Class 7A - Week 10 - 2009
Hootens.com Rankings
Class 7A, Week 10, 2009
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Springdale Har-Ber (9-0)
2. Bentonville (8-1)
3. North LR (7-2)
4. Cabot (8-1)
5. Russellville (7-1-1)
6. Bryant (7-2)
7. Rogers Heritage (7-2)
8. Fayetteville (5-3-1)
9. FS Southside (5-4)
10. LR Catholic (5-4)
11. Springdale (3-6)
12. FS Northside (3-6)
13. Rogers (2-7)
14. Conway (3-6)
15. Van Buren (1-7-1)
16. LR Central (0-9)
HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Springdale Har-Ber at No. 2 Bentonville
Undefeated Har-Ber, hootens.com 7A preseason favorite and best defense in the West (12 points per league game), looks to tame Tiger offense scoring 42.4 points. Defending state champ Bentonville can earn a share of the West title and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a win. Bentonville returned 10 offensive starters and welcomed Warren move-in Courtney Haskell (5-11, 202 with 4.42 speed and 34-inch vertical jump) in the spring. "Haskell is a difference maker," says Har-Ber coach Chris Wood, who credits Bentonville's balance for its success. "If you load the box, they can pass it. They're able to do what they need regardless of defensive scheme."
Har-Ber is balanced, too. Quarterback Ryan Luther (15 TDs, eight interceptions) completes 59 percent of his passes for 150 yards weekly while the Wildcat backfield rushes for 214. Standout safety Houston Pruitt and Kaleb Vaughn stepped in for injured top-rusher Gordon Welch last week to combine for 246 yards rushing in a 25-point win over Fayetteville. Pruitt, who has committed to play baseball for the University of Arkansas, raced 40 yards and took a swing pass 69 yards for TDs. Linebackers Hunter Kissinger (55 tackles) and Jacob Bundrick (53 stops) lead Har-Ber. Standout nosegurd Eric Pearce (400-pound bench press) has seven sacks. Welch and top receiver Josh McKinney return for the playoffs, Wood says.
TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs statewide 11 a.m. Saturdays on CBS (Today's THV 11 and KFSM TV 5). Games scheduled to be featured this week include Springdale Har-Ber at Bentonville, Fayetteville at Heritage, North LR at Van Buren, Conway at LR Catholic and LR Central at Bryant.
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 6 of 8 winners (75 percent). For the season, hootens.com is 67-17-2 (79 percent).
WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
7A CENTRAL
Cabot at RUSSELLVILLE (1): Winner will be outright conference champ if Van Buren upsets North LR. Both return home in the playoffs either next week or after a bye week. Russellville, stronger on defense, learned new ways to produce when starting QB Barrett Hughes was injured midseason. Cabot, speedy on defense, hasn't lost to Russellville since the Cyclones joined the league in 2006.
Conway at LR CATHOLIC (1): Conway's defensive front will challenge, but Catholic's Sonic Super Team QB Taylor Bartlett could have a big night passing. Catholic travels next week to loser of Friday night's game between Fayetteville and Heritage. Conway travels next Friday to the winner of that game.
LR Central at BRYANT (21): Hornets were only team to beat LR Central during its back-to-back championship runs (2003-04). LR Central extends current losing streak to 21 as Coach Bernie Cox tenure closes.
NORTH LR (7) at Van Buren: A North LR win earns it a share of its first league title since 1997 when the late North LR star Kenyatta Tolbert was paralyzed during the season.
7A WEST
Fayetteville at HERITAGE (4): No. 3 playoff seed on the line. Fayetteville suffered its worst defeat of the season last week at No.1 Har-Ber 39-14. Heritage's War Eagles, winless in West play last year, took Har-Ber to overtime.
FS SOUTHSIDE (7) at FS Northside: Northside must win and Rogers must upset Springdale for Northside to make the playoffs. FS Southside is the No. 5 seed win or lose, likely playing at Bryant or Cabot next week.
Rogers at SPRINGDALE: (1): Springdale makes the playoffs win or lose if FS Southside beats FS Northside.
HAR-BER (7) at Bentonville: Defending state champ Bentonville's only loss last year was Week 10 at Har-Ber.
(c) 1993-2009 Hooten Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this site may be retransmitted without the express written consent of Hooten Publishing, Inc.
Class 7A, Week 10, 2009
Copyright Hooten Publishing, Inc.
1. Springdale Har-Ber (9-0)
2. Bentonville (8-1)
3. North LR (7-2)
4. Cabot (8-1)
5. Russellville (7-1-1)
6. Bryant (7-2)
7. Rogers Heritage (7-2)
8. Fayetteville (5-3-1)
9. FS Southside (5-4)
10. LR Catholic (5-4)
11. Springdale (3-6)
12. FS Northside (3-6)
13. Rogers (2-7)
14. Conway (3-6)
15. Van Buren (1-7-1)
16. LR Central (0-9)
HOOTENS.COM GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 1 Springdale Har-Ber at No. 2 Bentonville
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Har-Ber is balanced, too. Quarterback Ryan Luther (15 TDs, eight interceptions) completes 59 percent of his passes for 150 yards weekly while the Wildcat backfield rushes for 214. Standout safety Houston Pruitt and Kaleb Vaughn stepped in for injured top-rusher Gordon Welch last week to combine for 246 yards rushing in a 25-point win over Fayetteville. Pruitt, who has committed to play baseball for the University of Arkansas, raced 40 yards and took a swing pass 69 yards for TDs. Linebackers Hunter Kissinger (55 tackles) and Jacob Bundrick (53 stops) lead Har-Ber. Standout nosegurd Eric Pearce (400-pound bench press) has seven sacks. Welch and top receiver Josh McKinney return for the playoffs, Wood says.
TV SHOW
Hooten's Arkansas Football airs statewide 11 a.m. Saturdays on CBS (Today's THV 11 and KFSM TV 5). Games scheduled to be featured this week include Springdale Har-Ber at Bentonville, Fayetteville at Heritage, North LR at Van Buren, Conway at LR Catholic and LR Central at Bryant.
LAST WEEK
Hootens.com correctly predicted 6 of 8 winners (75 percent). For the season, hootens.com is 67-17-2 (79 percent).
WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS (favored team in ALL CAPS followed by point spread)
7A CENTRAL
Cabot at RUSSELLVILLE (1): Winner will be outright conference champ if Van Buren upsets North LR. Both return home in the playoffs either next week or after a bye week. Russellville, stronger on defense, learned new ways to produce when starting QB Barrett Hughes was injured midseason. Cabot, speedy on defense, hasn't lost to Russellville since the Cyclones joined the league in 2006.
Conway at LR CATHOLIC (1): Conway's defensive front will challenge, but Catholic's Sonic Super Team QB Taylor Bartlett could have a big night passing. Catholic travels next week to loser of Friday night's game between Fayetteville and Heritage. Conway travels next Friday to the winner of that game.
LR Central at BRYANT (21): Hornets were only team to beat LR Central during its back-to-back championship runs (2003-04). LR Central extends current losing streak to 21 as Coach Bernie Cox tenure closes.
NORTH LR (7) at Van Buren: A North LR win earns it a share of its first league title since 1997 when the late North LR star Kenyatta Tolbert was paralyzed during the season.
7A WEST
Fayetteville at HERITAGE (4): No. 3 playoff seed on the line. Fayetteville suffered its worst defeat of the season last week at No.1 Har-Ber 39-14. Heritage's War Eagles, winless in West play last year, took Har-Ber to overtime.
FS SOUTHSIDE (7) at FS Northside: Northside must win and Rogers must upset Springdale for Northside to make the playoffs. FS Southside is the No. 5 seed win or lose, likely playing at Bryant or Cabot next week.
Rogers at SPRINGDALE: (1): Springdale makes the playoffs win or lose if FS Southside beats FS Northside.
HAR-BER (7) at Bentonville: Defending state champ Bentonville's only loss last year was Week 10 at Har-Ber.
(c) 1993-2009 Hooten Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this site may be retransmitted without the express written consent of Hooten Publishing, Inc.
11/2/2009
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