Six Shooters

Imagine arena football without the professional athletes.
And without the indoor arena.
That is six-man football, a sport that is growing in popularity--especially among small private schools in the Metroplex.
Nearly 30 private schools in the Dallas/Forth Worth area have taken up the sport. Not only does it allow schools with a small student enrollment to still enjoy football, it is one of the fastest-paced games imaginable, making it fun for those playing and for those watching.
"The attraction is the speed of the game," said Azle Christian defensive coordinator Chad Geeslin. "There are so many things you can do.
"I love it. Six-man is where my heart is."
And while it might seem on the surface to be a bunch of guys playing pickup football, it is a challenge to play and an even bigger task to coach, said Matt Gilbert, whose Willow Park Trinity squad has been a six-man power among private schools for years.
"Having coached 11-man and six-man, it's a lot harder to coach six-man," said Gilbert. "Strategies are completely different.
"It's not unusual to play a team with seven, eight or nine players on it--and that's it for their roster."
Odds are, however, those few players will be in great shape. That's another attraction of six-man football, everybody plays.
"Stamina is a huge thing in six-man," said Gilbert. "Everybody is eligible for a pass, so you've got to be able to run, not just be big and get in the way.
"Everybody's got to play to the best of their ability at all times. There is no opportunity for a break. I get kids from 11-man football who have never had to run more than a 20-yard sprint, and they soon realize it's a lot different at this level."
Six-man football has long been popular in rural areas of Texas where the populations are small. In places such as Gordon and Zephyr they have legendary programs. Throckmorton went from being a toughie in 11-man to even tougher in six-man.
Some schools bypass football for a variety of reasons--many because of the budget. But for those who have the money in their budget for the equipment, coaches, etc., but not the manpower for a complete 11-man team, six-man has long been the answer.
And it's becoming the answer for more and more new schools. Many of these new schools are the result of people moving back to the city after the massive move to the rural areas back in the 1970s.
"A lot just don't have the numbers to field an 11-man team, or they are not comfortable doing such," said Gilbert. "But every time I check, it seems to be spreading, and not just here. These little towns and schools all over America want to play football, and this is the way for them to do it."
It's even popular in other countries--although it could be argued they don't play it as well as folks in Texas. But then, when it comes to football, few places can make that claim.
Gordon delivered proof a few years back when it clobbered a team from Canada that was supposed to be a powerhouse.
But there is no denying the sport's increased popularity. It's also becoming more and more common for players from 11-man programs to cross over to the high-powered world of six-man.
"Without question it was a good move for me," said Willow Park Trinity's Kyle Richter, one of the state's top receivers before an injury sidelined him late in the regular season. "I've had some small [colleges] contact me. In six-man it's more about speed, and that definitely favors me.
"And it's just a lot more fun."
An entire Web site, sixmanfootball.com, has been devoted to the sport in Texas. Any information about any team playing, private or public school, can be found on it, including schedules and state rankings for the current year and years past.
There are still those who are skeptical that the game is a legitimate form of football, however. One of the big myths, Geeslin said, is that six-man players would never make it on 11-man teams.
"There's a lot of talent in six-man, and in the private school section of it, and I think it's coming to where more colleges are seeing that," said Geeslin. "More colleges are running the spread offense, and that fits right into the six-man game.
"You look at (Texas) Tech. They're taking a lot of six-man players.
"You have to have six great players out on the field to win at this game."
And, it is not impossible for a six-man player to make it all the way to the NFL. Jack Pardee, who played for the Washington Redskins and later coached the Houston Oilers, played six-man at Chilicothe.
Still, there are those hard-nosed folks who may never accept the six-man game.
"A lot of people, when I mention I'm a six-man coach, they look at me like I have three heads," said Gilbert. "A lot of people at the high school level only pay attention to their own team, but you can be an 11-man program and have a six-man team right down the road and not know it."
Another couple of common misbeliefs are that six-man teams never run the football and that they never play defense.
"There's a tremendous amount of running. Blocking has to be creative for a sweep," said Gilbert. "But when it's done effectively, there's lots of room to run.
"It's not unusual to have several kids who can run a 4.6 (in a 40-yard dash)."
Gilbert's quarterback, Michael Sapp, went over over 10,000 career all-purpose yards this season, much of that running the football.
And while scores such as 72-59 and 84-68 are not uncommon, Geeslin is quick to remind that defense is definitely played. Many of the points scored come off great defensive plays, much like the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, whose moniker was Showtime. That team might have surrendered over 100 points to an opponent, but of the 137 they scored, many came from steals and turnovers.
"Any time you hold a six-man team to under 40 points, you've done your job very well," said Geeslin. "If you make a stop in six-man, you're doing great. It's so fast, and so much can happen so quickly."
To skeptics and those who are simply curious, even to those who may have never thought they'd be interested in the sport, Gilbert said watch it closely once. Better yet, try it for yourself.
"Come play with us one time, and tell me what you think," Gilbert said. "There's a lot of kids out there who deserve recognition in this sport." -




Differences Between Six Man & 11 Man Football

The six-man field is 80 yards long compared to 100 yards for 11-man. In six-man, teams must advance the ball 15 yards in four downs or less for a first down, compared to 10 yards for 11-man. In six-man a field goal is worth four points, compared to three points in 11-man. In six-man a kick after a touchdown is worth two points and a run/pass conversion is worth one. In 11-man a kick is worth one and a run/pass is worth two.In six-man every player is eligible to receive a pass. However, no one can run the ball out of the backfield until it is first handled by another player from the center. Six-man has a mercy rule. Teams must play the entire first half of a game, but if one team leads by 45 or more at the half, or gets ahead by 45 points in the second half, the game is called. There is no mercy rule in 11-man.


Notable Schools Playing Six Man in the DFW Area

Blum
Greenville Christian
Irving Universal Academy
Rockwall Heritage
Dallas The Covenant
Dallas Lakehill
Granbury Happy Hill
Duncanville Christway
Dallas Tyler Street
Arlington Fellowship
Balch Springs Christian
Joshua Christian
Waxahachie Eagle Advantage
Fort Worth Hill School
FW Christian Life
FW Glenview
Willow Park Trinity
Azle Christian
Dallas Academy
Lewisville Temple Christian
Grand Prairie Eagle Advantage
Dallas The Winston
Arlington St. Paul Prep
Irving Fausteena
Weatherford Christian
Mineral Wells Community Christian
FW Harvest
Parker/Tarrant Homeschool