Hootens.com Rankings
Class 2A, Week 5, 2009
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

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

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 2 Bearden at No. 1 Junction City
Bearden has been waiting on this game since Junction City manhandled the Bears 43-0 last year at Bearden. Junction City has won 10 of the past 11 meetings and owns a 21-19-2 series advantage, according to historian Jackie Bevill. Both teams play hard-hitting defense. Bearden has allowed seven points this season, led by senior DE Davidell Collins (6-6, 240). Collins put on a clinic last week against Strong, playing on both offense and defense, making tackles from sideline to sideline and throwing blocks 30 yards downfield. "We counted two plays that he 'took off' the entire game," Bearden coach Mike Cox said, "and he raised his hand because he was winded. He played as well as any defensive lineman I've ever put on the field."  Junction City counters with senior lineman Byran Jones (6-3, 295), the hootens.com top recruit in the state. Jones has 21 tackles, including four tackles for loss in limited action due to blowout victories. Junction City's defense has allowed 77 rushing yards per game. The Dragons have outscored opponents 162-6.

HOOTENS TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs at 11 a.m. Saturday on KFSM Ch. 5 in Fort Smith/Fayetteville and Today's THV 11 in Little Rock, featuring Bearden at Junction City.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 21 of 23 (91 percent) games involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com is 99-23 (80 percent) for the season.

WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread.)
3-2A
AUGUSTA (12) at Cross County: No. 22 Augusta's 22-point loss at No. 3 Hazen a month ago looks better with every week that passes. Cross County's new go-to running back, junior Blake Veasley, rushed 25 times for 157 yards and four TDs last week in a 33-28 win over EPC.  
MCCRORY (16) at Marked Tree: No. 8 McCrory led Walnut Ridge 48-0 at halftime last week. McCrory plays at rival and neighbor Augusta Week 7.   
Rector at CEDAR RIDGE (1): Rector's Seth Parsley ran 31 times for 160 yards last week to rally Rector past Palestine-Wheatley 22-20. Cedar Ridge topped P-W by two TDs Week 1.
SALEM (3) at Walnut Ridge: Walnut Ridge looked at last week's game at McCrory as a measuring stick. The Bobcats came up real short, trailing 48-0 at halftime. No. 25 Salem playing with confidence, and its win over 3-4A Jonesboro Westside (3-1) looks pretty good.
E. POINSETT COUNTY is open.

4-2A
Mountain Pine at UNION CHRISTIAN (2): UC enjoyed open Week 4, while Mountain Pine cruised past Bigelow 49-18. UC quarterback Aaron Collins has put up 800 yards of offense in three games. UC's Caleb Hurst, Micheal Wilkerson and Coy Wineland average more than 10 tackles per game.
Magazine at DANVILLE (2): Danville newcomer and sophomore RB Jaylon Ester ran for 124 yards and two TDs last week at Conway Christian. Magazine's defense allows just 11 points per game. Magazine sophomore QB Ryan Chambers ran for two TDs and passed for two scores last week in a 35-0 win over Hackett. Chambers is undefeated as a starting QB, dating back to the seventh grade.
J.C. WESTSIDE (9) at Hackett: J.C. Westside Rebels find going easier this week after falling to Missouri home school power Springfield Lighthouse Christian by 21 points last week.
WESTERN YELL COUNTY is open.

5-2A
Bigelow at TWO RIVERS (16): Two Rivers got off to a slow start last week at winless Lutheran. Two Rivers sophomore QB Blake Noakes proved effective running the football but struggled passing, underthrowing open receivers.
CONWAY CHRISTIAN (28) at Quitman: Conway Christian's junior-dominated team bounces back from 31-14 loss to Danville. Junior RB Bates Isom ran for 100 yards vs. Quitman last year.
Lutheran at CUTTER M. STAR (6): Cutter Morning Star picked up its second win over Western Yell (26-6) this season. Lutheran hung with Two Rivers for a half but lost by 30 points.    
Magazine at DANVILLE (2): Danville newcomer and sophomore RB Jaylon Ester ran for 124 yards and two TDs last week at Conway Christian. Magazine's defense allows just 11 points per game. Magazine sophomore QB Ryan Chambers ran for two TDs and passed for two scores last week in a 35-0 win over Hackett. Chambers is undefeated as a starting QB, dating back to the seventh grade.

6-2A
Clarendon at CARLISLE (18): Carlisle didn't play last week when Marvell did not have a healthy coach available to make the trip. Coach Hugh Lumpkin has No. 21 Clarendon at 3-1 and headed to the playoffs. Clarendon has not won a playoff game since ripping Rector 46-6 in the first round of the 2000 postseason.  
Marvell at HUGHES (3): Marvell coach Wayne Mayer was throwing up with the flu last week when Marvell did not make the trip to Carlisle. Marvell's only other certified coach was in the hospital with a blood clot. Daries Covington leads Marvell at fullback and linebacker.
Palestine-Wheatley at HAZEN (35): Third-ranked Hazen muscled Des Arc last week, forcing five turnovers and controlling the clock with a power running attack (182 yards). Hazen limited Des Arc to 20 offensive plays until late in the game.
DES ARC (2) receives forfeit from Dermott. Des Arc was also open Week 1 after Hector did not field a team.

7-2A
Dierks at SPRING HILL (8): Spring Hill flogged Foreman 53-7 last week. Dierks ran 13 more plays, outgained Murfreesboro 315 to 234 but lost four fumbles and threw an interception in a 17-15 loss. Casey Simmons paced Dierks with 65 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards.  
Horatio at MURFREESBORO (27): Murfreesboro senior RB Garrett Gills ran for 75 yards, caught three passes for 30 yards and led the Rattlers with 13 tackles last week in a 17-15 win at Dierks.
MOUNT IDA (5) at Foreman: Mount Ida sophomore tandem of QB Josh Hackney and RB Jacob Baker find more running room at Foreman than they did last week in an 18-0 loss to Mineral Springs.
DeQueen JV at MINERAL SPRINGS (8): No. 7 Mineral Springs slowed down Mount Ida sophomore QB Josh Hackney and sophomore RB Jacob Baker in an impressive 18-0 shutout on the road.

8-2A
Bearden at JUNCTION CITY (3): See 2A Game of the Week.
Norphlet at HAMPTON (5): Pretty even matchup. Neither could handle physical opponents last week: Junction City crushed Norphlet 52-0, while Woodlawn ran away from Hampton 67-31. Norphlet junior QB Darren Bowen completed 9 of 22 passes for 35 yards but had two possible TD passes dropped.  
Smackover at STRONG (1): Bearden beat Strong 34-0 and Smackover 35-0. Smackover's deepest penetration against Bearden was the Bearden 20-yard line. Strong drove to the Bearden 6-yard line on its opening drive but turned the ball over on downs.
WOODLAWN (34) at Hermitage: The Woodlawn Wishbone features senior fullback Davy Ernest, who ran for 302 yards and four TDs last week in a 67-31 win against Hampton.  
DES ARC (2) receives forfeit from Dermott. Des Arc was also open Week 1 after Hector did not field a team.

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