Local teams featured in Hooten’s 2020 edition

Annual look at Arkansas football features Patriots, Blue Devils, Bulldogs and all 193 high school teams

news@theeveningtimes.com Football fans are no doubt excited about the upcoming football season, and while there’s still a lot up in the air due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials at every level are working hard to ensure that football takes place this year.

And you can whet your appetite for the upcoming season with the annual pigskin preview publication that readers across the state anticipate every summer, the 2020 edition of Hooten’s Arkansas Football.

The cover story for the 28th annual Hooten’s Arkansas Football “bookazine” goes in-depth with 58-year old Sam Pittman, documenting the Arkansas Razorbacks’ head coach and his rise from nomadic college assistant to SEC head coach.

Pittman will be leading the Hogs this season as they attempt to rebuild after a lengthy run of futility.

And In the extensive high school section, every high school team in the state is profiled and previewed, including teams right here in Crittenden County. Just a little sneak peek: Conference coaches voted West Memphis second and Marion fourth in the always-tough 6A East.

Earle is predicted to finish second in the 3-2A.

Hooten's picks the rebuilding Razorbacks to finish seventh in the SEC West.

The book retails for $16.99 and is on sale locally at Kroger, Walgreens and Wal-Mart.

The 416-page book, which takes six months to compile, offers the most comprehensive preseason football coverage in Arkansas and features work by former Evening Times Sports Editor and Marion alum Chuck Livingston.

In addition to providing extensive coverage of every high school team in the state, the book offers an in-depth preview on the Razorbacks and coverage on each Southeastern Conference school.

Arkansas State and every state college are ranked as well as all 130 Division I college teams in America.

The national award-winning Hooten's Arkansas Football features coaches' polls for each high school conference, statewide rankings for every team, super teams for each classifica-

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tion, the state's Top 50 recruits, a national college poll and complete high school schedules.

Alabama is tabbed to win the SEC West, followed by LSU, Auburn, Texas A& M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas. Georgia is picked to win the SEC Eastern Division, followed by Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Missouri and Vanderbilt.

Arkansas State is ranked third in the Sun Belt and 87th nationally.

Appalachian State is picked to win the Sun Belt, followed by Louisiana-Fafayette.

Clemson is Hooten’s preseason No. 1 team, followed by Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and Penn State.

Ouachita Baptist is picked to win the Great American Conference, followed by Harding, Henderson, Southern Arkansas, UAM and Arkansas Tech.

Hooten's high school favorites to win it all in 2020 are Bryant in Class 7A, Benton in Class 6A, Pulaski Academy in Class 5A, Joe T. Robinson in Class 4A, Harding Academy in Class 3A and Fordyce in Class 2A.

The book is published annually by Hooten Publishing, Inc., of Benton.