10 Arkansas high school football games to watch in Week 6 (10/4/2023)

October is already here and it brought the fall weather with it as temperatures are expected to be in the high-forties to low-fifties by kickoff Friday night.

Another great slate is on the horizon that features four Top 25 matchups and of course plenty on the line as it relates to continuing to reach conference supremacy.

Here are 10 games to watch in Arkansas high school football for Week 6.

Note: Rankings are based on the SBLive Arkansas Top 25.

No. 19 Bentonville West (3-2) at No. 7 Rogers (4-1)

West bounced back from a lopsided loss to No. 6 Fayetteville with a victory over Springdale, while Rogers has had no choice but to have a short memory after a heartbreaking loss against the Purple Dogs by five points. Now, these two will battle it out for a chance to be in a Top 3 spot of the 7A-West standings following the conclusion. Both offenses have been explosive, but the Wolverines still have plenty to prove as they have struggled against ranked competition. Dane Williams leads this high-flying Mountie offense and is fresh off of the two most productive weeks of his prep career as a quarterback, while West's Dalton Rice is coming off of a 250-yard, five touchdown performance.

No. 16 Cabot (3-2) at No. 3 Conway (5-0)

It was in this game last season that we found out Conway was not immortal as the Panthers held what was one of the hotter offenses in the state to just 20 points. Cabot has one of the top defenses in Arkansas, but can they do enough to help what has been an inconsistent offense? The Panthers are riding their first two-game win streak of the season and, like Conway, are undefeated in 7A-Central play, but the first thing on Cabot's mind is figuring out a way to slow down this Wampus Cat offense that is averaging 46 points per game, led by the dynamic QB-WR duo of Donovyn Omolo and Cris O'Neal.

Central Arkansas Christian (5-1) at Pottsville (5-1)

Pottsville currently leads in the race for the 4A-4 top spot by a game, but the Mustangs can change that with a victory. Two of the state's more surprising teams, CAC has been dynamic on offense under first year head coach Ryan Howard and Arkansas commit Grayson Wilson at quarterback. The Mustangs scored 50 points against Mayflower last Friday, their third time this season to hit the half-century mark, while Pottsville is off to its best start since 2013 and the Apache offense has continuously gotten better each week, hitting the 40 mark the previous two games. However, Pottsville has has thrived on defense, allowing just 13.5 points per victory with their only loss to state contender Elkins, who boasts arguably the top offense in Class 4A.

Des Arc (4-1) @ Marked Tree (4-0)

Easily the premier matchup in 2A Arkansas prep football this week, the 2A-2 conference is currently in a three-way tie for first between these two talented squads and East Poinsett County, each sitting at 2-0 in league play. Don Lovell Field expects to be rocking and the Indians are looking to take down Des Arc, the defending 2A-2 champions, for the first time ever as the Eagles lead the series 3-0 dating back to 2005. Marked Tree quarterback Kenyon Carter has compiled over 1,000 yards of offense and 14 total touchdowns (14 passing, 10 rushing) for the Indians, while the Eagles offense goes as Cache Flanagan goes. Flanagan has rushed for 620 yards and 10 touchdowns on 88 carries, passed for 108 yards and two scores, as well as nipped two interceptions on defense where he only plays during passing downs.

No. 6 Fayetteville (5-0) @ No. 12 Fort Smith Southside (3-2)

Southside is on the final lap of a brutal three-game stretch that features all opponents who are ranked between No. 5 to No.7 and the Mavs are hoping to avoid a three-game skid. Fayetteville, on the other hand, while pushed for the first time this year in their five-point victory over No. 7 Rogers had another historic night. The Purple Dogs are without question in the argument for the best offense in Arkansas with Minnesota commit Drake Lindsey (530 passing yards, six touchdowns against Rogers) and Arkansas baseball commit Jaison DeLamar knifing through opposing defenses. Southside runs the ball as well, or better, than anyone in the state with Amari Tucker (75 carries, 946 yards, 12 touchdowns) leading the way, but have struggled in the passing game, completing just 49% of passes as a team. Southside's defense has also endured tough times, allowing 33 points per contest.

Lake Hamilton (3-3) @ Greenbrier (3-2)

It is fair to say that visiting Lake Hamilton and Greenbrier walk into this game a little down with both coming off losses, but are still, for now, comfortably in the 6A playoff picture. This extremely young Wolves team was dealt a tough blow against Siloam Springs on September 22 when quarterback Easton Hurley, one of two overall returning starters from last year, tore his ACL. Junior Landon West is the QB from this point on and has scored three touchdowns on the year, while running back Hayden Barton (85 carries, 743 yards, 11 touchdowns) has been Lake Hamilton's security blanket. Greenbrier is also a mostly young team trying to stay in a groove and hopes to get back on a win streak after their three-game one was snapped by No. 4 Greenwood. The Panthers have a two-quarterback system led by the Kane's - Griffin and Richardson - along with quality skill players Enoch Hassan (59 carries, 390 yards, five touchdowns) at running back and Miles Miller (37 carries, 582 yards, six touchdowns) at wideout. Coverage for the game can be heard on 103.7 The Buzz starting a 6:45 p.m.

Maumelle (3-2) @ No. 18 Joe T. Robinson (4-1)

If you heavily follow all of the action in Class 5A, particularly in the Central conference, you will want to tune in for this. Defending league champion Robinson hosts the Hornets, who are coming off of their best win of the Brian Maupin era over previously undefeated Mills. Speaking of Maupin, the Robinson alum helped the Senators win two 4A state championships as their longtime defensive coordinator and, excluding Robinson's two losses and one-point victory over Mills in 2022, only Pine Bluff hung with the Senators last season like Maumelle did as Robinson prevailed 35-30. The rushing tandem of sophomore quarterback Andrew Bjork (354 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Jaiden Worsham (494 yards, 3 touchdowns) has been a strength for Maumelle's offense, while the ground attack has also been by committee for the Senators, led by Jordan Thomas (344 yards, 3 touchdowns, Arkansas target Quentin Murphy (327 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Nick Abrams (237 yards, 4 touchdowns).

No. 20 Mills (5-1) @ No. 17 Pine Bluff (5-1)

You can always expect a competitive contest when athletes who grew up playing both with and against one another square off. It adds an additional layer when a chance to stay at the top of the 5A-Central standings is on the line as will be the case at Torii Hunter Field on Friday night. Mills is coming off its first loss of the season after an attempt to make a come back for the second consecutive week came up short against Maumelle. Pine Bluff fell to Grenada (Miss.), a 6A school that is currently 4-2, in the season opener, but is unblemished against in-state competition. The Z's boast arguably the two best players in Arkansas with Arkansas commit Courtney Crutchfield (448 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns) and recent Missouri commit Austyn Dendy (525 all-purpose yards, 5 total touchdowns), while Mills has one of Arkansas' best QB-WR combinations in Achillies Ringo (2,087 passing yards, 16 touchdowns) and Akyell Madison (858 yards, 8 touchdowns). The Comet defense also features Arkansas commit Charlie Collins (21 TFL, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles), a cousin of Crutchfield.

Searcy (4-1) @ No. 24 Marion (4-1)

Searcy is coming off of a resilient victory in which the Lions withstood a valiant rally by El Dorado, while Marion is licking its wounds following a brutal first loss to No. 8 Benton, the 6A-East frontrunner. Both have won four games, each have stuck through a lopsided loss and now it is time to stay in the conference race that is really beginning to tighten up. Searcy running back Rickey Love is one of the best kept secrets in Class 6A following a 241-yard, four touchdown performance last week which put him at 595 for the season with 13 scores. The Patriot offense was a shell of itself last week and hopes to get back into the form that averaged 41 points per contest through the first four games. Ashton Gray (1,222 total yards, 16 touchdowns) and Jalen Smith (694 rush yards, 10 touchdowns) have spearheaded Marion offensively and for the Patriots, this is the middle of a tough three-game stretch that features Benton, the Lions and West Memphis, who is tied with Benton for first in league play.

No. 9 Shiloh Christian (4-1) @ Harrison (3-2)

The Saints gained a 2-1 all-time advantage over the Goblins in last season's 55-14 rout and Harrison hopes to take advantage of a banged up Saints squad and win back-to-back games for the first time in 2023. Harrison's defense has struggled in two losses, surrendering an average of 44 points, which does not mesh well with Shiloh's offense that has put up 53 per contest in four victories. Saints running back Bo Williams had about as good of a start as anyone in state history, rushing for over 600 yards and 11 touchdowns through the first two games. A nagging injury over the last few weeks has slowed Williams, which kept him out against Clarksville last week and his status for Friday is currently unknown. However, sophomore Griffin Mason has filled in nicely for Williams, averaging 10 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns, while quarterback Evan Baker has done well in a relief, completing 69% of his passes for 768 yards with 10 scores. The Goblin offense goes as running back Braden Long, who has 2,500 career rushing yards, goes. Long has rushed for 774 yards and 12 touchdowns this year.

--Kyle Sutherland | @k_sutherlandAR

Photo of Fort Smith Southside's Issac Gregory by George Mitchell