Class 2A Week 10 Rankings and Selections

RK — PR. TEAM (RECORD; WEEK 9 RESULTS)

1. ↔ 1. Mount Ida (9-0; did not play) 
2. ↔ 2. Baptist Prep (9-0; beat Poyen 26-6)
3. ↔ 3. Earle (8-1; beat Cross County 44-8)
4. ↔ 4. Marked Tree (7-2; beat Clarendon 44-8)
5. ↔ 5. Gurdon (7-2; beat Foreman 57-34)
6.   ↑  7. Des Arc (7-2; beat McCrory 62-24)
7.   ↑  8. Hazen (7-2; beat England 22-0)
8.   ↓  6. Dierks (7-2; lost to Mineral Springs 48-30)
9. ↑  10. East Poinsett County (6-3; forfeit win over Marianna)
10. ↑  11. Magnet Cove (6-3; beat Mountain Pine 52-12)
11. ↑  12. Bigelow (5-4; beat Mountainburg 27-7)
12. ↑  13. Hector (6-3; beat Hackett 58-36)
13. ↑  14. Carlisle (5-4; beat Bearden 27-6)
14. ↓   9. Bearden (5-4; lost to Carlisle 27-6)
15. ↔ 15. England (5-3; lost to Hazen 22-0)
16. ↔ 16. Poyen (6-3; lost to Baptist Prep 26-6)
17. ↔ 17. Junction City (3-6; did not play)
18.  ↑  19. Foreman (4-5; lost to Gurdon 57-34)
19.  ↑  20. Mineral Springs (4-5; beat Dierks 48-30)
20.  ↓  18. Clarendon (4-5; lost to Marked Tree 44-8)

NOT RANKED

1-2A: Mountain Pine (0-9), Hackett (2-7), Mountainburg (2-7)

2-2A: Cross County (5-4), Marianna (1-8), McCrory (0-9)

3-2A: Spring Hill (1-8), Murfreesboro (2-7)

4-2A: LR Episcopal (2-7), Hampton (0-9)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 5 Gurdon (7-2)  at No. 8 DIERKS (7-2)

This game will decide the 3-2A champion. Gurdon enters the game undefeated in conference play. Dierks hit a road bump last week, falling to Mineral Springs. However, the winner gets the No. 1 seed. If Gurdon wins, Dierks could finish third depending on what happens with Mineral Springs. Gurdon beat Foreman 57-34 as Demonta Smallwood rushed for 120 yards and 3 TDs; QB Jonah Jester passed for 139 yards and 2 TDs; and Braxton Nolan scored 2 TDs rushing.  “It should be a great environment Thursday for small-town high school football,” Gurdon Coach Kyle Jackson says. “I’m sure it will be packed and loud as it should be when the No. 1 playoff seed is on the line. We’ve got our work cut out for us. Dierks looks to be the most physical team we have seen on film. If we don’t show up ready to play, they will knock us off the ball. They have a good variety of skill kids that hurt you. Any of those games can break a game open at any moment.  “As always in games like this, it’s usually going to come down to who doesn’t turn the ball over and who can limit mistakes.” Dierks lost to Mineral Springs last week as QB Macaline Smith passed for 71 yards and a TD, rushed for a TD, but threw 2 INTs. Jason Bailey rushed for 90 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries. “Gurdon has a very solid group,” Dierks Coach Lantz Castleman says. “We’ll have to play our best game of the season. We have a lot to play for and look forward to taking the field and proving ourselves.”

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly predicted 11 of 14 games involving Class 2A teams (85 percent) and has correctly predicted 126 of 166 games (76 percent) for the season.

1-2A

Hackett (2-7, 1-4) at No. 1 MOUNT IDA (9-0, 5-0): Hackett gave Hector fits in a 58-36 loss. QB Hunter Bradt passed for 276 yards and 3 TDs; Landon Irvin caught 2 TD passes and had 9 tackles. Mount Ida is the No. 1 seed no matter what happens. The Lions were idle last week. Two weeks ago, Chris Dorrell had 171 yards rushing, 2 TDs and 10 tackles in a win over Magnet Cove

No. 11 BIGELOW (5-4, 3-2) at No. 12 Hector (6-3, 3-2): The winner of this game is the No. 3 seed and the loser gets the 4 seed. Nathan Brackett had 7 tackles, a forced fumble, and a blocked punt as Hector beat Mountainburg. Jake Berry had an INT and a scoop-and-score. Hector scored 58 points in a win over Hackett. Cayden Manrique rushed for 238 yards and a TD, and Hudson McAlister had 193 yards and 4 TDs. 

Mountain Pine (0-9, 0-5) at MOUNTAINBURG (2-7, 1-4) (Thursday): Both of these teams are playing for pride. Mountain Pine’s Caleb Beach and Hunter Woodall each scored touchdowns against Magnet Cove. 

No. 18 Foreman (4-5) at No. 11 MAGNET COVE (6-3, 5-1): This is a nonconference game for both teams. Foreman will either be the 3 or 4 seed from the 3-2A, depending on what happens with Junction City-Spring Hill and Mineral Springs-Murfreesboro. Last week, QB Briley Shoals (16-21-184 passing, 2 TDs; 65 yards rushing) left his mark a loss to Mineral Springs. Magnet Cove is the No. 2 seed in the 1-2A. Nehemiah Norwood rushed for 125 yards and 3 TDs in a win over Mountain Pine. 

2-2A

No. 20 Clarendon (4-5, 2-4) at CROSS COUNTY (5-4, 2-4) (Thursday): This game is also for pride. Clarendon QB Kylen James passed for 112 yards and a TD against Marked Tree. Cross County, the defending state champion, fell to Earle. Caden Finley scored the Thunderbirds’ lone TD. He also had 8 tackles. 

No. 3 EARLE (8-1, 6-0) at No. 6 Des Arc (7-2, 5-1): This game could affect the conference title. A win by Earle gives it the No. 1 seed. A Des Arc win could force a tiebreaker. Earle QB Darion Maples passed for 259 yards and 3 TDs and rushed for 164 yards and a TD in a win over Cross County. Tarreze Jarrett had 14 tackles. Des Arc routed McCrory last week as CJ Willhite scored 3 TDs. Jamie Collins rushed for 114 yards on 7 carries. 

No. 9 East Poinsett County (6-3, 4-2) at No. 4 MARKED TREE (7-2, 5-1) (Thursday): EPC was off last week after receiving a forfeit win from Marianna. The Warriors could finish either 3rd or 4th with a win. Marked Tree still has a shot at the No. 1 seed with a win and some help. D’Angelo Risper scored 2 TDs in Marked Tree’s win over Clarendon.

MCCRORY (0-9, 0-6) at Marianna (1-8, 0-6) (Thursday): McCrory has a chance to end its losing skid this week against a Marianna team that forfeited its game with EPC last week because it did not have enough available players because of disciplinary issues, according to a social media post. Caden Ayers led McCrory with 120 yards and 2 TDs.

3-2A 

No. 17 JUNCTION CITY (3-6, 2-3) at Spring Hill (1-8, 0-5) (Thursday): Perennial power Junction City needs a win and some help to have a chance to make the postseason. The Dragons were off last week after beating Murfreesboro 2 weeks ago. Nemo Caldwell rushed for 178 yards and a TD; Jeremiah King led the Dragons with 9 tackles. Spring Hill, which was a playoff team a year ago, fell to Murfreesboro. 

No. 19 MINERAL SPRINGS (4-5, 3-2) at Murfreesboro (2-7, 1-4): Mineral Springs has been up and down but played well last week, knocking off league leader Dierks. Jamerian Staten (24-214-3 rushing; 6-10-79 passing, TD) triggered the offense; Carter Steward had 13 tackles. A win guarantees Mineral Springs a playoff spot, but a loss could keep them home. Murfreesboro is coming off a win over Spring Hill. QB Kooper Caldwell (21-31-265 passing, 3 TDs) returned from injury to lead the offense. 

No. 5 Gurdon (7-2, 5-0) at No. 8 DIERKS (7-2, 4-1) (Thursday). See Hootens.com Game of the Week

No. 18 Foreman (4-5, 3-3) at No. 10 MAGNET COVE (6-3). Notes in 1-2A.

4-2A 

No. 16 Poyen (6-3, 3-3) at No. 13 CARLISLE (5-4, 4-2) (Thursday): This game has massive playoff implications. Carlisle is in with a win; Poyen needs a win and some help to get in. Last week, Poyen QB Mason Camp passed for 72 yards and a TD pass to Walker Smith in a loss to Baptist Prep. Ethan Parrault had 2 INTs. Carlisle fell behind early, then pulled away from Bearden. QB Michael Spingola passed for 66 yards and rushed for 95. Kicker Jimmy Cham connected on 32- and 45-yard FGs in the fourth quarter. 

LR Episcopal (2-7, 1-5) at No. 2 BAPTIST PREP (9-0, 6-0): Episcopal picked up its second win last week, beating Hampton. Nick Grady caught a TD pass and returned an INT for another. Christian Grosvold ran for 2 TDs and passed for 2 more. Baptist Prep clinched the No. 1 seed with a win over Poyen. Titus Benson had more than 200 yards in total offense and 3 rushing TDs. Aaron Fielder returned a punt for a TD and caught 7 passes; Josh Eaves intercepted 2 passes. 

No. 14 Bearden (5-4, 3-3) at No. 15 ENGLAND (5-3, 3-3): Both of these teams need a win and some help to get into the playoffs. Bearden is coming off a 27-6 loss to Carlisle, with Michael Lovelace scoring the Bears’ only TD. England fell to Hazen 22-0. QB Dallys Woods passed for 131 yards. Jarvis Drayer caught 6 passes for 66 yards. 

Hampton (0-9, 0-6) at No. 7 HAZEN (7-2, 4-2) (Thursday): Winless Hampton lost to LR Episcopal last week. Hazen will be the No. 2 seed with a win and the No. 3 seed with a loss. Michael Stephens scored 2 TDs; Noah Adkins had 1. Adkins went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the victory.