Class 7A Week 1 Rankings and Selections
CLASS 7A, WEEK 1
RANKINGS
RK.-PV. TEAM (RECORD, WEEK 0 RESULT)
- ↑ 2. BENTONVILLE (1-0, beat Tulsa Union, Okla. 24-7)
- ↑ 3. CONWAY (1-0, beat Capital City, Mo. 45-7)
- ↓ 1. BRYANT (0-1, lost to Benton 43-42)
- ↓ 3. BENTONVILLE WEST (1-0, beat 5A Greenwood 28-24)
- ↓ 4. SHILOH CHRISTIAN (1-0, beat Heritage Hall, Okla., 38-25)
- ↓ 5. NORTH LITTLE ROCK (1-0, beat Rogers 34-28)
- ↑ 9. LR CHRISTIAN (1-0, beat 5A Harding Academy 45-13)
- ↔ 8. ROGERS (0-1, lost to North Little Rock 34-28)
- ↓ 7. FAYETTEVILLE (0-1, lost to Stillwater, Okla., 23-3)
- ↔ 10. CABOT (0-1, lost to 6A Jonesboro, 14-12)
NOT RANKED
7A CENTRAL Pulaski Academy (0-1), Fort Smith Northside (1-0), Little Rock Central (0-1)
7A WEST Springdale Har-Ber (0-1), Springdale (0-1), Rogers Heritage (0-1)
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Bentonville (1-0) at No. 2 CONWAY (1-0): The state’s top Week 1 matchup features teams that looked like championship contenders in their season openers. This game could absolutely take place again at War Memorial in December. Conway controlled its Week 0 opponent, Capital City (Mo.), from start to finish, while Bentonville powered past Tulsa Union behind a dominant rushing attack and suffocating defense. Conway’s veteran offensive front established itself immediately, allowing the Wampus Cats to dictate the tempo. Junior QB RYDER COOK and senior RB KALEB MCGEHEE had 2 scores each. Bentonville counters with one of the state’s deepest rosters and a defense capable of turning any game into a 4-quarter battle. Senior RB NATHAN CLOUSTON scored 3 touchdowns last week. Both teams possess state-title talent, but home field and Conway’s early-season consistency give the Wampus Cats a slight edge.
WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS (Favored team in ALL CAPS and highlighted in orange)
7A CENTRAL
No. 3 BRYANT (0-1) at Alexandria, La. (0-0): Bryant heads south looking to rebound from one of the most heartbreaking losses of opening weekend. The Hornets built a 42-14 lead in the Salt Bowl before Benton rallied for a 43-42 victory. Even in defeat, Bryant demonstrated that it remains one of the state’s most explosive offensive teams. The Hornets spent the week focused on improving defensively and eliminating the mistakes that allowed momentum to swing in the second half. Programs often make their biggest improvements between Weeks 0 and 1, and Bryant has too much talent to let 1 loss define its season. While the Louisiana road trip presents challenges, the Hornets enter as the more battle-tested squad. Expect Bryant to play cleaner football and bounce back with a road victory.
No. 7 LR Christian (1-0) at No. 5 SHILOH CHRISTIAN (1-0): Little Rock Christian opened the season with an impressive victory over Harding Academy and appears capable of challenging the state’s best teams. Senior QB HADEN HALL looked sharp. The Warriors possess enough skill talent to test defenses vertically and create explosive plays. Shiloh Christian looked like a championship contender in Week 0, once again combining offensive balance, physical line play and big-game experience. The Saints trailed at halftime, but rallied behind QB COLE CREIGHTON’s 328-yard effort. RB MAX ELDRIDGE added a couple of late scores to seal the deal.
No. 6 NORTH LITTLE ROCK (1-0) at Class 5A No. 6 LR Parkview (1-0): North Little Rock survived a difficult opener to beat Rogers 34-28 even as the Mounties staged a comeback with four second-half scores. NLR will rely on one of the state’s most productive backfields and a physical rushing attack. Parkview enters with confidence after its own opening victory, but slowing North Little Rock’s running game is a difficult assignment. The Wildcats should control possession and gradually pull away.
No. 10 Cabot (0-1) at No. 4 BENTONVILLE WEST (1-0): Bentonville West earned a big victory in Week 1 by defeating Greenwood and immediately positioned itself among the state’s top championship contenders. Junior QB SUTTON MACKEY threw for more than 200 yards. Cabot’s defense played well in its opener but struggled to finish enough drives offensively. The Wolverines appear further along offensively and should continue their strong start.
Class 5A No. 1 GREENWOOD (0-1) at Pulaski Academy (0-1): Greenwood opened with a loss, but it pushed 7A Bentonville West to the wire in Week 1 as QB CRUZ COATNEY completed nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts. Pulaski Academy remains dangerous offensively but must show improvement on defense. QB CALEB SULLIVAN threw for 340 yards last week. Greenwood might be the safer pick, but look for this one to be competitive.
Little Rock Central (0-1) at Class 5A No. 2 JOE T. ROBINSON (1-0): Little Rock Central displayed offensive potential during its opener but struggled to generate enough defensive stops. RICKY GATSON III stood out, though, scoring on both sides of the ball. Robinson looked dominant in Week 1 and enters with momentum after one of the most complete performances of opening weekend. Central should create some offensive success, but Robinson’s balance and depth should eventually take over.
FS NORTHSIDE (1-0) at Springdale Har-Ber (0-1): Fort Smith Northside opened with a win over rival Southside and appears improved on defense. The Grizzlies played disciplined football and controlled key situations. DB MARKELL WHITFIELD returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown. Har-Ber faced quality competition in Week 0, but needs significantly more offensive consistency. QB BRICE OWENS and TREYSON REITH showed big-play ability. Northside showed the better overall foundation and should continue its positive start.
7A WEST
JENKS, Okla. (1-0) at No. 8 Rogers (0-1): Rogers showed encouraging signs in its road loss at North Little Rock and now faces one of Oklahoma’s top programs. The Mounties possess enough offensive experience to stay competitive, but Jenks routinely plays one of the toughest schedules in the region and brings a significant depth advantage. Expect a competitive game, but Jenks gets the nod.
No. 9 FAYETTEVILLE (0-1) vs. Class 6A West Memphis (0-1): Fayetteville struggled offensively in Week 0 but has one of Arkansas’ most talented rosters. The Bulldogs should benefit from another week of preparation. Six turnovers hurt them in the opening loss to Stillwater (Okla.). West Memphis presents threats at the skill spots, but they struggled to find the end zone last week against Valley View.
NR SPRINGDALE (0-1) at Class 6A No. 4 Van Buren (1-0): This is one of Week 1’s more intriguing matchups. Van Buren enters the week ranked No. 4 in Class 6A after an impressive opening victory and is one of the state’s fastest-rising programs. But Springdale showed enough defensive toughness in its opener to show it can compete for 4 quarters. Springdale looks for more explosive plays this week. A 98-yard score lifted Muskogee (Okla.) over the Bulldogs last week.
NR Rogers Heritage (0-1) at Class 5A No. 5 FARMINGTON (1-0): Rogers Heritage generated offense in its opener but struggled to get stops on defense, and remains a work in progress. Farmington opened with a hard-fought victory and demonstrated strong defensive fundamentals. The Cardinals are comfortable playing physical, low-possession games. Farmington’s defense and home-field advantage should prove decisive.