Benton, Little Rock Christian crack media’s Overall Top 10

By SCOTT McDONALD
Phillips Media Group

For the third week in a row, the top six overall ranked teams in the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll remained the same but there was some shuffling among teams 7-10.

The Conway Wampus continue to hold down the overall top spot, garnerin 24 of the 30 first-place votes casts this week. Little Rock Parkview got the other six top votes to remain second. Bryant, Greenwood, Fayetteville and Bentonville remain ranked third through sixth.

Moving up a spot this week are the Rogers Mounties at No. 7 while the Benton Panthers make their first appearance of the season in the Overall Top 10 at No. 8.

Little Rock Christian, which was ranked as high as No. 6 earlier in the year, returns to the Top 10 at No. 9 after thumping rival Pulaski Academy 55-13, dropping the Bruins from the rankins. Cabot won big last Friday but still dropped a spot to No. 10.

While the Clas 7A Top 5 teams remain the same, there was a little shakeup in the Class 6A Top 5. Greenwood, one of seven teams in the state that are 5-0, remains atop the 6A rankings while Benton moves to secodn and LR Christian moves to third. Pulaski Academy dropped to fifth while Marion makes its season debut at No. 5.

The top four remain the same in Class 5A while the Texarkana Razorbacks slip into the rankings at No. 5 for the first time this year.

All of the Class 4A Top 5 teams received at least one first-place vote this week but Warren garned the most (19) to remain on top. Harding Academy is second while Elkins and Malvern switched places and DeWitt remained fifth.

The Prescott Curley Wolves remain a solid No. 1 in the Class 3A Top 5 with 28 first-place votes while Salem and Hoxie remain second and third, each with a first-place vote. Booneville and Magnet Cover stay fourth and fifth.

Mineral Springs remains on top of the Class 2A rankings folowed by Carlislee, Hazen, Des Arc and East Poinsett County.

Week 5 Top Games

Class 7A

Rogers at Fayetteville
It is a battle of the last two undefeated teams in the 7A-West Conference as the Purple Dawgs host the Mounties. Last year Rogers snapped a 14-game losing streak to Fayetteville with a 29-28 victory. Fayetteville owns a 67-38-8 record all-time against Rogers.

Class 6A

Marion at Benton
The Patriots are ranked for the first time this season, just in time for their toughest road game of the campaign. The Panthers are second in the 6A and ranked 8th overall. Last season, the first the two were in the same conference, Benton defeated Marion 55-13, the Panthers first-ever win over the Patriots who had the previous three meetings between the two.

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Class 5A

Wynne at Southside Batesville
While neither team is currently ranked, both are no strangers to the ASM Poll. The Southerners are one of two undefeated teams in Class 5A that are not ranked currently ranked while Wynne is 2-2 but is one of the traditional powers in the 5A-East. The Yellowjackets defeated the Southerners 42-21 last seaso, the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Class 4A

Pottsville at Bauxite
Another battle between two teams that are not currently ranked get the spotlight in Class 4A this week. The Apaches are the last undefeated team in the 4A-4 Conference with a 3-0 mark while the Miners are 2-1. Bauxite has won the previous two meetings between the two schools, a 34-14 victory last season and a 41-14 decision in 2003.

Class 3A

Salem at Newport
Four weeks ago, Newport was ranked fifth i the Class 3A Top 5 but was replaced with Salem the following week which then climbed all the way up to No. 2.

Newport has won all three previous meetings between the two programs.

Class 2A

Conway Christian at Hector
The Wildcats are one of three teams that are 1-0 in 2A-1 Conference play but this will be the first league game of the season for the Eagles who are 4-1 overall. Hector has a 4-3 record in the series but Conway Christian won last year’s back-and-forth matchup 34-30

8-man

Izard County at Rector
Rector is one of only two undefeated 8-man teams left in the state and gets a shot at redemption against Izard County this week. The two clubs advanced to the state championship game last season whereIzard County outlasted Rector 36-26 to win the title in its first year of playing football ever. The two clubs met twice in the regular season last year and split the two games.