White Deer

[Old Bearkat]

Like OBK has posted...take a look at some of those schools that played 11-man then switched to six-man...Strawn and Cherokee for example (in the 1960s)...then look at what year they made that switch...then look at what the town was like for 5 years leading up to the switch...then look at how those towns hacve been after the switch...I am about to say something that may shock some and I do not remember anyone else ever saying this as a hypothesis...but here it goes...maybe perhaps the rule is a town is in decline and after the move to six-man...for what ever reason...the town levels out and holds realitizly stable over time.

So just maybe a move to six-man helps a town realize they are in decline (for what ever reason) and the move to six-man acts as a catalyst to help those communities make changes within the community that helps stabilize them.

Now some towns it doesn't work for perhaps due to location, and some towns for what ever reason are just in decline and on the verg of closing the school, but like I said I think these are more of the exception instead of the rule.

OBK-
Aquilla played 11-man four years 1980, 81, 82, 83

1984 Aquilla moved back to six-man
(ps: their first district championship was in 1970)

 

[Old Bearkat]

and Panther Creek in 1986

Except that Panther Creek was the result of a consolidation of two dying 6 man schools in Talpa and Mozelle.....Veribest was a new school.

There was also Grady in 1974, But they cannibalized Flower Grove and drove it into extinction.

 

[westexasflats]

This is not a knock on Sixman Football but have you ever thought that the increase in the number of schools in Sixman usually means a decline in the surrounding communities?

Most always, but what's happening in the Angelo area may change that.

It's been going on around Garden City and Rankin for 3-4 years and has not changed them much. Most of the workers are staying in Midland and Odessa and driving out there. I would expect most of the families that move into the San Angelo area will stay in Angelo and not live in Sterling City, Paint Rock, or Veribest. Water Valley, Mertzon, and Christoval are close enough so they might get some of them.

I do so hope your right OBK, We really love our little towns and maybe it's selfish of me but i like them as they are....

 

[Old Bearkat]

This is not a knock on Sixman Football but have you ever thought that the increase in the number of schools in Sixman usually means a decline in the surrounding communities?

Most always, but what's happening in the Angelo area may change that.

It's been going on around Garden City and Rankin for 3-4 years and has not changed them much. Most of the workers are staying in Midland and Odessa and driving out there. I would expect most of the families that move into the San Angelo area will stay in Angelo and not live in Sterling City, Paint Rock, or Veribest. Water Valley, Mertzon, and Christoval are close enough so they might get some of them.

I do so hope your right OBK, We really love our little towns and maybe it's selfish of me but i like them as they are....

I will take back one part of the change about GC, When I visited there in January, I thought I was driving into Forsan in the 1970's. A lot of pumpjacks all over the place.

 

[westexasflats]

Drive thru GC at night and you'll think its Christmas.. But its sorta purty

 

[Brawny]

At Savoy we were getting thumped in 11 man. We would start the season with 15 or 16 boys then in a few weeks after injuries and grades we would be down to 11 or 12. Each game we would come out strong and be ahead or really close for a quarter or two and then wear down or get banged up. We finished the Detroit game the last season of 11 man with 10. Still a few cronies fussed about the move to 6 man. We did it anyway and won 10 in row including one playoff game. It was a totally new concept for us to have fresh legs when we needed them. Also the boys liked it more. We had 24 come out. We even got to have a JV so the freshmen didn't have to get their heads kicked in by seniors like they had when we needed every single body on the feild....and that gold football sure looks nice in the trophy case. We are sold on six man!

 

[Tigerpower]

I just heard that apparently White Deer's head coach has coached six man before, have a friend from Memphis who says the kids loved him and he was an awesome coach, and did well at Hedley.

A sign? Maybe. Would love to see Shamrock, White Deer, and Gruver play six man ball.

The HC hasn't but they have 2 on staff that have.

 

[SiXmAnMaDnEsS]

Darn my source! Do you know the names of the coaches who have coached six-man over there?

 

[Knowmystuff]

With the new number going to be 104.9...Food for thought...White Deer (according to Dave Campbell's Magazine) had a 2012 enr. # of 106...another team that turned in 106...Munday the State Champs in DII 1A...

 

[coachjdjones]

According to the AD in Van Horn, they have 104 right now.

 

[Tigerpower]

Darn my source! Do you know the names of the coaches who have coached six-man over there?

Coach Hall was at Hedley and Coach Shemwell was at Groom.

 

[smokeyjoe53]

It is a fallacy to say moving to six-man means a decline in the community and have that statement refer to the whole state...I think it is only true in some geographical locations...but I think most have been stable communities if you look at the history of them, the ones that have closed schools I think are the exceptions and based more on location that anything else...

Anyone else agree?

According to this report,http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/rural/2character.html, we are both correct to some degree.
You are correct in saying it is a fallacy to apply my hypothesis to the entire state.
I guess it would depend on your definition of stability and your viewpoint of a community. I have lived my somewhat long life equidistant from Cherokee, Richland Springs and Lometa. While Lometa has fluctuated in population in recent years and has what I consider a younger demographic, Cherokee & Richland Springs seem to have grown but with an older demographic.
As it states in the referenced report, most growth in rural Texas is occurring around metro areas. The report also states that growth in rural areas is greatest in the areas with a "temperate" climate and "scenic" landscape, such as the Hill Country and that the demographic of that growth is primarily retired or semi-retired. This would not seem to be conducive to producing students for schools.

I do not relish the decline of small, rural Texas, but I do acknowledge that it is occurring. Perhaps a new generation of community will emerge from this.

 

[jc_30]

If VH would drop they could be really competitive, but I dought they will. I believe the last time they played 6 man was in the late 30's.

 

[SiXmAnMaDnEsS]

Darn my source! Do you know the names of the coaches who have coached six-man over there?

Coach Hall was at Hedley and Coach Shemwell was at Groom.

I gotcha, I guess my friend was referring to Coach Hall. Never heard of Shemwell, did either of them have any real success?

 

[Tigerpower]

Darn my source! Do you know the names of the coaches who have coached six-man over there?

Coach Hall was at Hedley and Coach Shemwell was at Groom.

I gotcha, I guess my friend was referring to Coach Hall. Never heard of Shemwell, did either of them have any real success?

Groom made the playoffs. He was an assistant in charge of the defense. Hall's record wasn't great but he is a great motivator.

 

[Knowmystuff]

I bet Menard would be competitive in six-man too...as would Union Hill, Runge, Agua Dulce...and a few others...

Van Horn was listed at 136 in Dave Campbell's...

 

[coachjdjones]

Oneday, that was last October. Right before X-mas break, they were down to 104.

The Roscoe Plowboys would be pretty competitive, as well.

 

[Knowmystuff]

Roscoe would crush I bet! But a guy I know in the know there said Roscoe was one of those blow the town up schools.

 

[Tigerpower]

Looks like White Deer is leaving crowded field football. I don't think it is official yet but the town hall meeting was generally in favor of the change. I look forward to see how they do. They definitely should benefit from it.

 

[Knowmystuff]

A guy at Gorman one time when I was talking to them about why the don't play six-man said "Wheeler went to six-man and they weren't very good because they had big o'l boys who couldn't run and keep up in six-man but they could play the line really well in 11-man" After that I realized that some schools, who had a lot more "Big O'l Boys" might be better off in 11-man...other than that they are crazy to stay in 11-man...

I think more times than not they would be like Throckmorton was..."I once was blind, but now I see" I think sums up Throckmorton school board's state of mind on the subject...