Nsider
Six-man fan
Who where the last teams in Texas playing 8 man? I know Fort Worth Calvary Christian and that private school in Granbury (OakTrail)? where still trying in the 90's but who else?
8-Man - Lets Revisit This Topic Again Because...Why Not
- Thread starter Leman Saunders
- Start date
Wildcats5421
Six-man expert
Every classification splits D1 and D2 I still do not see why people cry so much about two divisions.
Old Bearkat
Six-man expert
A few other private schools, but no government schools. Yes it was Oak Trail Shores in Granbury. I went to a couple of games they played back in the mid 1980's.
For reference, here are the number of teams for each classification:
- 1A1 - 75
- 1A2 - 72
- 2A1 - 105
- 2A2 - 102
- 3A1 - 104
- 3A2 - 103
- 4A1 - 99
- 4A2 - 93
- 5A1 - 132
- 5A2 - 119
- 6A-- - 249
justlookin'
Six-man fan
What would the number be if the enrollments were say 105 to 135?
Also remember that only a handful would even play 8man bc those 11man schools like playing 11man. So if you had an 8man class a majority of those on the bottom end coming out of 6man wouldnt like it or want to play (Jonesboro for example) and many out of the top end playing 11man wouldnt want to "drop down" bc "it isnt real football" (D'Hanis for example)...so the small number who want it isnt/wouldnt be enough to make it happen...a few schools tried this a few years back and it didnt work.
Westmeinster is a school that played outlaw 8man for a while
Westmeinster is a school that played outlaw 8man for a while
justlookin'
Six-man fan
I would say this: a coach or school board member who would stubbornly hold on to the notion that they could compete with schools 2-3 times their size is not only absurd, but definitely not acting in their students' best interests, which of course should be job #1 for each. I know it's happening. I've watched it for years. Baird as an example held on forever. I do agree this is a non-issue issue as you stated as there is little to no interest. The real question would be should there be.
DOWNBOX
Six-man pro
Back in the 90's I heard Rising Star talked about doing away with their football program instead of moving from 11man to 6man, no facts to that statement, just hearsay.
Stargirl13
Six-man fan
Menard is a perfect example for this topic. From what I've heard, prior to finally going 6man... they had trouble with 11man numbers. Switch to 6man, bring in Coach Oliver, they had how many out this year? Almost 40 correct? So they apparently didnt like 11man but 6man gave them basically 6-7, 6man teams on their own.
Or Menard had that many out for football bc the move to 6man help renew interest in the program with the possibility of winning games instead of getting crushed in 11man for another decade...kids got excited and showed up
I will say this until I die...the time for a school to move to 6man is 2 years BEFORE you can with your JRHS and run a JV if you can and then 1 year before with an Outlaw Varsity team...you arent doing the kids that are seniors any good staying in 11man and going 0-10 in that final year of 11man. This blue print will build the program and get kids and community adapted to it and help make you more able to compete in your very first year of UIL 6man.
I will say this until I die...the time for a school to move to 6man is 2 years BEFORE you can with your JRHS and run a JV if you can and then 1 year before with an Outlaw Varsity team...you arent doing the kids that are seniors any good staying in 11man and going 0-10 in that final year of 11man. This blue print will build the program and get kids and community adapted to it and help make you more able to compete in your very first year of UIL 6man.
Old Bearkat
Six-man expert
The same thing happened to Garden City their first 2-3 years back in 6 man. They had enough kids out to make a varsity squad and 2 JV squads. Their last year in 11 man they barely had enough for a 11 man varsity squad.
sberry2023
Six-man fan
This is not the story at Menard.
They had a HUGE number of kids in the 8th grade the last year of 11 man. Mashed every team in that district. Especially when they called ahead and asked to play Christoval and Eldo's 7th grade team. Frankly, it was mis-managed.
27 out in HS the last year of 11 man, with only a few Seniors. Add the big group of 8th graders and it looks like "WOW! Six man really got them out!" This is disingenuous at worst and wishful (seeing it how we want to) at best.
Love it and your enthusiasm, but incorrect.
Menard ended their final 11-man season with about 22 kids total. From there, they graduated a big senior class filled with athletes. And then, they brought up 8 freshman, and because of math, it canceled out and they were still sitting around 22/24. BUT, the move to six man swayed 7 kids who did not play the last couple seasons of 11-man, one of which was selected as the Newcomer of the Year in a district with Irion County and Robert Lee. Had 32 out for football this year.
Six man has changed this community more than you will ever imagine. These kids walk differently in the hallways now. And the community would back that 100%. So yes, six man really did "get them out".
It's okay to be positive in this world sometimes.
Dogface
Six-man fan
Actually,
Here's a VERY SMALL bit of 8man trivia...
Bob Gimlin...best known for the Patterson/Gimlin film of that bigfoot walking away and looking back, played 8man in Washington state in the 50's where his school went 2 yrs undefeated because they were also...Un-scored upon. That was before they had state playoffs.
Gimlin now owns a 6man champion shirt from a Texas team that you may see him wearing in some random photo someday.
Whenever you can combine bigfoot and 6man in a story ... you prolly should.
Jus sayin'.
Here's a VERY SMALL bit of 8man trivia...
Bob Gimlin...best known for the Patterson/Gimlin film of that bigfoot walking away and looking back, played 8man in Washington state in the 50's where his school went 2 yrs undefeated because they were also...Un-scored upon. That was before they had state playoffs.
Gimlin now owns a 6man champion shirt from a Texas team that you may see him wearing in some random photo someday.
Whenever you can combine bigfoot and 6man in a story ... you prolly should.
Jus sayin'.
I coached 8 man for 9 years in New Mexico. It was a nice alternative to 6 man with schools that had 25 kids out and 11 man schools that might have 15 kids out. It can be played on a six man field, 11 man field or the standard was 6 man width and 100 yards long field. It is more like 11 man than six. It does allow for more kids to participate. I did talk to the UIL about bringing it back and their response was that it would have to do a superintendent survey.
Stargirl13
Six-man fan
I like the idea of 8man making a comeback in TX. Especially when you have cutoff numbers to play 11man and 6man. You most likely wont get the same turnout. But... with teams on the edge of turning 11man or 6man due to enrollment, I would assume 8man would be a "middleman" priority. There are few teams that still play 6man that have 11man numbers, 8man could be a good fit for schools transitioning to 11man from 6man to keep them from having to play outlaw 6man. Point being, there were some teams in 6man that had 30-40 out for football. I think an adjustment could be made.
I think in other states the 6-man/8-man split is needed. In Texas, I don't think so.
There's so many teams that it makes the season structure and playoffs meaningful. Some states like Montana, New Mexico, now Kansas and Nebraska that have both 6 and 8, there's so few teams statewide at these levels that splitting them is the only way to keep them active. So many other states still see 6/8 man as 'not football' that the jump from 11 to 8 is already stiff enough. But at least in Texas, 6-man has reached a level of legitimacy (thanks also to being part of the state title weekend at Jerry World), that it's not the 'death sentence' it is in other states. Where you do need to step down from 11 to 8 to 6. Sure, success at the lower level helps turn some minds. But, so many still think it's not football.
But in Montana especially, there's just so few schools playing (all levels), that 8-man and 6-man are less than winning a region in Texas in terms of competition field.
And 6/8/9 man is spreading. Wyoming started 6-man about 14 years ago. And just converted 1A to 9-man so now only have 3 classes of 11-man. Utah just started 8-man last year. Kansas codified 6-man after having 11 and 8-man for this fall. North Dakota has a handful of 6-man teams but unofficial. South Dakota is toying with the idea of splitting the 9-man classes into 9-man and 6-man but haven't figured out how yet (SD just does top 1/3rd are 9AA, middle 1/3rd are 9A, and bottom 1/3rd are 9B, regardless of set cutoffs when below the 9-man threshold).
I think 8-man works better for other states experiencing number issues and needing an option. But in Texas just still to 11 or 6. There's enough competition to make it feel important and not a consolation.
There's so many teams that it makes the season structure and playoffs meaningful. Some states like Montana, New Mexico, now Kansas and Nebraska that have both 6 and 8, there's so few teams statewide at these levels that splitting them is the only way to keep them active. So many other states still see 6/8 man as 'not football' that the jump from 11 to 8 is already stiff enough. But at least in Texas, 6-man has reached a level of legitimacy (thanks also to being part of the state title weekend at Jerry World), that it's not the 'death sentence' it is in other states. Where you do need to step down from 11 to 8 to 6. Sure, success at the lower level helps turn some minds. But, so many still think it's not football.
But in Montana especially, there's just so few schools playing (all levels), that 8-man and 6-man are less than winning a region in Texas in terms of competition field.
And 6/8/9 man is spreading. Wyoming started 6-man about 14 years ago. And just converted 1A to 9-man so now only have 3 classes of 11-man. Utah just started 8-man last year. Kansas codified 6-man after having 11 and 8-man for this fall. North Dakota has a handful of 6-man teams but unofficial. South Dakota is toying with the idea of splitting the 9-man classes into 9-man and 6-man but haven't figured out how yet (SD just does top 1/3rd are 9AA, middle 1/3rd are 9A, and bottom 1/3rd are 9B, regardless of set cutoffs when below the 9-man threshold).
I think 8-man works better for other states experiencing number issues and needing an option. But in Texas just still to 11 or 6. There's enough competition to make it feel important and not a consolation.
Pdevitt13
Six-man expert
I think keeping it 6 or 11 man only gives the schools better opportunities to play. By adding another entire classification that would split up the already small 1A group in my opinion would hurt the overall game. I think this would specifically hurt the 1A D2. We know for the most part that sixman towns arent growing and that its difficult enough to get kids out for football. We see now pretty yearly that some sixman schools wont field teams or end up cancelling their seasons. Numbers of schools, especially at the smallest end of 1A D2 will continue to fall away as the enrollments unfortunately no longer become sustainable. The numbers alone just make me think that having only 6 man and 11 man is perfect. If you dont have the numbers play 6 man. If you want to play 11 man. Thats just my two cents.
Who, where and when? Just checked and must be Westlake 10-27. Don’t know where yet?