Class 4A Week 15 Rankings, Matchup, Selection

1. ↔  1. Dardanelle (14-0; beat Warren 56-36)
2. ↔ 2. Elkins (13-1; beat Stuttgart 55-21)
3. ↔ 3. Stuttgart (12-1; lost to Elkins 55-21)
4. ↔ 4. Warren (10-4; lost to Dardanelle 56-36)
5. ↔ 5. Arkadelphia (11-2; season complete)
6. ↔ 6. Bauxite (9-4; season complete)
7. ↔ 7. Prairie Grove (7-6; season complete)
8. ↔ 8. Monticello (7-6; season complete)
9. ↔ 9. Gosnell (10-1; season complete)
10. ↔ 10. Hamburg (9-3; season complete)
11. ↔ 11. Clinton (10-2; season complete)
12. ↔ 12. Southside (10-2; season complete)
13. ↔ 13. Mills (10-2; season complete)
14. ↔ 14. Gravette (9-3; season complete)
15. ↔15. Blytheville (7-4; season complete)
16. ↔ 16. Pocahontas (5-6; season complete)
17. ↔ 17. Ozark (7-4; season complete)
18. ↔ 18. Nashville (8-3; season complete)
19. ↔ 19. Lonoke (7-4; season complete)
20. ↔ 20. Helena (4-6; season complete)

NOT RANKED

1-4A: Berryville (5-5), Gentry (7-4), Green Forest (3-7), Huntsville (4-7), Lincoln (2-8)

2-4A: Bald Knob (3-7), CAC (4-7), Forrest City (5-6), Hall Steam (0-10), Heber Springs (5-6), Riverview (1-9)

3-4A: Highland (5-6), Jonesboro Westside (1-8), Trumann (2-7)

4-4A: Dover (0-10), Lamar (4-6), Mena (6-5), Pottsville (6-5), Waldron (1-9)

7-4A: Ashdown (1-9), Fountain Lake (6-5), Genoa Central (1-9), HG Haskell (4-6), Malvern (4-7)

8-4A: Crossett (2-8), DeWitt (4-6), Star City (0-10)

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

No. 1 Dardanelle (14-0) vs. No. 2 ELKINS (13-1)

This is a rematch from Week 1, when Dardanelle slipped past Elkins 14-10. Dardanelle advances to its first state title game after beating Warren 56-36 last week. Senior quarterback Creed Vega ran for 327 yards and 7 touchdowns, and blasted in a 2-point conversion. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 35 yards; senior Ian Branson averaged 26 yards per kickoff return, including one to the 3 to give Dardanelle momentum after Warren had taken a 36-35 lead in the fourth quarter. End Breydin Hardy led the defense with 12 tackles and 1 sack, Paden Davis collected 11 tackles, including 3 TFL and 1 sack and DB Korbin Barnes (6 tackles, 1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries), Branson (11 tackles) and Vega (5 tackles) also played well on defense.

Elkins returns to the state championship for the second consecutive season (lost to Arkadelphia 28-0 a year ago) after beating Stuttgart 55-21. Elkins’ defense forced 3 turnovers, blocked a field goal and didn’t allow a point until it had built a 27-0 advantage in the third quarter. Elkins outgained Stuttgart 452-327. Senior running back Connor Hamm ran for 140 yards and 4 TDs, and QB Austin Born sprinted 48 yards for a TD.

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly predicted both semifinal games, and for the season has picked 276 of 322 games (86 percent).

WEEK 15 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted)

No. 1 Dardanelle (14-0) vs. No. 2 ELKINS (13-1)