Stone Cold Lock Of The Week: Week 7

Week 7! Just four more games in the regular season, but at the mid-point of the conference race. This week’s games in the 3A-1 are kind of tame in comparison to what is coming the next two weeks. The 6A West race still has some seeding that will start to become clearer this week.

Get out this week and watch football or go to Tri-State Speedway, their big end of the year race is going on this week.

Stone Cold Lock Of The Week

Fort Smith Southside vs Van Buren

I did not want to make it to big school games in a row, but when you see the rest of the Friday night slate. I am sure you the reader will understand. The 4-2 Mavericks travel across the river to take on the 4-2 Van Buren Pointers. There has been clamoring on one ranking about not ranking the Pointers higher because they are 3-0 like Greenwood. Solid point, and the complaint is noted. This week they can take a major step in getting into the conversation of competing for no lower than a fourth seed by beating the Mavericks. But there is still a gauntlet for Van Buren to run through, trip to Greenwood, home against Mountain Home, and then at Shiloh Christian to end the regular season. Southside already has losses to Mountain Home and Shiloh with a week nine game at Greenwood looming. If the Mavericks can find a way to stop Austin Riggs, who follows a great line of Pointer receivers like Malachi Henry and Trenton Cooley. Southside may just pull off getting that fourth spot.

The Rest

Cedarville vs Mansfield

Two games ago it was Andrew Burton, the last game was Silas Burton. Could there be a third Burton brother or cousin that takes home the Mansfield Farm Bureau game ball this week? As long as the Tigers do not overlook the Pirates while looking ahead to next week’s game against Booneville, this could be in sportsmanship territory by halftime.

Lavaca vs Charleston

At one point this was a rivalry. Bragging rights for Highway 22, but since 2006 this has been a lopsided affair with Charleston averaging 44 points to Lavaca’s 14. This season Charleston averages 45 points per game this season, and all signs are pointing to this game going the same way. Charleston has Booneville in Week 9 at home.

Booneville vs West Fork

The Bearcats will score as much as they want to in this matchup. The next two weeks for the Bearcat faithful will be large deciders on where they spend the first round of the playoffs. Win both there the top seed. Win the one next week and it puts the conference into a light spin. Just win the second one, they are number two. It is a heavyweight matchup we all have been waiting for since the start of the season. At some point doing these I will look at the West Fork logo in Adam’s Game Day edit and not think (team name) vs Wake Forest.

Hackett vs Greenland

Well, this one should have been the Lock of the Week. Hackett is on the backside of one of the toughest trio of games Mansfield, Booneville, and then Charleston. At that, they got Charleston after a tough Mansfield loss. Up until conference they were 2-1, could Hackett turn the tables and become the fourth seed in the 3A-1? Get past Greenland and that Lavaca game in Week 8 becomes huge for a playoff berth.

Greenwood vs Lake Hamilton

Just like Lavaca vs Charleston there was a time when this game was one you circled as what could be a good game. Back in the Ronnie Peacock era the games were decent, then since 2016 in the Rick Jones then Chris Young era, there have been four shutouts. The Bulldogs were going for five shutouts until a deep pass got them on the scoreboard for the first time since the 2020 State Championship game. Chasing Coatney: 1612 yards to go for Kane Archer.

Jessieville vs Paris

The Eagles are on collision course with Glen Rose on Halloween in Week 9.

Magazine vs JC Westside

4-2 Magazine is rolling in and out of JC Westside this Friday. The Rattlers do host the defending Class 2A State Champion Conway Christian next week. A win could have them in position to get a playoff spot.

Mena vs Waldron

While this may not be the Mena team they had last year, there is time for them to make noise. The last two weeks see them going against Clinton and Dardanelle. Waldron has just four more games and could end on a high note with games against Dover and Lamar in consecutive weeks.

Just One More So We Can Have An Equal Ten on Our Edit.

Benton vs El Dorado

Currently, there are five teams sitting at 2-1. Yes, you read that FIVE teams with identical records are right. Last year Sylvan Hills finished 0-10, this year they sit on top of the conference after surprising the whole dang state beating Benton and El Dorado in back-to-back weeks. Benton, who was a pre-season #3 behind Greenwood and Shiloh, now may end up a fourth seed in their conference. This may be the most intriguing conference regardless of class with everyone beating each other.