Class 6A Week 5 Rankings and Selections
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HOOTENS.COM
WEEK 5, 2026
CLASS 6A RANKING
PV. TEAM (RECORD, WEEK 4 RESULT)
- ↔ 1. Searcy (4-0; beat El Dorado 52-31)
- ↔ 2. Sylvan Hills (3-1; won at Marion 55-24)
- ↔ 3. Benton (2-2; beat Jonesboro 27-26)
- ↔ 4. Mountain Home (3-1; won at Little Rock Catholic 13-7)
- ↔ 5. Sheridan (4-0; beat W. Memphis 67-29)
- ↔ 6. Van Buren (3-1; won at Siloam Springs 70-14)
- ↔ 7. El Dorado (3-1; lost at Searcy 52-31)
- ↔ 8. Jonesboro (2-2; lost at Benton 27-26)
- ↑ 10. Lake Hamilton (2-2; won at FS Southside 43-26)
- ↓ 9. LR Catholic (1-3; lost to Mountain Home 13-7)
NOT RANKED
6A EAST: Marion (0-4), W. Memphis (1-3)
6A WEST: FS Southside (0-4), Siloam Springs (0-4), LR Southwest (0-4), Russellville (1-3)
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly picked 8 of 8 games (100 percent) last week involving Class 6A teams and has picked 38 of 54 games (71 percent) involving Class 6A teams in 2026.
WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS (Favored team in ALL CAPS and HIGHLIGHTED IN ORANGE)
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Benton (2-2, 1-0) at No. 2 SYLVAN HILLS (3-1, 1-0) Benton has won 3 of the past 4 meetings with Sylvan Hills, but the Bears stunned the Panthers 40-35 last season en route to a share of the 6A East conference title. Benton survived a scare against Jonesboro last week, earning a 27-26 victory after sophomore tailback Lamarion Bradley racked up 235 offensive yards. Bradley (147 rushing, TD; 4-88 receiving). Panthers quarterback Chase Cobb (17-31 passing, 214 yards, TD) leaned on Jake Cloud (6-84 receiving) and Austin-Phillip Lewis (5-54) to move the offense. Sylvan Hills topped 500 total yards, including more than 300 yards rushing, while forcing 4 turnovers in last week’s 55-24 victory at Marion. QB Caden Burnett (11-16 passing, 161 yards, TD), tailback Isaiah Howell (192 rushing, 3 TDs) and linebacker Brian Dixson (fumble return for TD; interception) were key performers. Sylvan Hills’ punishing running game and big-play defense will make the difference this week.
6A EAST
No. 3 Benton (2-2, 1-0) at No. 2 SYLVAN HILLS (3-1, 1-0): See Game of the Week.
NR Marion (0-4, 0-1) at No. 7 EL DORADO (3-1, 0-1): El Dorado leads the all-time series 8-3, including a 28-21 victory last season at Marion, which ended Marion’s 3-game winning streak in the series. Marion battled favored Sylvan Hills last week, trailing 20-10 at halftime and 27-17 to open the fourth quarter before falling 55-24. Senior quarterback Ben Bateman (20-33 passing, 256 yards, TD) and Jaylon Ford (5-76 receiving) were key performers, along with Marion senior playmaker Kam Riley (112 receiving and 96 rushing with 2 TDs). Marion got good play from defensive backs Colton Kimbell (10 tackles and a tackle for loss), Kole Clay (8 stops), and linebacker Stephen Nesbitt (9 tackles), and kicker Brody Wasion kicked a 35-yard field goal and made all 3 extra points. El Dorado allowed 2 defensive touchdowns in last week’s 52-31 loss at top-ranked Searcy. The Wildcats rolled up almost 350 total yards at Searcy, including 104 rushing yards from Trayden Cook-King, and quarterback Ryan Polk passed for 213 yards. Christian Williams caught 7 passes for 109 yards, while Justin Hammett snatched 6 passes for 70 yards.
These teams lost games to two of the top teams in the state last week, but El Dorado trimmed the mistakes and penalties this week to win at Memorial Stadium.
No. 1 SEARCY (4-0, 1-0) at NR W. Memphis (1-3, 0-1): West Memphis leads the all-time series 13-9, but the Lions have won 8 of the last 10. West Memphis won the last meeting 42-20 in 2023. West Memphis trailed Sheridan 20-8 after a quarter last week and 33-15 at halftime before succumbing to the Yellowjackets 67-29. Sheridan rolled up 704 yards — 398 passing yards and 306 rushing. West Memphis’s Ashton Clark returned a fumble almost 70 yards for a touchdown at Sheridan; Andrew Clay accounted for 3 touchdowns. High-flying Searcy rolled up almost 400 yards and never trailed against El Dorado. Lions all-state junior QB Jacob Miles (19-27 passing, 3 TDs) and tailback Deandre Shockley (25-130 rushing, TD). Five Lions receivers topped 40 yards receiving, led by Jackson Smith (3-86-1) and Will Manning (5-62-2). The defense was led by Will Gaines (9 tackles), Kayden Hickman (8) and Carson Campbell (8). West Memphis has averaged more than 30 points in the past 2 games, but Searcy is rolling right now and wins on the road.
No. 5 SHERIDAN (4-0, 1-0) at No. 8 Jonesboro (2-2, 0-1): Jonesboro is 5-0 all time against Sheridan, including a 48-42 win last fall. Jonesboro battled favored Benton until the final horn last week, losing 27-26. The Hurricane took leads of 20-14 and 26-21 in the second half against Benton before the Panthers scored the winning points. Jonesboro QB C.J. Lovelace (10-18-1 passing; 3 rushing TDs. Kam Davis caught the touchdown pass from Lovelace. Sheridan is 4-0 for the first time since 2000 after dispatching West Memphis 67-29 a week ago. The Yellowjackets rolled up more than 700 yards against the Blue Devils, including 398 yards passing and 7 TDs from junior QB Easton Barksdale, and 302 yards on 16 carries from senior tailback and North Carolina commit Zay Stephens. Six Sheridan receivers caught 2 passes or more against West Memphis, led by Hunter Socia, who caught 5 passes for 103 yards, and Wylie Depriest (5-77). Ross Stevens had 14 tackles. Sheridan keeps rolling this week in a shootout.
6A WEST
NR Russellville (1-3, 1-0) at No. 4 MOUNTAIN HOME (3-1, 1-0): Mountain Home has won 5 of the past 7 meetings with Russellville, including a 43-0 last fall. Russellville ended its 14-game losing streak last week with a 16-12 victory over Little Rock Southwest, taking the lead for good on a long Sam Callahan TD run. Callahan ran for 130 yards against the Gryphons, and Russellville outgained Southwest 255-153. Mountain Home went down to the wire in last week’s 13-7 victory at Little Rock Catholic, barring the Rockets from the end zone on the final 3 plays of regulation from inside the 5 to protect the 6-point victory. Bombers tailback Nazsier Johnson ran 26 times for 125 yards and a TD at Catholic. Russellville has improved every week, particularly on defense, but Mountain Home seems more complete and moves to 2-0 in the 6A West.
NR FS Southside (0-4, 0-1) at No. 6 VAN BUREN (3-1, 1-0): Fort Smith Southside has won 8 of the past 10 meetings with Van Buren, but the Pointers have won the past 2, including 17-10 last October. Fort Smith Southside battled Lake Hamilton to a 7-7 tie after a quarter last week before falling behind 14-7 at halftime and 29-19 after 3 quarters before falling 43-26. Mavericks QBs Michael Nolewajka and Ronin Ketchum combined for 15 completions on 31 attempts for 158 yards against Lake Hamilton, while Drake Morris spearheaded Southside’s 326-yard rushing attack with 238 yards and 3 TDs. Sebastian Luht caught 9 passes for 82 yards against Lake Hamilton. Sophomores Ryan Young and Sawyer Pierce led the Mavericks defense. Van Buren led Siloam Springs 20-0 after a quarter and 63-0 at halftime and never looked back to win 70-14. Senior all-conference QB Hayden Williford completed 14 of 16 passes for 177 yards and 3 TDs. Kannen Russell threw a 41-yard TD pass, and sophomore Joshua Patterson was 7 of 8 for 100 yards and 2 scores. Four Pointers running backs combined for 166 yards and 4 TDs, led by Hayden Christenberry’s 7 carries for 52 yards and 3 TDs.
No. 10 LR Catholic (1-3, 0-1) at No. 9 LAKE HAMILTON (2-2, 1-0): Little Rock Catholic got a 31-yard TD pass from QB Phillips Blair to C.J. Obert last week to take a 7-3 halftime lead over Mountain Home, but the Rockets could not score from inside the 5 on the last 3 snaps of the game in a 13-7 defeat. Hunter Markham caught 3 passes of 31 yards or longer from Blair against Mountain Home. Lake Hamilton outlasted Fort Smith Southside last week 43-26. The Wolves amassed 518 yards, led by junior QB Jace Bohannan (393 passing, 4 TDs). Braxton Schmidt (8-78 rushing), D.J. Wilson caught 10 passes for 228 yards and 3 TDs, and J.J. Johnson caught 2 passes for 101 yards and a score. Little Rock Catholic continues to play well defensively, having allowed 47 points over the last 3 weeks, but Lake Hamilton churns out enough big plays and points to claim this one.
NR Siloam Springs (0-4, 0-1) at NR LR SOUTHWEST (0-4, 0-1): This is the first meeting of these schools, and the loser faces long odds to qualify for the playoffs. Siloam Springs lost last week to Van Buren 70-14, but the Panthers continue to get productive play from junior QB Cooper Hahn and running backs Izael Beleche and Landon Golding. Siloam Springs plays this fall with 7 seniors on the roster. Little Rock Southwest trailed 9-0 in the third period against Russellville before responding with 12 unanswered points and surrendering a late touchdown to lose 16-12. The Gryphons got almost 100 total yards and a TD from QB Brady Williams, while Jerrell Ware returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown. It’s a must-win game for both teams, and Southwest gets it done behind its stout defense.