Rex’s Rankings: The playoffs begin

There were plenty of fits and starts — just as we knew there would be in this year of the virus — but we have somehow made it to the playoffs in high school football.

Brackets were released Saturday with 28 teams listed on that day as having opted out of the playoffs.

There will be games in all six classifications this Friday.

Class 7A, 6A and 2A will play first-round games.

There will be what are known as play-in games in Class 5A, 4A and 3A.

Last Friday, Bryant continued to make its mark as one of the best teams in the state’s history with a 70-33 victory over Conway.

The six No. 1 teams in the various classifications are familiar names in high school football in this state: Bryant, Greenwood, Pulaski Academy, Shiloh Christian, Harding Academy and Fordyce.

Here are the updated rankings as the playoffs commence:

OVERALL

1. Bryant

2. Bentonville

3. Pulaski Academy

4. Greenwood

5. North Little Rock

6. Wynne

7. Little Rock Parkview

8. Lake Hamilton

9. Shiloh Christian

10. Conway

CLASS 7A

1. Bryant

2. Bentonville

3. North Little Rock

4. Conway

5. Cabot

CLASS 6A

1. Greenwood

2. Little Rock Parkview

3. Lake Hamilton

4. Sylvan Hills

5. Jonesboro

CLASS 5A

1. Pulaski Academy

2. Wynne

3. Harrison

4. Texarkana

5. Little Rock Christian

CLASS 4A

1. Shiloh Christian

2. Stuttgart

3. Nashville

4. Arkadelphia

5. Joe T. Robinson

CLASS 3A

1. Harding Academy

2. Prescott

3. Hoxie

4. McGehee

5. Rison

CLASS 2A

1. Fordyce

2. Gurdon

3. Des Arc

4. Junction City

5. Bigelow