secure the fifth and final playoff berth, the Go-Devils could test No. 4 Strong in the first round.

8-2A
Click to watch game highlights from the 8-2A
Dermott at HAMPTON (35) (Thurs): Hampton is the best one-win team in 2A football and would be a playoff team in three other conferences.
STRONG (8) at Woodlawn (Thurs.): Strong secured the league's No. 2 playoff seed last week with an 18-7 win over Norphlet. Strong QB Kenneth Dixon had to work for 108 yards on 27 carries with the Norphlet defense determined to slow him. Strong's defense held Norphlet to 161 yards.
BEARDEN (26) at Norphlet: Top-ranked Bearden can sweep the 8-2A with a win at Norphlet. Bearden has won 20 of the past 21 meetings in the series, according to historian Jackie Bevill. Norphlet sophomore QB Michael Tipton and RB Korey Purifoy have triggered one of the bigger turnarounds in the state. Norphlet went 1-9 in 2009.
JUNCTION CITY (8) at Parkers Chapel (Thurs.): Junction City's Rodney Larry ran for 203 yards last week in a blowout of Hampton, upping his season total to 942 yards (9.8 ypc). Junction City moved up 16 freshmen who did not allow a point during a 7-0 junior high season. Parkers Chapel ran for an impressive 152 yards against Bearden but committed turnovers, which have plagued the Trojans all season.