Hootens.com Rankings
Class 4A, Week 8, 2012
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.

1. Stuttgart (7-0)
2. Malvern (7-0)
3. Dollarway (7-0)
4. Pottsville (7-0)
5. Prairie Grove (6-0)
6. Warren (4-3)
7. Arkadelphia (6-1)
8. Nashville (5-2)
9. Highland (7-0)
10. Farmington (6-1)
11. Pea Ridge (7-0)
12. CAC (4-2)
13. Ozark (5-2)
14. Star City (5-2)
15. Maumelle (4-2)
16. Hamburg (4-3)
17. Newport (4-3)
18. Mena (3-4)
19. Ashdown (3-4)
20. Booneville (4-3)
21. Monticello (4-3)
22. Valley View (4-3)
23. Heber Springs (3-3)
24. Dardanelle (5-2)
25. Lonoke (3-4)
26. Crossett (3-4)
27. Pocahontas (6-1)
28. Southside Batesville (4-2-1)
29. Lincoln (5-2)
30. Gravette (2-5)
31. Bauxite (1-6)
32. Gosnell (3-4)
33. Clinton (2-5)
34. Jonesboro Westside (4-3)
35. Arkansas Baptist (1-5-1)
36. Dumas (1-6)
37. Pulaski Robinson (2-5)
38. DeWitt (1-6)
39. Subiaco Academy (3-4)
40. Gentry (1-6)
41. Cave City (0-6-1)
42. Lake Village (1-6)
43. Dover (0-7)
44. Berryville (1-5)
45. Brookland (2-4)
46. Trumann (0-6)
47. Waldron (0-7)
48. Marianna (0-6)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Dollarway at No. 1 Stuttgart
Conference coaches voted these teams to finish first and second in the league during the off-season. The winner probably takes the 2-4A title, gets a first round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
Undefeated Dollarway outscores its opponents 41-15, including a 44-42 overtime win over Newport Week 4. Dollarway senior running back Jeremiah Young has rushed for 1,100 yards this year, while sitting out most of two lopsided victories. Young bulled in four touchdowns against Newport and ran for 135 yards and two scores in last week's 24-14 win at Lonoke. Junior Joshua Liddell provides the Cardinals a threat at running back and safety. Liddell ran for four TDs in consecutive victories over Marianna and Clinton. Liddell intercepted 10 passes as a sophomore and three this season. Junior linebacker Deandre Payton paces the Dollarway with 86 tackles, while junior cornerback Kabion Ento has five interceptions. "They are big and physical," Stuttgart coach Billy Elmore said. "They are going to run off tackle and hope to pop one on you."
Undefeated Stuttgart outscores its opponents 38-11, including a 20-13 win over Newport Week 6. Stuttgart senior quarterback Dontrell Brown focused on improving his passing skills in the off-season "and he's a different player," Heber Springs coach Steve Janski says. "He gives Stuttgart's offense a new dimension." Brown has rushed for 799 yards this season and passed for 766 yards and nine TDs. Brown threw his first interception of 2012 last week, when a receiver tipped a pass into a Clinton defender. Senior running back/receiver Drelon Ice has caught two TD passes the past two weeks. Tight linebacker/linebacker John Curtis cracked his tibia and won't return until the playoffs. Senior linebacker Waymon Johnson paces the Ricebirds with 42 tackles, including 24 solo stops.
Dollarway hasn't won a league title since 2004 and Stuttgart's last league crown came in 2006.

LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 22 of 24 games (92 percent). For the season, Hootens.com has correctly predicted 183 of 216 games (85 percent).

TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs 8:30 a.m. Saturdays on KARZ 42 (Little Rock) and Fox 24 (Fayetteville/Fort Smith) and 10:30 p.m. Sundays on KAIT 8 (ABC, Jonesboro), featuring the top players and teams from across the state. Farmington's Zach Nickell will be featured as the Air Guard Scholar Athlete of the Week.

WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
1-4A
FARMINGTON (3) at Ozark: This game determines playoff seeding. Farmington lost at Prairie Grove by six points in Week 5 and plays current unbeaten Pea Ridge next week. Ozark lost to Prairie Grove and Pea Ridge this season. Farmington senior Spencer Boudrey caught two TD passes and ran 70 yards for a score in last week's 34-27 win over Gravette. Ozark threw three interceptions in last week's 14-7 setback at Pea Ridge. Watch highlights of Ozark's game last week on hootens.com homepage. Farmington's Zach Nickell will be featured as the Air Guard Scholar Athlete of the Week on Hooten's Arkansas Football TV show at 8:30 a.m. Saturday on Fox 24.
GENTRY (7) at Berryville: The winner stays out of the league basement. Berryville averages just 5.5 ppg, while Gentry surrenders 40 points weekly. Gentry's Colby Bryant returned an interception 105 yards for a TD last week against Lincoln.
Lincoln at GRAVETTE (4): This could be for a playoff spot. Gravette rallied from a 34-7 deficit but lost by seven points against Farmington last week. Lincoln junior tailback Dustin Simmons ran for 123 yards and a TD and threw a TD pass in last week's 21-point win at Gentry.
Pea Ridge at PRAIRIE GROVE (10): The winner controls the league. Pea Ridge is off to its best start in school history (went 9-0-1 in 1992 and 1987). Blackhawk senior Dayton Winn generated 258 all-purpose yards in last week's 14-7 win over Ozark. See highlights of Pea Ridge's win over Ozark on hootens.com homepage. Undefeated Prairie Grove averages 40 points a game. The Tigers rushed for 265 yards in last week's 48-0 win over Berryville.

2-4A
Clinton at NEWPORT (17): Clinton has never lost to Newport, winning the only two meetings by an average of 56-27. Newport can clinch at least a No. 3 playoff seed with wins the next three weeks. Greyhound freshman Carl Turner has rushed for more than 900 yards and 9 TDs this season. Clinton has lost three straight conference games by a combined 116-19.
HEBER SPRINGS (1) at Southside Batesville: The winner likely takes the No. 4 playoff seed. Heber Springs trailed Newport 24-16 in the fourth quarter last week, before losing by 16 points. Junior QB Michael Kramer threw a pair of TD passes and ran for a score against Newport. Improved Southside Batesville averages 30 points weekly. Senior Jordan Childress has rushed for more than 800 yards and 10 TDs this fall.
LONOKE (35) at Marianna: Marianna's second half TD last week against Southside Batesville was its first of the season. Lonoke trailed No. 3 Dollarway 10-0 at halftime last week. Watch Lonoke's Reid McKenzie, honored as the Arkansas Air Guard Scholar Athlete of the Week, on hootens.com homepage.
Dollarway at STUTTGART (2): Hootens.com Class 4A Game of the Week.

3-4A
Gosnell at POCAHONTAS (3): The winner stays tied for second in the league. Pocahontas trailed Cave City 7-0 at halftime last week before rallying 30-7. Gosnell, with only 22 players on its roster, won three straight games before losing at Highland 58-22 a week ago.
HIGHLAND (28) at Cave City: Highland cruises to its second straight conference title. Rebel senior QB Sterling Stowers has ran 93 times for 934 yards and 14 TDs this year, while classmate Jordan Brewer has rushed 83 times for 866 yards and 11 scores. Watch highlights of Stowers on hootens.com homepage by clicking RECRUITS WK 7.
TRUMANN (2) at Brookland: The winner stays out of the 3-4A basement. Winless Trumann averages 10 points a game. Brookland seeks its first ever 3-4A victory. The first-year varsity program beat Brinkley and Mountain View by a combined 64-26 in early September, but those teams are a combined 0-14.
VALLEY VIEW (21) at Jonesboro Westside: Jonesboro Westside has won three straight conference games for the first time in school history, and the Warriors are likely headed to the playoffs for the second time in school history. Valley View probably plays Gosnell in Week 10 with the No. 2 playoff seed on the line. Blazer junior QB Noah Johns accounted for three TDs in last week's 42-point win at Trumann.

4-4ABOONEVILLE (21) at Dover: Booneville must shake last week's 22-21 setback to Mena when Booneville was stopped inches shy of the goal line on fourth down late in the fourth quarter. The Bearcats still control their playoff fate with home dates against Pottsville and Maumelle the next two weeks. Winless Dover averages just 12 ppg. See Booneville's Tanner Frtische, honored as Arkansas Air Guard Scholar Athlete of the Week, on hootens.com homepage.
Maumelle at POTTSVILLE (6): The winner takes control of the league and probably the conference title. Defending league champion Pottsville averages 41 points a game behind the running of junior QB Michael Perry and seniors Corey Campbell and Tyler Weaver. League newcomer Maumelle has won four straight games.
Subiaco Academy at DARDANELLE (21): Subiaco Academy's one-point win over the Sand Lizards in 2010 kept Dardanelle out of the playoffs. Dardanelle senior QB Evan Carter ran for a pair of TDs in last week's 42-0 win at Waldron.
Waldron at MENA (24): Mena can afford a letdown after last week's one-point win at Booneville, when the Bearcats made a last-minute defensive stand. Waldron has scored just four TDs this fall.

7-4A
ARKADELPHIA (8) at Ashdown: QB Jakahari Howell fractured his fibula at CAC in Week 6 and he won't return until the playoffs. But Arkadelphia's defense has given up just 10 points the past two weeks, and it forced five first-half turnovers in last week's 55-3 win over Pulaski Robinson. Junior running back Kris Oliver has rushed for 820 yards and 15 TDs this fall. Ashdown must win at least one more game to assure itself of a playoff berth.
Arkansas Baptist at BAUXITE (1): Bauxite has improved as much as any Class 4A team over the past month. The Miners led CAC 19-0 in the second quarter last week but lost a shootout 63-46. Arkansas Baptist trailed Malvern 21-14 at halftime last week before losing by 33 points.
CAC at MALVERN (10): Undefeated Malvern survived Arkansas Baptist last week, scoring the final 33 points. Leopard senior QB Austin Warford has more than 1,600 yards offense. CAC's Marquell Nelson scored five TDs in last week's 17-point win at Bauxite.
NASHVILLE (31) at Pulaski Robinson: This is the fourth meeting in 41 years for these teams. Nashville's four-point win over the Senators a year ago sent the Scrappers to the playoffs. Nashville senior QB Joel Hendry completes 66 percent of his passes for 1,992 yards and 25 TDs this season.

8-4A
Crossett at HAMBURG (3): The Battle of Ashley County carries more weight than recent seasons with Crossett's move into the conference. Hamburg senior running back LaMarco Harris has rushed for almost 1,000 yards this season. Improved Crossett must learn to win tight games. The Eagles lost to Warren by eight points in Week 4 and were driving for the tying TD before throwing an interception in the final seconds against Monticello a week ago. Watch highlights of Hamburg's season opener on hootens.com by clicking video on the homepage.
DeWitt at DUMAS (8): A battle of one-win teams, with both beating Lake Village (Dumas 54-24 in Week 4 and DeWit 25-14 a week later). Dumas has beaten DeWitt six straight times since the rivalry was renewed in 2006, winning by an average of 32-10. Dumas gives up 37 points a game, while DeWitt averages just seven ppg.
Lake Village at STAR CITY (28): Star City has won consecutive games and is tied for third in the league. Lake Village hasn't won a conference game since beating DeWitt in Week 5, 2010.
WARREN (1) at Monticello: The winner of the Saline River Shootout takes control of the league and gets to keep a 146-pound trophy for a year. Warren sophomore running back Kilay Cox has rushed for 959 yards and 12 TDs this fall, while sophomore QB Justin Gorman has thrown 10 TD passes over the past three weeks. Monticello junior Jalen Handley returned an interception 100 yards for a TD with five seconds left in the Billies 42-28 win at Crossett a week ago. Watch highlights of both Monticello and Warren's season openers by clicking video on hootens.com homepage.