Go Friday Night

SMC BLOG 49

How many private schools play Six-Man Football? There are a bunch. The one I am most familiar with is right here in Abilene. Of course I speak of Abilene Christian High School. They are defending State Champions. Good Football To You ACHS! As mentioned several times here, ACHS opens their season Thursday August 31st in Richland Springs against the Number 1 ranked Richland Springs Coyotes.

Let’s look at the Division I Preseason Poll I have compiled one more time.

Six-Man Central Division 1 Preseason Rankings
1. Richland Springs Region 4, District 15
2. Rule Region 2, District 7
3. Garden City Region 1, District 1
4. Throckmorton Region 2, District 7
5. Trinidad Region 3, District 10
6. Turkey Valley Region 2, District 6
7. Meadow Region 1, District 4
8. Highland Region 1, District 3
9. Calvert Region 4, District 16
10. Fort Davis Region 1, District 1

Beginning with the Number 10 team in the SMC Division I preseason poll, what say ye that we take a closer look at them?

Fort Davis Indians
Division 1 Region 1 District 1
Coach: Lonnie Flippen
Last season: 9-3
Won Bi-District
Returning Starters Offense 4 / Defense 4

Next post we will look closer at Number 9 Calvert.

• July 30, 2006 8:04 AM

SMC BLOG 48

Five weeks until the start of the season! Do all teams have their coaches in place? You would certainly think so but I am not too sure. Those that don’t would be at a very bad spot I would think.

This season is going to happen ready or not. I wonder how many teams may have thrown the towel in already and will not field a team? How many more will start the season and then fold? I don’t like to even think about either of those situations but past history tells us that is reality. My dream is for more not less.

Readers of DCTF that paid close attention to the numbers may have noticed that there are some 11-man squads that should be in 6-man right now. There are others hovering close to the 99 mark that may dip low enough to consider 6-man next re-alignment. Examples:

Class 1A District 1 Booker 95
Class 1A District 3 Wheeler 103
Class 1A District 4 Nazareth 71
Class 1A District 4 Hart 84
Class 1A District 4 Springlake Earth 102
Class 1A District 11 Saint Jo 97.5
Class 1A District 12 Gorman 103
Class 1A District 13 Frost 102
Class 1A District 13 Covington 105
Class 1A District 15 Roby 86
Class 1A District 16 Sterling City 99
Class 1A District 16 Bronte 88
Class 1A District 19 Gilmer Union Hill 105
Class 1A District 19 Karnack 76
Class 1A District 20 Tenaha 95
Class 1A District 21 Oakwood 63
Class 1A District 23 Chester 60
Class 1A District 24 Sabine Pass 100
Class 1A District 28 Leaky 70
Class 1A District 28 Medina 103
Class 1A District 29 D’Hanis 91
Class 1A District 29 Barksdale Nueces Canyon 101
Class 1A District 32 Agua Dulce 96
Class 1A District 32 Bruni 101

That is a couple dozen boys and girls. Now how about the schools that only play round ball? I am telling you there are a bunch of schools that ought to be playing six-man. The problem? Oughta ain’t is.

• July 27, 2006 7:25 AM

SMC BLOG 47

Richland Springs begins the season with the yellow jersey on their back for all you cyclist, the proverbial bulls eye for all you darters and sharp shooters, the old “Number 1” ranking for all of us Six-Man football fans.

Many of you know where Richland Springs is located. For those of you who don’t, Richland Springs is located about 30 miles South of Brownwood going down Hwy. 45. They are near Hwy. 190 between Brady and San Saba.

Richland Springs will be my first stop of the new season on Thursday night August 31st when I travel there to see the Coyotes and the Panthers of Abilene Christian High School battle each other. Richland Springs lost only once last season and that was to the talented Throckmorton team that won the State Championship in Six-Man last season with a perfect 15-0 record. ACHS won the State Championship in their level of private schools last season going 14-1 losing to Aspermont. Both teams have solid teams again this season.

There are two games there on Friday also. Arlington St.Albans vs. Cherokee -- 6:00PM
Abbott vs. Eden -- 8:00PM That would be enough but there are two more games on Saturday at Richland Springs. Aspermont will play Dell City at 6:00 PM and then Blum plays Blanket at 8:00 PM Saturday night! That should be a great match up.

After that loss to Aspermont last season, the ACHS coach said that he believes his team was out coached. That is entirely possible as it was none other than the legendary Vance Jones that he was coaching against. That was then and this is now. That leads into the Hico Classic where Garden City will take on Throckmorton on Saturday September 2nd. Vance Jones is now the head coach at Garden City and as was stated above, Throckmorton the defending State Champion and their new coach Clyde Parham will have a battle themselves. This is a match up of two Division 1 Top 5 teams the first regular season game. Button your chin straps boys.

Earlier in the day Trinidad, a top 5 Division 1 team, will be taking on a very good Division 2 team, Grandfalls Royalty. Grandsfalls Royalty happens to be number 2 in the state in Division 2.

Did I mention that Turkey Valley and Calvert are playing before that? Those two teams are ranked Number 6 and Number 9 respectively in Division 1. I believe whatever the Hico folks want to call this, the Hico Classic or Super Saturday, they are well suited to say so. Let’s recap this. The Division 1 Number 3 and 4 teams are playing each other. The Number 6 and 9 teams are playing each other. The Division 1 Number 5 team is playing the Division 2 Number 2 team. That is some line up. Congratulations to the fine folks at Hico who put the match ups together for the opening games of the season!

Did I mention that Strawn and Lometa are playing the first game in Hico at 11:00 AM?
Four games in all. I am excited. Very excited.
Next scheduled post will be July 27th

Please visit http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/sixmancentral/
You may email me directly at txsixii@yahoo.com

Thank you,
Don Hardin

• July 24, 2006 6:33 AM

SMC BLOG 46

Are you ready for some SIX-Man FOOTBALL? It won’t be long now. There are some outstanding early season match ups thanks to folks in Richland Springs and in Hico.

Richland Springs Kickoff Classic
Thursday, August 31st
Abilene Christian @ Richland Springs 7:30

Friday, September 1st, 2006
Arlington St.Albans vs. Cherokee -- 6:00PM
Abbott vs. Eden -- 8:00PM

Saturday, September 2nd, 2006
Aspermont vs. Dell City -- 6:00 PM
Blum vs. Blanket -- 8:00 PM

Super Saturday in Hico
Saturday, September 2, 2006 HICO CLASSIC
11:00 am Strawn vs. Lometa
1:30 pm Turkey Valley vs. Calvert
4:00 pm Trinidad vs. Grand Falls-Royalty
6:30 pm Throckmorton vs. Garden City

There are good things coming this season in Six-Man. I am doing what I can to contain myself but the excitement of the upcoming season is almost more than I can stand.

My next post will be July 24th

• July 21, 2006 7:00 AM

SMC BLOG 45

I am sorry. I posted on the last blog that I would be posting on July 18th. Icouldn’t wait. It is just a day early and I hope you will forgive me.

Well I have seen Lubbock in my review mirror! I am back in Abilene, home of the
SIX-MAN CENTRAL operation. I have pictures on the web at http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/sixmancentral/. Drop by and visit and join up if you like. It is free.
This is no surprise here but I just have to say six-man people are the nicest people you would ever want to be around. FRIENDLY folks!

I visited with veteran coaches as well as coaches that will be coaching for the first time. All are excited to get the season started. There were great speakers sharing their knowledge with anyone who would listen.

The very first speaker I heard was a good friend of mine. His name is Otto Sonnenberg and he was speaking about Booster Club Fund Raising. Otto is from Richland Springs and folks, there is not a better person to learn from on this subject than Otto. Does your school have a booster club? If it doesn’t, my all means get one. If your school has a booster club and needs help then you must contact this guy. Otto will come to your school and present the program he just presented at the coaching clinic. All you have to do is contact this fine gentleman. To be honest, this segment was not well attended and that is too bad. Some folks just don’t understand how important this is.

The second speaker I heard was another friend of mine, Coach Kevin Ray. Coach Ray’s topic was ‘Trinidad Football“. No surprise there as he is the HC at Trinidad. What may surprise some folks is that Coach Ray has been in the business for 22 years! He looks much too young to have been coaching for 22 years. He has done pretty well in the Six-Man coaching ranks. He wears a ring that shows how well he has done. A State Championship ring to be exact. Coach Ray enjoys coaching but it is way more than that to him. He believes it is a calling. That’s right. A calling just like a minister receives. He makes a huge difference in the lives of the young men he comes in contact with. Isn’t that what coaching is all about?

The third speaker I heard was none other than Coach Jerry Burkhart, yes, another friend. Jerry has a passion for football and he comes across just like an evangelist. He loves the Lord and he loves football. Why would he come across any other way? You better believe he loves his kids at Richland Springs too. Come to think about it Jerry loves everything EXCEPT losing.

The fourth speaker I heard was Coach Larry Reid from Guthrie. Larry spoke on running a “3-2” defense. He said he was just a simple guy and if it was simple for him, it was simple for the kids. The 3-2 is just like any defense, it has strengths and weaknesses. Coach Reid knows how to make it work. His speech was entertaining and productive.

The next speaker I heard was Coach Danny Davis. I only met Coach Davis right before he spoke. Coach Davis is now the HC at Rankin. He coached the Throckmorton team for the last two season where he compiled a record of 28-1 and of course led the Greyhounds to the 2005 Six-Man State Championship. Not much more that needs to be said about his credentials. About the first thing he said was that all coaches like to win and that included himself. What he said next impressed me. He said that when he looks back at kids that come through his program he doesn’t automatically look at the wins and losses. What he says concerns him most his are those kids a better kid because of the influence he has had on them. If not, he doesn’t feel he has done his job regardless of the wins and losses. Coaches, if you choose to follow the path that Coach Davis walks, you best realize that he has set the bar high. It is attainable, but it isn’t easy.

Coach Davis went on to speak and diagram “the gun” offense that his team ran last season at Throckmorton. All who followed Six-Man last season know how explosive that offense was. Coach Davis pointed out quickly and often that it is a great offense but that he had the perfect personnel to run it. The key point to other coaches in the room was don’t run the gun just because it was so successful for the Greyhounds. If you don’t have the players at the key positions you will be better off running something else.

I found it interesting that he suggested that your younger kids should not run the spread. He says 7th graders or whoever you work with should only run tight formations. Why? Learn the fundamental of blocking and tackling. Coach Davis was the HC for the East All Star team and he said even during the week leading up to the all star game that some of his players said they did not know how to block. Some said they had never blocked in their life. Can you believe that?

Speaking of the All Star game played Saturday night, the East won 50-42. The East had both the Offensive MVP and the Defensive MVP. Braxton Oliver of Throckmorton threw 5 TD passes to garner the Offensive MVP award and Trinidad’s Malcom Smith who was all over the field won the Defensive MVP award. Both were well deserved.

• July 17, 2006 9:35 AM

SMC BLOG 44

Hello Six-Man fans across the state of TEXAS or anywhere that you might be reading this as I know there are some “outsiders“. ALL are welcome to read this blog whether you are in Abilene, TX or Abilene, KS and even to my friend stuck way up in Minnesota that still backs his Blue and White Eagles from Samnorwood.

I am preparing to go to Lubbock to the www.texassixmancoachesassociation.com/ .

My intentions of going there is two fold. One, to become a member of the Association and attend the Coaching school by paying the $25.00 tuition fee and becoming an Associate Member. I am not a coach now and I will not be a coach in the future and as an Associate Member I will have no voting rights. Two, if there are any loyal readers of this blog that have been reading since the first SMC blog they might remember reading this,

“The sole purpose of this blog is to promote the sport of six man football and the communities that are represented by their respective schools“.

I still hold fast to the idea of presenting Six-Man Football in the most positive way that I can. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed meeting coaches and fans around the state. I hope I have only scratched the surface at this time.

My next scheduled blog entry will be Tuesday the 18th of July.

• July 10, 2006 7:07 AM

SMC Blog 43

What good does it do to rank teams? It is a crap shoot at the best and a huge mistake at the worst. We all love to do it whether we put it down on paper or not. Whether we share with others, thereby running the risk of having egg on our face, or keep it to ourselves, we still all love to do it.

Division 1 is a little easier to tackle. Division 2 is a totally different situation. I have said it often, this season is going to be fun. FUN! That is the reason we rank teams before the season starts. If we happen to get lucky and pick some teams that do really well we can say “look what a guru I am”. When we pick teams to do well and they don’t win a game then we fall back and say “hey it was all in fun”. The variables are endless as to the final standings. A move-in, an injury, a new coach, the bounce of the ball, and a bit of luck (good or bad) and your season may go accordingly wonderful or disastrous.

Winners are determined on the field of play. Too bad we can’t get on the field yet!

Six-Man Central Division 1 Preseason Rankings

1. Richland Springs
2. Rule
3. Garden City
4. Throckmorton
5. Trinidad
6. Turkey Valley
7. Meadow
8. Highland
9. Calvert
10. Fort Davis

Six-Man Central Division 2 Preseason Rankings

1. Whitharrral
2. Grandfalls-Royalty
3. Woodson
4. Follett
5. Lohn
6. Samnorwood
7. Dell City
8. Gail Borden County
9. Afton Patton Springs
10. Zephyr

Don Hardin
txsixii@yahoo.com

• July 6, 2006 11:44 PM

SMC Blog 42

FIRECRACKER DAY HAPPY JULY 4TH PLEASE POP RESPONSIBLY!!!!!!!!!

OH! My gosh. Did you follow me all over both Division 1 and Division 2 looking at the six-man teams across the state? Whew! That was lots of traveling even if you just did it on paper or in your mind.

I named towns and the school colors and the mascots. Which mascots were your favorites? I ranked teams by regions way before Dave’s magazine came out. Looks like there were some agreements and some disagreements. I guess that was to be expected. Who do you favor at this point? This is July. It is a long ways until December when 4 out of 116 or so teams will be competing for the Division 1 and Division 2 State Championships.

Coaches in Six-Man changed jobs a lot this off season. Not sure everyone is settled in yet.
It will be interesting to see how the season plays out with so many new coaches and of course with the re-alignment and the two divisions. It truly is a new era for Six-Man football in Texas.

Many folks were up in arms with the decision to go with 2 divisions in six-man. Division 2 which is made up of the smaller schools doesn’t have many wins between them from last season. The real beauty of having 2 divisions is that there are going to be a few teams that didn’t compete well last season that are going to be a play off team this season. Those teams are going to have a fun season.

I heard the late Coach Tom Landry speak once and he talked about “contenders” and “pretenders”. I suppose Six-Man has its share of both. Starting in late August we will find out who is what.

As I ranked teams by region in Division 1, I didn’t give any of the teams dropping from 11 man to six-man any of the top spots. Rankin, Eden, and Knox City are unknowns at this point. They all have the opportunity to do well if they adjust to the six-man game.

I ask you to support your team in the upcoming season and respect your fellow fans.
This is going to be fun.

Don Hardin
txsixii@yahoo.com

• July 3, 2006 8:54 PM