Earthquakes, Hurricanes, and Upsets

I will try to compare what I saw in WEEK ZERO with my Preseason Top Ten in D1 and D2. I watched a game on Thursday night, a couple on Friday night and a hand full on Saturday. I picked a few games correctly and I missed a few as well.

Thursday night in Trent I expected Bryson to handle Highland. The game was closer than I thought it would be. Friday I thought Richland Springs would beat Avalon and they did. As a side note to that game, Avalon has a couple of outstanding athletes. Richland Springs was the best team I saw in WEEK ZERO. They are monsters and I believe are on their way to another title. Not just district, the BIG TITLE.

Through the years I have met lots of good folks from Richland Springs. I am happy to report I was able to visit with Richland Springs NUMBER ONE FAN. Pres. He is still going at 87 years young. I was happy to here he was able to make the HONOR FLIGHT out of Abilene not too long ago. He was pretty pumped up about that trip. I am extremely proud of him and for him and to all our servicemen and women past present and those to come in the future.

I thought Strawn would beat Calvert but they did so much more convincing that I thought they would. The second game at Hico saw Motley County snap a 29 game winning streak owned by Garden City. Took overtime and a couple of crazy bounces of the ball but they did it. BTW, I thought MC would win. I had Throckmorton ranked ahead of Valley in the Preseason Poll but I thought Valley would defeat Throckmorton. The Greyhounds proved me wrong but it was a tight game. I believed Ira would take down Follett and that Walnut Springs would do the same to Rising Star. They both did.
Out in far west Texas, McCamey to be exact, my preseason number one was doing battle with my number 8 and I thought it would be a great game with Borden County prevailing. Guess what? Rankin defeated Borden County 38-26. Let that be a lead in to the newest SIXMANCENTRAL POLL.

DIVISON 1
1. Throckmorton
2. Ira
3. Sands
4. Rankin
5. Aquilla
6. Ropes
7. Borden County
8. Garden City
9. Walnut Springs
10. Grady

DIVISION 2
1. Richland Springs
2. Sterling City
3. Motley County
4. Miami
5. Milford
6. Strawn
7. Jonesboro
8. Panther Creek
9. Gustine
10. Balmorhea

The earth moved in WEEK ZERO especially in D1. What will WEEK ONE bring? Thankfully, more SIX-MAN FOOTBALL. I can hardly wait! See you there.

WEEK ZERO = THE LIGHTNING ROUND

I have a history with the Highland Hornets and lightning. A couple of years ago Ira and Highland had very talented teams. I made my way to Highland to watch them square off. Without either team even so much as taking the field to loosen up before the big game, it was over. LIGHTNING defeated the Hornets and Bulldogs that night around 8:45PM. Nothing but lightning. Not a drop of rain.

Fast forward if you will to last night and the opening game of the 4th Annual Trent Gorillas’ RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE. The participants last night were the Bryson Cowboys and the Highland Hornets. As I drove out to the game I knew there had been some rain in the area. It is always a good thing around here when there is rain in the area!

This game was set to start at 7:00 PM. I was excited to get the new season underway. The game started promptly at 7:00PM. THAT was a good thing. I soon got a tweet from @sixmanguru who was at Zephyr watching a Jonesboro team defeat Rochelle 50 to zip. Things did not improve for him as the second game he watched ended with Zephyr defeating Woodson 48-0 at the half. The game is Six-Man football and on the average, 50% of the games end as a result of the “Mercy Rule”. Not my game in Trent.

Highland received the opening kickoff, ran four plays and Bryson took over on their own 39. Nine plays later from the 6 yard line, Kirby Hefner runs it in, Bryson with a PAT leads 8-0 3:39 left in the first.

Highland came back with an impressive six play drive covering 84 yards culminating with a 3yard TD run by Tyler Falcon. PAT good and it was tied up 8-8 with 1:32 left in the first quarter of play. The quarter ended in a tie score. Bryson would score on a 27 yard pass play with 7:21 left in the first half and the PAT made it Bryson 16 Highland 8. That was the halftime score. Bryson ran 31 offensive plays to 16 by Highland according to my stats.

With the clock counting down the halftime break, at around 3:00 minutes, BAM!!! Not thunder but thunder’s friend LIGHTNING makes is first appearance of the night. DELAY is in order.

The third quarter gets underway and on their second possession of the second half Bryson scores again with a PAT lead 24-8 with 7:21 left in the third. It would wind up being the final score. With 2:15 left in the third BAM2!!! Not thunder. You guessed it. LIGHTNING, round two and a 30 minute delay.

In the 4th quarter turnovers made this long and low scoring Six-Man game get a little ugly. As Coach Joe Helms of Bryson said after the game, “It was a win and it was ugly. Week 8 when we look back, it is still going to be a win”.

It appeared to me in the second half that Highland was playing better football but in the end a couple of Hornet turnovers kept them from at least getting the score closer if not perhaps winning the game. And so went WEEK ZERO. In fairness to both teams the lightning delays made it hard to get or keep momentum on their side.

Almost like Christmas

August 25th and football season is open for Texas high schools. No scrimmages but live games commence this very day and I am excited. I will take in eight games between tonight and Saturday. That is a great way to kick off the season.

It truly is Christmas in Hermleigh, though windy. They have a new school and athletic facilities. Take a look at the pictures.

It is Over (2 a days)

There may well be a scrimmage taking place this morning, perhaps as late as this evening, but folks, the dreaded 2 a days are done. Stick a fork in them they are done.

The season gets underway starting Thursday August 25th at selects spots around the state. Friday will see more action and Saturday there are a number of Kickoff Classics that will seal the deal on WEEK ZERO. That is the good news. The bad news is after Saturday August 27th we will have one tenth of another regular season behind us.

We all know it has been hotter than normal this year. Why do we subject our kids to doing two a days workouts anyway? The reason is simple. There are things the coach wants to work on, but in the bigger picture, the kids need it. Summers are long and busy and some kids take a break. Translated, they are out of shape. This isn't the NFL, I know. However, WEEK ZERO rolls around and we watch the games begin. No more we outscored them 3-2 or they scored 5 to our four. No, from this point on it is we won or we lost. The temperature will most likely be brutal for the first two or three weeks and with two a days behind us, the kids have a much better chance to be in shape.

It has been good for me to make a few scrimmages as I stay out of shape. I pushed myself the last two days trying to somewhat prepare me for opening weekend. Made a trip to Petersburg on Thursday for a 4 way scrimmage between Petersburg, Meadow, Knox City, and Valley. Friday I found by way to a 3 way in Richland Springs to watch them go against Oglesby and Throckmorton. Lots of travel but I have to be ready, right? I went to Trent last week to watch a three way between the Gorillas and Lueders-Avoca and Paint Creek. I am in better shape than I was.

Thursday night I will be in Trent to watch the first game of the Rumble in the Jungle featuring Highland vs. Bryson. Friday night I will find my way to Zephyr for a couple of games, Morgan vs. Zephyr JV and Avalon Vs. Richland Springs. To wrap things up WEEK ZERO a day in Hico.

The 8th Annual Hico Six-Man Super Saturday has five games scheduled. The first game is at 10:00AM, Strawn vs. Calvert. Game 2 sometime around High Noon, Motley County vs, Garden City. Third game of the days pits Throckmorton against Valley. The fourth game of the day if the field is left intact from the previous game will be Ira against Follett and for the 5th game Walnut Springs goes against Rising Star. Come to Hico and pay $10.00 and watch a game or five games if you are in shape.

I would love to be in McCamey and Trent and at Jayton but time travel is not ready.

Don Hardin
Abilene

SIX by Marc Rasmussen

Martyn Beeny, Marketing Director for the South Dakota State Historical Society asked me to review the book.

Six: A Football Coach’s Journey to a National Record
Marc Rasmussen
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
ISBN 978-0-9845041-4-5, paperback original, $16.95
b/w photographs, maps, appendices, indexes

Historical accounts at times seem like reading a White Paper. This book is tremendously different as it has a wonderful story unfold out of a written history.

SIX is a winner! This wonderful book’s storyline has uncovered an outstanding piece of South Dakota history too long hidden in obscurity. A coach, a community without direction, a ragtag group of athletes that came together to produce a powerful and storied six-man football program well worthy of attention all across this Nation. Set in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, it tells of a time and place where the townspeople languished in that difficult time shortly after World War II. I believe any sports fans who read this book will enjoy and relish the outstanding feat,( 61 wins in a row), accomplished by Coach Welsh and the Claremont Honkers players as well as the fine folks of the community that gave their support. Three cheers from Texas!!! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!

Don Hardin
Abilene, TX
sixmancentral.blogspot.com
lonestarfootball.net
On twitter@sixmancentral

For Crying Out Loud..............

it was just a scrimmage. Drove three hours to Petersburg to watch a four way scrimmage involving Petersburg and Valley and Knox City and Meadow. They're four very good teams.

My belief is Valley looked the sharpest of the four but if you have any of the other three on your schedule you better bring a sack lunch with you because you will need it.

I visited with the coaches afterward and they all said they had lots to work on next week. Coach O'Malley got his players attention more than once with his tender voice directed at their mistakes.

All the coaches had a time or two that they just let the words fly at their guys. Hey, that is what a scrimmage is all about. If there was a coach that seemed to have a bit of hangover heat, it would have been Coach Allison from Meadow. I commented to him that there was some bright spots. He did not particularly respond with "thank you for your kind words". He and I have been friends for several years and I know that look on his face. All the teams have work to do and I am certain that the Meadow team will have the opportunity to do just that.

SixManCentral Preseason TOP TENS

PRESEASON TOP TEN

DIVISION 1
1.Borden County
2.Throckmorton
3.Valley
4.Garden City
5.Sands
6.Ira
7.Aquilla
8.Rankin
9.Knox City
10.Follett

DIVISION 2
1.Richland Springs
2.Sterling City
3.Motley County
4.Miami
5.Milford
6.Balmorhea
7.Strawn
8.Calvert
9.Jonesboro
10.Iredell

Lord have mercy!!!!!