Conference openers dot prep schedule

* El Dorado (2-1) at Lake Hamilton (1-2): El Dorado is ranked No. 4 and Lake Hamilton No. 11 in Class 6A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: El Dorado by 4 (Hooten’s). Last week: El Dorado beat Magnolia 31-10. Lake Hamilton lost to Bryant 24-21.

Last year: Lake Hamilton won 31-22 at El Dorado, one of four conference wins that helped Wolves make playoffs despite losing record.

Nonconference: El Dorado beat Camden Fairview and Magnolia, lost to Cabot. Lake Hamilton beat Hot Springs (28-17) on the road and lost to Malvern (35-33) and Bryant (24-21) at home.

Players to watch: El Dorado senior RB Anthony Thomas (16 carries for 160 yards and a touchdown against Magnolia). Lake Hamilton senior RB Johnathan Buss (131 yards and two touchdowns rushing against El Dorado last year).

Noteworthy: First Arkansas conference game for Lake Hamilton coach Jeremy Reed, whose Altus, Okla., team won the state’s 5A title last year. El Dorado coach Scott Reed went 1-1 against former Lake Hamilton coach Jerry Clay in Class 6A title games, the Wolves winning 42-28 in 2008 for Clay’s second state championship at the school (the other in 1992) and the Wildcats prevailing 24-20 in 2011. … El Dorado has four state titles in the last seven seasons, all under Reed, after none since 1958.

* Watson Chapel (1-2) at Hot Springs (0-3): Watson Chapel is ranked No. 10 and Hot Springs No. 21 in Class 5A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football.

Favorite: Watson Chapel by 14 (Hooten’s, which made the Wildcats preseason favorite in 5A-South).

Last week: Watson Chapel lost 52-32 to Warren. Hot Springs lost 41-3 to Arkadelphia.

Last year: Watson Chapel beat Hot Springs 14-7 at home in the conference opener for both teams. The Wildcats’ four wins last year came against conference opponents, team finishing on three-game losing streak with a playoff defeat against Batesville.

Nonconference: Hot Springs has lost to Lake Hamilton (28-17), Mena (24-21) and Arkadelphia (41-3) with Mena the only road game. Watson Chapel lost to Pine Bluff and Warren by a combined 45 points after beating crosstown rival Dollarway 42-22. Third-straight road game for the Wildcats, whose next two (De Queen and Hope) are at home.

Players to watch: Watson Chapel junior quarterback Jacobi Jackson has passed for 439 yards and five touchdowns. Hot Springs senior Erick Guadron has two field goals this season.

* Lakeside (0-3) at Camden Fairview (1-2): Lakeside is ranked No. 16 and Camden Fairview No. 19 in Class 5A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: Camden Fairview by 2 (Hooten’s). Last week: Lakeside lost 48-32 at Malvern. Last year: Lakeside beat Fairview 63-30 at Austin Field, triggering the Rams’ march to the school’s first conference title since 1975. The Rams finished 9-3 with a second-round playoff loss to visiting Little Rock McClellan.

Nonconference: Lakeside has lost 51-28 to Joe T. Robinson at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium, 28-27 at home against Sylvan Hills and 48-32 at Malvern. Fairview has beaten Class 4A Hamburg 34-29 and lost to 6A’s El Dorado and Texarkana.

* Fountain Lake (0-3) at Joe T. Robinson (3-0): Robinson is ranked No. 3 and Fountain Lake No. 39 in Class 4A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: Robinson by 28 (Hooten’s). Nonconference: Averaging almost 50 points per game, Robinson has defeated Lakeside, Central Arkansas Christian and Baptist Prep (formerly Arkansas Baptist). Fountain Lake has lost at Pottsville and at home to Haskell Harmony Grove and Smackover. … Fountain Lake and Robinson were in different 4A conferences last year.

Players to watch: Robinson senior quarterback Hunter Eskola has passed for 793 yards and 13 touchdowns against two interceptions. Senior Kollan Jackson, transferring from Little Rock Parkview, had 13 catches for 293 yards and three touchdowns. Fountain Lake senior quarterback Hunter Bryant has passed for 479 yards and three touchdowns.

* Bismarck (0-3) at Jessieville (2-1): Jessieville is ranked No. 32 and Bismarck No. 45 in Class 3A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: Jessieville by 14 (Hooten’s). Last week: Bismarck lost 40-21 to Cutter Morning Star at home while Jessieville routed visiting Two Rivers 47-0 in a game shortened to less than three quarters because of adverse weather.

Last year: Jessieville opened conference play with a 51-14 win at Bismarck but lost its last six games.

Players to watch: Jessieville senior running back Ruben de Haas returned a punt and caught two passes from quarterback Adam Saveall for touchdowns against Bismarck. A nationally prominent rugby player, de Haas kicked five extra points and missed a drop kick for another in the Lions’ first official victory under new coach T.J. Burk; Jessieville received a forfeit from Mountain Pine in Week 1.

* Hector (3-0) at Cutter Morning Star (2-0): Hector is No. 3 and Cutter Morning Star No. 42 in Class 2A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: Hector by 38 (Hooten’s). Last week: Cutter Morning Star snapped a 15-game losing streak on the field with a 40-21 road win over Bismarck, the Eagles scoring 20 fourth-quarter points. First CMS victory since defeating Quitman 42-12 Oct. 3, 2014.

Players to watch: Hector quarterback Tanner Gaines has passed for 378 yards and rushed for a team-high 265 yards, accounting for seven touchdowns. Emilio Arteaga ran for 133 yards and a CMS touchdown against Bismarck, sophomore end Dakota Lipitre keying the Eagles’ defensive effort with 14 tackles including two sacks. CMS quarterback James Butler, a transfer from Bald Knob, had an 81-yard scoring pass to Jacob Slayton.

* Dierks (2-1) at Mountain Pine (0-3): Dierks is ranked No. 16 and Mountain Pine No. 44 in Class 2A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: Dierks by 35 (Hooten’s). Noteworthy: After forfeiting its first two games, Mountain Pine dressed 14 players in last week’s loss to Woodlawn. This is the third consecutive home date on the Red Devils’ schedule. Mountain Pine, formerly in 2A-5, was reassigned this year to 2A-7, comprised mostly of schools in southwest Arkansas. … First-year Dierks coach Vince Perrin, formerly at Stuttgart, played at Lakeside and Lake Hamilton. Perrin’s Outlaws beat former Dierks coach David Bennett’s Horatio squad in Week 1. … Both schools won state championships four decades ago, Dierks (Class B) in 1975 and Mountain Pine (Class A) in 1978 and ‘79. Other area games: * Mineral Springs (1-2) at Mount Ida (3-0): Mount Ida is ranked No. 5 and Mineral Springs No. 31 in Class 2A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: Mount Ida by 28. Noteworthy: Mount Ida looms a strong favorite to go 10-0 after a nonconference sweep of Class 3A Centerpoint, Jessieville and Lamar. Defense made the difference in all three games, the Lions stopping a late Centerpoint drive in the Aug. 29 opener at Arkadelphia and intercepting a pass near their goal line against Lamar. Sophomore Jonathan Lagrange and junior Cade Helms spearhead the ground attack.

* Magnet Cove (0-3) at England (3-0): England is ranked No. 1 and Magnet Cove No. 35 in Class 2A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: England by 35 (Hooten’s). Players to watch: Magnet Cove senior Zac Rednour, moved from wide receiver to running back last week, and England senior quarterback Brayden Brazeal, a 71-percent passer with nine touchdowns against one interception.

Noteworthy: A Little Rock sportswriter who follows Arkansas high school football closely says England is “21 points better than any Class 2A team” and on a par with Junction City’s championship teams of this decade. … Magnet Cove lost to Class 2A No. 18 Parkers Chapel on the road, then was overmatched against 3A-5 opponents Centerpoint and Haskell Harmony Grove although scoring 21 points in the latter game.

* Arkadelphia (3-0) at Nashville (3-0): Nashville is ranked No. 1 and Arkadelphia No. 7 in Class 4A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football.

Favorite: Nashville by 14 in Hooten’s 4A game of the week.

Last year: Nashville won 49-28 on the road in both teams’ conference opener.

Players to watch: Nashville junior quarterback Tyler Hanson, senior running back Darius Hopkins and junior receivers Trent Harris and Ty Pettway. Hopkins scored eight touchdowns last week, giving him 11 in three games. Arkansas commit Kirby Adcock (6-5, 270) is one of five seniors on Nashville’s offensive line. … Freshman quarterback Cannon Turner has been an early-season sensation for Arkadelphia, passing for 147 yards and a first-play touchdown against Hot Springs last week.

Noteworthy: Nashville is 18-0 with a 4A championship under second-year coach Mike Volarvich, formerly offensive coordinator at NCAA Division II Henderson State University. Nashville, coming off a 91-63 home victory over Idabel, Okla., leads the state with averages of 592 yards and 66 points. Scrappers beat 5A-Southwest opponents Hope and De Queen, both ancient rivals, in first two weeks. Nashville plays next week at Fountain Lake, which lost 13-12 to the Scrappers last year after winning their 2014 matchup. … Arkadelphia comes off solid nonconference slate against 4A Stuttgart, 6A Sheridan and 5A Hot Springs. Badgers play unbeaten Joe T. Robinson at home next week.

* Bauxite (0-3) at Malvern (2-1): Malvern is ranked No. 14 and Bauxite No. 44 in Class 3A by Hooten’s Arkansas Football. Favorite: Malvern by 28 (Hooten’s). Last year: Malvern won 34-14 at Bauxite in both teams’ conference opener.

Players to watch: Malvern junior quarterback Demias Jimerson accounted for 260 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in last week’s 4832 game with Lakeside at Claude Mann Stadium. Senior Jacquez Lock totaled 250 yards rushing in wins over 6A Lake Hamilton and 5A Lakeside following a Week 1 thumping from neighboring Class 3A power Glen Rose. … Bauxite, 1-9 last year, has a new coach but old problems, losing to Haskell Harmony Grove, Glen Rose and Dumas under Daryl Patton, formerly at Class 7A Fayetteville.

Elsewhere, in two important 3A-5 games, Glen Rose goes on the road against Haskell Harmony Grove in a battle of unbeatens while Prescott (30) travels to Centerpoint (2-1).