Mertzon-Irion County six-man history

[WTXScribe]

Howdy. My name is Amy McDaniel, I am the small-schools sports reporter for the San Angelo Standard-Times. Our website is gosanangelo.com.

I am looking for anyone with knowledge of the history of Mertzon Irion County's six-man football days.

I know the last season of six-man football was 1976 and first in 11-man was 1977. I know some of the coaching history but not all.

I would LOVE to hear from former players but really just anybody who had any experience playing or coaching against the Hornets.

You may send me a private message via the website here or email me at [email protected] -- that might be the quickest way to get ahold of me because I don't always have the time every day to check back here, although I love reading this board.

And for full disclosure, the last six-man coach for the Hornets was my father, O.K. Wolfenbarger, and my brother played from 1972-75. The football and track field facility at Irion County was named for my father in 2000, during the football season after he passed away in April of that year.

Thanks for any help you folks can give me.

 

[Leman Saunders]

1971 Regional Championship game vs Highland played at Lake View HS in San Angelo. This was an upset as Highland beat Mertzon earlier in the season and would probably have been the front runner for a state title if they had those in 1971 (last year of the old format for 6man of just two rounds of the playoffs)

Highland is in white
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzJaMaorvdk

This is a video of 1955 Garden City football parts of games including against Mertzon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T9H5GC5ZmY

 

[Old Bearkat]

Hey Amy,

A lot of Irion County Football scores, coaches, etc is on http://lonestarfootball.net/

 

[WTXScribe]

Let me clarify....I'm pretty up on the sources for historical information and even film and photos, although I'm sure there are some places that I've missed.

But good reading material needs personality. So I'm looking for people: Coaches, athletes, fans, administrators.

I've got a few places on facebook that I know are Mertzon-Irion populated, so I'm asking the same things there, but just thought I throw this out there for folks who wouldn't necessarily be poking around in those local haunts.

Thanks, y'all.

 

[Old Bearkat]

How are the Standard-Times archives? You might get a good story about the 1958 district battle between Forsan, Garden City, and Irion County from those. The Big Spring Herald had a lot of good game articles that year, but mostly from the viewpoint of Forsan and Garden City.

It was a great battle for the right to get clobbered by Borden County in the bi-district game. Mertzon beat Forsan, Forsan beat Garden City, and Garden City beat Mertzon. Going into the last week of the season, Garden City was set to take the district title in a 3-way tie, but was upset by Water Valley who had won only one other game that year.

 

[Old Bearkat]

There are also not many folks from that time around still.

 

[Blue Bird]

OBK, was this Sixman, eightman or crowded field?

 

[Old Bearkat]

OBK, was this Sixman, eightman or crowded field?

8 man, the first year for it. Mertzon had changed Sterling City for the district title in 1957, which was the last year for 6 man. Mertzon, Christoval, and Water Valley went back to 6 man in 1960 in a district with Flower Grove and Dawson.