Class 4A Week 1 Rankings and Predictions
Class 4 Rankings
Week 1, 2025
- Dardanelle (1-0)
- Arkadelphia (1-0)
- Mills (1-0)
- Elkins (1-0)
- Warren (0-1)
- Southside (1-0)
- Hamburg (0-0)
- Nashville (0-1)
- Malvern (1-0)
- Stuttgart (1-0)
- Highland (0-1)
- Monticello (0-1)
- Gravette (1-0)
- Ozark (1-0)
- Pottsville (1-0)
- Clinton (1-0)
- Bauxite (0-1)
- DeWitt (1-0)
- Prairie Grove (0-0)
- Ashdown (0-0)
Not Ranked:
1-4A: Berrryville (0-0), Gentry (1-0), Green Forest (0-1), Huntsville (0-1), Lincoln (1-0)
2-4A: Bald Knob (1-0), CAC (0-1), Forrest City (0-1), Hall Steam (0-1), Heber Springs (0-1), Lonoke (0-1), Riverview (0-0)
3-4A: Blytheville (0-0), Gosnell (1-0), Jonesboro Westside (0-0), Pocahontas (0-1), Trumann (0-1)
4-4A: Dover (0-1), Lamar (1-0), Mena (1-0), Waldron (0-1)
7-4A: Fountain Lake (1-0), Genoa Central (0-1), HG Haskell (1-0)
8-4A: Crossett (0-1), Helena (1-0), Star City (0-0)
HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 4 Elkins (1-0) at No. 1 DARDANELLE (1-0)
This is an early-season showdown between 2 state-title contenders. Both teams impressed in their season-openers, Elkins beating Miami, Okla, 42-7, while Dardanelle destroyed Hall Steam 65-0.
Elkins junior QB Ben Napier threw 3 touchdown passes against Miami, Okla., hitting senior Isaiah Haywood 4 times for 42 yards and 1 TD. Junior Treyton Whittle‘s only catch went 23 yards for a TD. Josh Hamm snagged a TD pass, and his brother, Connor Hamm, ran 12 times for 72 yards. Senior brothers SR Williams (6 tackles, 1 interception return for a TD) and Brooks Williams (8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss) spearheaded Elkins’ smothering defense.
Dardanelle scored 65 points on 17 offensive snaps against Hall Steam. Senior QB Creed Vega (8-11 passing, 212 yards, 3 TDs) hooked up with Rod Chaten (3-95, 2 TDs), Javarious West (2-53, TD) and Bo Miller (2-52 receiving; 2 tackles and recovered 1 fumble on defense). It was Miller’s first action in 2 months. Ian Branson ran for 1 TD, returned a punt for a TD and recorded 6 tackles.
“We can’t allow their QB (Napier) to keep plays alive,” Dardanelle Coach Phil Vega says. “He does a great job of extending plays and their receivers are good at getting open when he scrambles. On offense, we have to block their 2 inside linebackers (the Williams brothers). They are as good as anyone in the state.”
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 26 of 30 games (87 percent) last week.
WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlights)
1-4A
Elkins (1-0) at DARDANELLE (1-0): Hootens.com Class 4A Game of the Week.
Jay, Okla. (0-1) at GRAVETTE (1-0): Jay, Okla., lost its season opener at Adair, Okla. by 26 points, while Gravette beat Class 5A Pea Ridge, 27-6. Gravette junior Gage Bottorff caught 4 passes for 105 yards and 1 TD, while junior J.D. Beem was the workhorse with 20 carries, 95 yards and 2 TDs.
GENTRY (1-0) at Class 5A Pea Ridge (0-1): Gentry beat Stilwell, Okla., last week 35-12. Senior QB Talan Williams passed for 200 yards and 2 TDs, and ran 3 times for 40 yards. Senior Tylan Owl finished with 4 catches for 61 yards and 1 TD, while senior Owen Foreman caught 2 passes for 75 yards and 1 TD. Atreyu Banks ran for a TD and made 8 stops on defense. Pea Ridge lost to Gravette 27-6 a week ago.
LINCOLN (1-0) at Westville, Okla.: Lincoln has 11 wins and 1 tie in the past 18 years against Westville, Okla., including 2 consecutive wins by a combined 73 points. Lincoln squeezed past Class 3A Greenland 26-25 last week.
Berryville (0-0) at MOUNTAIN VIEW (0-0): Mountain View won this matchup 24-7 last season. Mountain View’s scheduled game vs. Cave City last week was canceled when Cave City elected to play 8-man.
Green Forest (0-1) at WEST FORK (0-0): West Fork has won 9 of the past 16 in the series, but Green Forest won 12-0 last year. Green Forest lost to Holister, Mo., by 27 points last week.
PRAIRIE GROVE (0-0) at Talequah (Okla.) Sequayah: Prairie Grove won this matchup 59-13 last season. Senior RB Blake Coughran and FB Elijah Sugg played well in the summer for the Tigers.
OPEN Huntsville
2-4A
Ashdown (0-0) at MILLS (1-0): Ashdown opens its season after scrimmaging Class 2A Murfreesboro 2 weeks ago. Receiver Bryson French caught a 70-yard TD pass on the first play vs. Murfreesboro, while DL Colton Rowe led the defense with 9 tackles. Sophomore lineman Sam Scroggins earned a starting spot in the summer, while DB Ahamari Spencer had 4 pass breakups in the scrimmage. Mills pulled away from Class 3A Osceola 28-17 last week. Sophomore QB Elijah Moody ran 78 yards for a TD and threw 1 TD pass. Alan Hall flipped momentum with a 90-yard kickoff return.
Class 4A Lonoke (0-1) at Class 5A JACKSONVILLE (0-1): Jacksonville won this game 8-7 last season. The Titans fell to Malvern 22-14 last week. RB Mason Ball ran 32 yards for a TD. Lonoke pushed Stuttgart last week before falling 24-20. Lonoke junior QB Dylan Dean passed for 235 yards and 1 TD at Stuttgart, while sophomore Darrius Jeffrey caught 8 passes for 91 yards and 1 TD. Junior Ryder Ingle ran 9 times for 46 yards and led the Jackrabbits with 11 tackles.
CLINTON (1-0) at Heber Springs (1-0): Clinton has won 14 of the past 23 in the series, including the past 4 by a combined 137-74. Clinton beat HG Haskell 34-14 last week. Clinton QB Brodie Dufrene passed for 153 yards and 1 TD, while Sam Strandridge caught 6 passes for 94 yards and 1 TD. Rylan Jones caught 2 passes for 59 yards and ran for 66 yards and 2 TDs.
CAC (0-1) at STUTTGART (1-0): DeWitt beat CAC 38-15 last week, while Stuttgart slipped past Lonoke 24-20. Cordaro Berry led Stuttgart’s defense with 10 tackles and 1 interception, while Knox Hillman made 9 tackles and 1 sack. “We played pretty bad on offense, committed too many mental errors,” Coach Josh Price says.
Class 5A WYNNE (0-1) at Forrest City (1-0): Wynne has beaten its former conference rival in 17 of the past 21 meetings, including last year by 20 points. The Yellowjackets led Marion 29-13 in the second quarter last week before losing 60-27. Corbin O’Hara returned an interception 81 yards for a Wynne TD. Forrest City lost to Southside 34-8.
Riverview (0-0) at Class 2A MCCRORY (0-0): This is the season-opener for both teams. Chuck Carr takes over as Riverview’s third coach in 5 seasons, succeeding Steve Williams (5-24 record in 3 years). The Raiders lost to Clinton in a scrimmage game 2 weeks ago.
Class 3A MELBOURNE (1-0) at Bald Knob (1-0): Bald Knob RB Keegan Smith ran for 178 yards in last week’s 6-point win over Class 2A Marianna. Rylan Smith led on defense with 9 tackles. Melbourne beat Class 3A Hoxie 28-14 a week ago.
MENA (1-0) at Hall Steam (0-1): Hall Steam lost to Dardanelle 65-0 last week, and Dardanelle did it on 17 plays. Mena beat Class 5A De Queen 28-0. QB Tripp Hensley passed for 198 yards and 1 TD, ran for 1 TD and intercepted a pass. Guice Anderson tallied 75 yards receiving and made 5 tackles, while Ryder House led Mena with 20 tackles.
3-4A
Class 3A Harrisburg (0-1) at SOUTHSIDE (1-0): Harrisburg lost to Class 2A Cross County 30-6 last week, while Southside beat Forrest City 35-8. Southside RB Owen McLaughlin ran for 3 TDs, while Aiden Rodriguez ran for 95 yards. Junior QB Trey Allen passed for 165 yards and 1 TD and ran for 1 TD.
Class 5A Brookland (0-0) at HIGHLAND (0-1): Brookland opens its season after playing well defensively in its Aug. 19 scrimmage with Trumann. Highland lost to Thayer, Mo., 41-24 last week. Rebels junior QB Austin Christy passed for 284 yards and 4 TDs, with senior Nate Huckabee grabbed 9 passes for 158 yards and 1 TD. But the Rebels ran for 32 yards.
POCAHONTAS (0-1) at Class 5A Greene Co. Tech (0-1): Defending Class 3A champion Salem beat Pocahontas 28-8 last week. Pocahontas’ Xayver Ballard ran for 85 yards and 1 TD vs. Salem. Greene County Tech surrendered more than 300 yards rushing in a 40-26 loss to Gosnell.
Class 3A RIVERCREST (1-0) at Gosnell (1-0): Rivercrest has won the past 4 meetings in this series matching former conference rivals. Gosnell’s Mason Woods ran for 226 yards and 4 TDs in last week’s 40-26 win over Greene County Tech. Rivercrest didn’t play last week and scrimmaged Pocahontas 2 weeks ago. Senior playmaker Budda Harris stood out in the summer and scrimmage game.
Class 3A Walnut Ridge (0-1) at TRUMANN (0-1): Trumann forfeited its game vs. Nettleton last week when a brawl erupted after a lost-yardage play on 3rd-and-4 at Trumann’s 9 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter, Two Wildcat players were ejected and will miss this game, but have appealed to the Arkansas Activities Association. Walnut Ridge lost to Class 2A No. 1 EPC by 8 points last week.
Blytheville (0-0) at Class 3A OSCEOLA (0-1): Rod Stinson takes over as Blytheville’s third coach in 4 years. Osceola hung with Mills last week before losing 28-17. Osceola’s Jeremiah McGowan drilled a 34-yard field goal at Mills, while QB Tyler Bell threw a 34-yard TD pass to Siquori Bonner.
Jonesboro Westside (0-0) at Class 3A HOXIE (0-1): Former Valley View player and Jonesboro assistant Tyler Gahr takes over as head coach at Jonesboro Westside. The Warriors have 4 wins over the past 3 seasons. Hoxie lost to Melbourne 28-13 last week; the Mustangs beat Jonesboro Westside by 1 point a year ago.
4-4A
Elkins (1-0) at DARDANELLE (1-0): Hootens.com Class 4A Game of the Week.
CLINTON (1-0) at Heber Springs (0-1): See Comment in 2-4A.
MENA (1-0) at Hall Steam (0-1): See Comment in 2-4A.
OZARK (1-0) at Class 3A Booneville (0-1): Booneville has won 5 consecutive in the series, 17 of the past 25 and leads the all-time series 56-27-4. But the Bearcats lost at Poteau, Okla., 28-0 last week, the first time they’ve been shut out since the 2015 season-opener. They also lost 2 key contributors on offense to serious injuries. Ozark’s defense allowed 21 yards in the first half of last week’s 46-14 win over Clarksville. Blaine Childers led the defense with 6 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble, while Caeden Rosson had 5 tackles. Ozark sophomore sensation John Skolarski ran 11 times for 159 yards and 2 TDs, caught a 37-yard TD pass and threw a 73-yard TD pass to junior Easton Fox.
Pottsville (1-0) at Class 3A CHARLESTON (0-0): Pottsville’s 3-point win over Charleston last year snapped a 4-game losing streak in the series. Pottsville beat Heber Springs 21-7 last week. Keagan Jones and Hayden Wachtendorf played well for the Apaches.
Class 3A MANSFIELD (1-0) at Waldron (0-1): Mansfield has won 16 of the past 23 in the series. Mansfield ran for 353 yards in last week’s win over Bismarck. Paris beat Waldron 27-0 last week.
Class 3A ATKINS (1-0) at Dover (0-1): The winner gets the Rivals Cup. Dover lost to Class 3A Lavaca last week. Dover QB Matthew Krentz ran for 111 yards and 3 TDs against Lavaca, passed for 103 yards and 1 TD and recorded 7 tackles and forced 1 fumble. Dover drove inside Lavaca’s 20-yard line 4 times in the first half and failed to score.
OPEN Lamar
7-4A
Ashdown (0-0) at MILLS (1-0): See Comment in 2-4A.
ARKADELPHIA (1-0) at Class 5A Hot Springs (1-0): Arkadelphia has won 16 of the past 24 in the series, including last year 46-14. Arkadelphia LB Quentavion Morris stood out in Arkadelphia’s 3-point win over Camden Fairview last week. Badgers QB Bryceton McCoy was injured in the first half and didn’t return. Hot Springs senior QB Bishop Allen passed for 259 yards and 6 TDs in last week’s 57-20 win at Class 6A West Memphis. Brothers Luey Jaime and Gabe Jaime combined for 13 catches, 195 yards and 5 TDs.
Class 3A Glen Rose (1-0) at MALVERN (1-0): Malvern has won the Brick Bowl 11 of the past 15 years, including last season by 6 points. Malvern beat Jacksonville 22-14 a week ago, with QB Kyler Wright throwing 2 TD passes, and Tavien Clegg running 8 yards in the fourth quarter for the winning score. Glen Rose beat Bauxite 32-26 last week, its first win in that series since 2016. QB Gage Hood played well for the Beavers.
MONTICELLO (0-1) at Bauxite (0-1): These teams meet for the sixth season in a row, with Monticello winning 3 of the previous 5, including last season 41-20. Monticello led Fordyce by 2 TDs early last week before losing 46-18. Joseph Accelus had 9 carries, 100 yards and 2 TDs, while Jackson Hines averaged 6 yards per carry. Gunner Hale played well on Monticello’s offensive line. Bauxite lost to Glen Rose 32-26 last week. Emery Moore returned 2 kickoffs for TDs, and the Miners finished with 4 interceptions. Bernie Fox registered 14 tackles, including 5 TFL, and 1 fumble recovery, while Mathyis Moore had 11 stops.
FOUNTAIN LAKE (1-0) at Smackover: Smackover has won 2 of its 3 meetings over Fountain Lake, including last season 64-28. But Fountain Lake could be ready to flip the script this fall. Junior QB Cooper Buss passed for 485 yards and 5 TDs in last week’s 55-24 win over Cutter Morning Star in the Battle of the Gorge. Junior receiver Peyton Harwood (10-225-3 TD vs. Cutter) has scored 27 TDs in 9 varsity games.
OPEN HG Haskell, Genoa Central
8-4A
CAC (0-1) at STUTTGART (1-0): See Comment in 2-4A.
MONTICELLO (0-1) at Bauxite (0-1): See Comment in 7-4A.
WARREN (0-1) at Class 5A White Hall (0-1): Warren has beaten White Hall 3 of 5 times since 2020. Lumberjacks junior QB Jackson Denton, who missed last year with a leg injury, returned to throw 4 TD passes in last week’s 57-32 loss to Class 5A Greenbrier. White Hall led Sheridan 14-7 in the second quarter last week before losing 58-28. Junior QB Wyatt Golden threw 3 TD passes to Kel McEntire. McEntire also returned a kickoff 56 yards for a TD.
Crossett (0-1) at Class 5A WATSON CHAPEL (0-1): Watson Chapel has won the previous 4 meetings over its former conference rival. Crossett’s defense played well in last week’s 45-8 loss at Prescott. Watson Chapel sophomore WR Jakenzye Miller caught 3 passes for 45 yards and returned a kickoff for a TD in last week’s 50-14 loss to Helena. Sophomore WR JaKylinn Battles had 4 receptions for 67 yards.
HAMBURG (0-0) at Class 3A McGehee (0-0): This game typically goes down to the wire. Hamburg’s 27-20 win last year snapped a 2-game losing streak in the series (1-point McGehee win in 2023). Hamburg has a 10-6-1 record in the 17 meetings with the Owls. Hamburg gets big plays from junior QB Kaden Thomas and senior RB Nikel Lewis.
HELENA (1-0) at Class 2A Earle (1-0): Both teams coming off impressive wins last week (Helena beat Watson Chapel 50-14; Earle beat Class 3A Barton 66-22). Earle jumped a 26-7 first-quarter lead by capitalizing on 2 turnovers. Helena’s Keveahn Brown ran for 3 first half TDs against Watson Chapel, including a 30-yarder.
STAR CITY (0-0) at Class 3A Dumas (0-0): This is a nonconference game between 2 former conference rivals. Star City has won 15 of the past 24 in the series. Star City scrimmaged Glen Rose 2 weeks ago. Senior LB Carter Dean, senior FB/DE Eli Tucker, junior RB/S Parker Winn and junior WR/CB Ky Griffith all had productive summer camps, says first-year coach Matt Garriott, who took over for former coach Chris Norton in early July.
OPEN DeWitt