6 man History

[CT6MFL]

It just might.....If it is a working address.

Would love to hear what they say, if they respond

 

[Old Bearkat]

While looking through the Newspaper Archive for Gustine. Sidney, and Comanche data, I noticed an entry that referred to the Marfa newspaper. Intrigued about maybe getting some more information on the far West Texas 6 man schools there, and filling in the gaps on Marfa's information I started looking through the first editions available, which was the 1946 year.

There was not much 6 man info in 1946, but 1947 has a LOT of information about Fort Davis, and another little nugget of information. The Blackwell Elementary school (Marfa, not the Blackwell) decided to put up a 6 man football team for the 1947 year. They played Marathon, Ft. Davis, and all the other area 6 man junior high teams that year.

Also, 1947 was the year the Prude Ranch School was formed. I know they played some 6 man schools in the panhandle in the late 1970's. Is that school still going? From the searches I did, it look like it is not. They are just a dude ranch/summer camp operation now.

 

[sinfonian]

Yeah, a ton of my old posts disappeared. Including an article I wrote for the Twin Cities News about Rochester's school consolidation that I no longer have.

What was the date for your article? There is a small town newspaper site that has the Twin Cities News archived fir the years 1981-1984, 1986-1989, 1990, 1992, and 2004.

It was either 2003 or 2004

 

[Leman Saunders]

That might explain the "Blackwell" listed on the 1952 Toyah schedule as the Marfa school...but why would a HS team play a Jr. HS team?

 

[Old Bearkat]

Might have been a Jr high game that got confused with a HS game.....

 

[Old Bearkat]

Another little gem from the September 3, 1948 Marfa Big Bend Sentinel. The superintendent and coach of the Ft. Davis 6 man team, John Prude, was elected as the first president of the new organized Texas 6 man Coaches Association at the meeting in Big Spring on August 27, 1948.

 

[Old Bearkat]

OK, I found out a little more about the Blackwell school in Marfa. Unlike other small towns, Marfa segregated the Mexican kids too. This was a grade 1-12 school and they played 6 man football. School colors red and black. The school was closed in 1964.

 

[Old Bearkat]

Another thing I noticed was that there were Mexican kids on the Marfa football team too. Looks like the segregation was not too strict....

 

[Old Bearkat]

The Blackwell mascot was the Bronco

 

[Leman Saunders]

Heck the 1952 Toyah team probably played Blackwell HS (Blackwell, TX that is)...it's not out of the realm of possibility as Toyah played Forsan and Forsan was in the same district that year as Blackwell...

 

[Old Bearkat]

I'll find out when I get to the 1952 Marfa papers. They did play Toyah in 1950.

 

[Old Bearkat]

OK, I found out a little more about the Blackwell school in Marfa. Unlike other small towns, Marfa segregated the Mexican kids too. This was a grade 1-12 school and they played 6 man football. School colors red and black. The school was closed in 1964.

Looks like from a 1948 article, there were Anglo kids going to school there too and the school went up to the 9th grade. Not a segregated school at all.

 

[Old Bearkat]

Heck the 1952 Toyah team probably played Blackwell HS (Blackwell, TX that is)...it's not out of the realm of possibility as Toyah played Forsan and Forsan was in the same district that year as Blackwell...

The 1951 game with Fort Davis was the Marfa Blackwell team, not the Blackwell Tx school.

 

[Old Bearkat]

From an article in the September 25, 1952 Marfa paper, it looks like Marfa Blackwell was accepted into District 5B 6 man with Ft. Davis, Marathon, Toyah, Barstow, and Buena Vista.

 

[Old Bearkat]

Marfa Blackwell was not let into the large 11 team district 5B 6man in 1953 and they played 11 man for that year. In 1954, the 9th grade was incorporated into Marfa HS. Blackwell would be an elementary/jr high until it was closed in 1965.

 

[Old Bearkat]

An article on the upcoming game between Marathon and Valentine in Marfa on Oct 12, 1963 mentioned a now famous 6 man coach who played for Marathon that year - Vance Jones.

 

[Old Bearkat]

And I thought I had mined the Abilene paper for all it had and then I found this article in the August 28, 1977 edition.......

View attachment Marathon 1977 Abilene Reporter clip.png
View attachment Marathon record 1966-1976.png

 

[CT6MFL]

I couldn't fiond it again either

 

[CT6MFL]

Cameron Harold 1938, Sharp highschool

 

[CT6MFL]

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