Class 7A Week 6 Rankings and Selections

HOOTENS.COM 

CLASS 7A, WEEK 6

RANKINGS

1. ↑  2. SHILOH CHRISTIAN (5-0, 2-0; beat Bentonville 42-15)
2. ↑  3. BENTONVILLE WEST (5-0, 2-0; beat Springdale 35-9)
3. ↓  1. BENTONVILLE (4-1, 1-1; lost to Shiloh 42-15)
4. ↑  4. CONWAY (4-1, 2-0; beat NLR 49-20)
5. ↔ 5. NORTH LITTLE ROCK (4-2, 1-2; lost to Conway 49-20)
6. ↔ 6. PULASKI ACADEMY (2-3; 1-1; beat Central 14-13)
7. ↔ 7. HAR-BER (3-2, 1-1; beat Heritage 42-12)
8. ↑  9. FAYETTEVILLE (3-2, 1-1; beat Rogers 42-26)
9. ↑ 10. LR CHRISTIAN (3-1, 2-0; beat Bryant 25-22)
10. ↓ 4. BRYANT (1-4, 1-1; lost to LR Christian 25-22)

NOT RANKED

7A-CENTRAL Cabot (2-2; 1-0), FS Northside (2-3; 0-2), Little Rock Central (1-4; 0-2)

7A-WEST Springdale (1-4; 1-1), Rogers Heritage (0-5); 0-2, Rogers (0-5; 0-2)

WEEK 6 PREDICTIONS (favored teams in ALL CAPS and highlighted in Orange)

HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK 

No. 6 PULASKI ACADEMY (2-3; 1-1) at  No. 10 Bryant (1-4; 1-1): This game comes at a critical point for both teams, who have playoff aspirations.

PA’s offense tailed off after its explosive performance 2 weeks ago in a 64-50 loss to NLR. The Bruins found a way to win, toppling Little Rock Central 14-13. Chase Hancock caught the game-winner with less than a minute to play, capping off 14 unanswered second-half points. Bryant is coming off its first conference loss since 2018, dropping a 25-22 heart-breaker to Little Rock Christian. The Hornets fought back after trailing 19-7 at half, but LRCA’s Ridge Bowman recovered an onside kick after Bryant’s last score to seal the win. The Bruins have big-play ability and have shown they can compete with anyone in Class 7A. QB Caleb Sullivan and Pulaski Academy outscore Bryant for the road victory. 

7A WEST

No. 1 SHILOH CHRISTIAN (5-0; 2-0) at No. 8 Fayetteville (3-2; 1-1): What a night it was for Shiloh. The Saints knocked off No. 1 Bentonville 42-15 to take the top spot in this week’s rankings. The defense made huge stops, including 4 turnovers, and even got in on the scoring as Beckham Floyd and Brody Francis had TDs. Fayetteville bounced back to beat Rogers 42-26 after losing to Bentonville West to open conference play. Coach Anthony Lucas’ Fayetteville team is averaging 32 points per game. Shiloh Christian remains undefeated and on top of Class 7A after a road win behind Max Eldridge, who makes plays on both sides of the ball.

Rogers (0-5; 0-2) at No. 2 BENTONVILLE WEST (5-0; 2-0): Rogers looks to improve defensively after a 42-26 loss to Fayetteville. The Mounties are giving up 40 points per game. Bentonville West knocked off Springdale last week 35-9 behind Bryant Pratt. Field positioning, with the defense helping out, told the story for the Wolverines. They started many possessions on the plus side of the field because their defense didn’t allow Springdale to get much going. West led 21-0 and really never looked back. Two late scores by QB Sutton Mackey helped West to pull away. West continues to play well defensively and defeats the Mounties.

No. 3 BENTONVILLE (4-1; 1-1) at Rogers Heritage (0-5, 0-2): The Tigers dropped to No. 3 in this week’s poll after suffering 4 turnovers in its loss to Shiloh. Bentonville trailed 27-3 at the half and lost to the Saints by 27. Rogers Heritage struggled offensively but fought to the very end in its loss to Springdale Har-Ber. Edwin Reyes and Gavin Dozier had touchdowns for the War Eagles, but 3 lost fumbles were too tough to overcome. Bentonville bounces back with a road win.

No. 7 SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (3-2; 1-1) at Springdale (1-4; 1-1):  Har-Ber had a breakout night offensively in its 45-12 win over Rogers Heritage. QB Brice Owens completed 10 of 12 passes and threw 3 TDs. Owens also scored on an 18-yard run. Springdale dropped a tough one to No. 2 Bentonville West. The Bulldogs knocked on the door most of the evening, trailed by 12 at half, but could not capitalize with points in the Red Zone. Har-Ber and Owens make big plays on the road to win the cross-town rivalry. 

7A CENTRAL

No. 4 CONWAY (4-1; 2-0) at Cabot (2-2, 1-0): Conway played physical up front, rushing for 450 yards in a 49-20 win over North Little Rock. Sophomore Dereon Holt rushed for more than 300 of those yards and scored 4 TDs; Cabot QB Tyce Fletcher threw 2 TDs as the Panthers overcame an early 3-0 deficit to beat Northside 29-3. Conway wins this one with a physical rushing attack and efficient QB play from Ryder Cook.

Fort Smith Northside (2-3, 0-2) at No. 5 NORTH LITTLE ROCK (4-1; 1-1): Fort Smith Northside didn’t reach the end zone in last week’s 29-3 home loss to the Cabot Panthers. Northside’s only points gave it a 3-0 lead, but Lance Clark’s Cabot team scored 29 unanswered to pull away.  North Little Rock lost to Conway 49-20, even as QB Robert Jackson threw for 249 yards and 3 scores. The Charging Wildcats were without RB Christian Reeves and other key playmakers. NLR scored on only 25 percent of its Red-Zone opportunities. North Little Rock gets back on the winning side against the Grizzlies.

No. 9 LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN (2-2; 1-0) at Little Rock Central (1-4; 0-2): Little Rock Christian knocked off 2-time defending state champion Bryant 25-22. Grayson Raines scored 2 TDs for the Warriors. LRCA scored on its first 2 possessions and left the Hornets playing catch-up. Little Rock Central has allowed 28 points total in 2 conference games this season, but lost to Bryant and Pulaski Academy. The Tigers led 13-0 in the third quarter before the Bruins came roaring back. PA scored 14 unanswered points and won it on a TD with less than a minute left. Little Rock Christian, still riding high from knocking off the Bryant Hornets, sneaks by Central.