Union County schools are underdogs in tilts

GAME OF THE WEEK No. 16 Gurdon at No. 14 Bearden

Bearden pushed Class 3A Camden Harmony Grove in the opener before losing 22-14, and while trailing Hazen 8-0 early last week, it was driving for a potential game-tying score when the game was called due to weather.

Gurdon, with 40 players, starts four sophomores on offense and five on defense.

The Go-Devils have averaged four turnovers per game. All-league senior linebacker Cam Lollis paced Gurdon last week with 16 tackles at Harmony Grove Haskell.

Junior tight end Garrett White consistently blocks well.

LAST WEEK

Hootens.com correctly picked 23 of 31 (74 percent) games involving Class 2A teams. Hootens.com has picked 57 of 74 (76 percent) for the season.

WEEK 3 PREDICTIONS (favored team in CAPS followed by point spread) 3-2A

Clarendon at MCCRORY (19): McCrory pulled a mild (30-28) upset of Des Arc last week with senior RB/LB T.J. Alford running for 132 yards and a touchdown and intercepting two passes, returning one of them 55 yards for a touchdown. Junior linebacker Dylan Yougman recorded seven solo tackles.

Rector at PIGGOTT (16): Rector posted its first win on the field last week against a team other than Midland for the first time in four years, while extending Class 3A Corning's losing streak to 34 games.

WALNUT RIDGE (6) at Salem: Class 3A Walnut Ridge trying to go 3-0 against its old rivals from the 3-2A.

It already has whipped Marked Tree (44-0) and East Poinsett County (4118), but Salem should provide more resistance.

Salem has hammered Class 3A Mountain View and Yellville-Summit by a combined 82-12. Salem senior running back Jordan Turner has rushed 36 times this fall for 640 yards and five touchdowns.

Last week, sophomore quarterback Gavin Guiltner completed four passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers.

EAST POINSETT COUNTY (14) at Corning: East Poinsett County lost more than the game (41-18 to Walnut Ridge) last week when sophomore quarterback Preston Rains left early in the third quarter with a concussion. Until his exit, Rains had completed 8-of-14 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Senior Andrew Harston returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and recorded 5 1/2 tackles.

Corning has lost 34 consecutive games.

Marked Tree at HAZEN (18): Marked Tree dressed just 17 players, and four turnovers proved lethal last week in a three-point loss to Class 3A Manila.

Senior Jarmaria Anderson carried 12 times for 134 yards in the loss.

No. 4 Hazen led Bearden 8-0 early last week before the game was called due to inclement weather.

Cross County at EARLE (6): Earle gave up 258 rushing yards (0 passing yards) last week to Class 3A Barton, but forced three turnovers and won 36-16. Cross County was effective passing the football Week 1 in a six-point loss to No. 4 Hazen.

CEDAR RIDGE (2) at Midland: Winless Class 3A Cedar Ridge has not scored this season, but it is 4-0 all-time vs. Midland.

4-2A

PANAMA, OKLA. (7) at Hackett: Hackett scrambling to find enough offensive linemen after injuries, while the Panama Razorbacks boast a 50-man roster.

LAVACA (3) at Two Rivers: Lavaca has scored 12 points this season in losses to Class 4A Subiaco Academy and Class 3A Mansfield. Two Rivers has dropped 28 straight games and scored two touchdowns or less in 23 of those losses.

J.C. Westside at LAMAR (29): Lamar seeks its first 3-0 start since 2015 when it finished 10-3 and advanced to the state quarterfinals. Last week, Lamar scorched Class 4A Subiaco Academy 34-12, amassing 378 yards with no turnovers.

WESTERN YELL COUNTY (10) at Rose Bud: Western Yell County senior Tommy Khamsomphou (sack and 2 1/2 tackles for loss), junior Ethan Ridenour (3 1/2 tackles for loss) and Brayden Bland (four solos and a sack) flourished last week in a 6-0 overtime loss to the Lamar JV. Class 3A Rose Bud has lost seven games in a row.

Magazine at CUTTER M STAR (3): Cutter Morning Star did not attempt a pass last week but rushed for 342 yards (11.4 yards per catch) and six touchdowns in a 46-12 rocking of Rose Bud. Magazine was idle a week ago after managing 67 yards Week 1 against Mount Ida's first-team defense. HECTOR is open. MOUNTAINBURG is open.

5-2A

Marshall at QUITMAN (17): Quitman senior quarterback Levi Balentine has completed 71 percent of his passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, while rushing for a team-high 151 yards.

Senior Trey Lovelady paces Quitman with 12 receptions and 15 tackles.

CENTERPOINT (1) at Mountain Pine: Mountain Pine all-league quarterback Collin Smith is on pace to hit the 1,000yard mark as a rusher and passer.

Senior Eli Browning leads the Red Devils in rushing, while 6-4 senior Josh Walpole has caught a team-high five passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Murfreesboro at POYEN (11): Poyen set school records last week for yards (705) and points (58) in a 31-point blowout of Bismarck.

Sophomore Brandon Sanchez carried five times for 176 yards and three touchdowns.

Murfreesboro ended a 12-game losing skid (dating to Week 11, 2017), 24-14 over Class 3A Horatio.

Murfreesboro senior quarterback Payten Diffee completed 13-of-21 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns, while the defense recovered six fumbles.

England at MINERAL SPRINGS (6): No. 5 Mineral Springs held Class 3A Fouke to 187 yards last week and forced one turnover, an interception by sophomore safety Terrell Fricks. England's game with Clarendon was canceled due to weather.

Magnet Cove at MOUNT IDA (12): No. 3 Mount Ida held Class 3A Jessieville to 78 rushing yards and 192 total yards last week in a 21-6 victory.

Magnet Cove failed to score in a 20-0 loss to Atkins, rushing for 217 yards while losing three fumbles, including two in the red zone.

CONWAY CHRISTIAN is open. BIGELOW is open.

6-2A

Baptist Prep at CARLISLE (3): Carlisle senior running back JaSean Harper played well with and without the ball last week, rushing 18 times for 125 yards in a 26-12 loss to Class 4A DeWitt. Junior Ian Seidenschwarz led Carlisle with 12 tackles.

Marianna at BARTON (17): Class 3A Barton rushed for 258 yards last week at Earle and should find plenty of running room this week at No. 37 Marianna.

Cross County at EARLE (6): No. 10 Earle gave up 258 rushing yards (0 passing yards) last week to Class 3A Barton, but forced three turnovers and did not allow a second-half point of a 36-16 victory.

Cross County was effective passing the football Week 1 in a six-point loss to No. 4 Hazen.

PALESTINE-WHEATLEY (16) at Brinkley: Class 3A Palestine-Wheatley continues to feast on former rivals in the 6-2A, already devouring Clarendon and Marvell by a combined score of 72-19.

Brinkley managed one scoring drive in the first half last week of a weather-shortened 41-6 loss at Class 3A Rison.

Brinkley all-league junior quarterback Lamont Swanigan completed two passes to senior all-league athlete Dedrick McGaughey during that drive.

Marvell at MANILA (10): Manila lost to 3-2A member East Poinsett County by six points two weeks ago, but topped 3-2A member Marked Tree 27-24 last week.

Marvell managed 12 points last week in an 18-point loss to Palestine-Wheatley.

DES ARC is open.

7-2A

Horatio at FOREMAN (42): Topranked Foreman rushed for 156 yards and led Parkers Chapel 21-0 after the first quarter last week before the game was postponed due to weather.

JESSIEVILLE (17) at Dierks: Jessieville competed well last week in a 21-6 loss to Class 2A power Mount Ida.

Its young defense has surrendered just 10.5 points through two weeks.

Senior Jeffery Scott and juniors Aaron Murders and B.J. Holloway pace the Jessieville defense with eight tackles apiece.

Spring Hill at GENOA CENTRAL (2): Class 3A Genoa Central played well up front last week while shutting out Lafayette County on the road 17-0.

Spring Hill was open last week. Spring Hill won this matchup 29-28 last year.

Gurdon at BEARDEN (2): See Game of the Week.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY is open.

8-2A

Junction City at HAYNESVILLE, LA (12): Junction City travels to what head coach Steven Jones calls "one of the more electric atmospheres you will experience in small-town high school football." Haynesville features a defensive tackle who has committed to LSU and a junior defensive end with offers from multiple SEC schools.

Haynesville has won two of the past three meetings in this long-running series.

Monticello at FORDYCE (2): Fordyce won this matchup 30-24 last year, and its speedy defense, led by linebackers Wanya Morris and Josh Harrington, could give Class 4A Monticello problems.

However, Fordyce gave up a fourthand-16 touchdown pass and an 18-yard two-point conversion pass last week in a 30-28 loss to Camden Harmony Grove.

Monticello has scored 10 points this season and averaged less than 200 yards per game.

RISON (33) at Strong: Class 3A Rison led Brinkley 41-6 last week at halftime when the game was called due to weather.

Rison scored six consecutive touchdowns on drives of two, one, four, three, three and five plays, according to Rison statistician and historian Stan Sadler.

Strong lost to Like Village 20-6 and a demanding schedule awaits.

STAR CITY (6) at Hampton: Both teams were idle last week. Star City had an open date, while Hampton had to forfeit to Smackover because only seven players were eligible after a brawl Week 1 at Drew Central.

Hampton senior quarterback Gauge Welch ran for three touchdowns, and senior defensive end Desmond Brown recorded three sacks in the first quarter at Drew Central.

MAYFLOWER (17) at Parkers Chapel: Parkers Chapel allowed 156 rushing yards and trailed No. 1 Foreman 21-0 after the first quarter last week before the game was postponed due to weather.

Mayflower averages 56 points per game this fall. It has scored 50-plus points in 11 of the past 14 games, while its defense has allowed two touchdowns or less during that time.