North Dakota Preps

We were asked to have a place for the 6 man fans to leave comments.
No problem. It's great to see these guys get a chance to play some competitive ball.

Feel free to leave comments, or start new topics as you see fit.

Thanks.

Thank you! I'm hoping someone from these towns can give us updates, comments, and scores. The four teams involved this year are from Center, Mandaree, Grenora, and Alexander. The Gridiron had a nice article on the league. Sounds like each team will play each other twice and then play a couple Montana teams to complete the schedule before having the ND playoff. Any other teams that are thinking about moving to 6man in the upcoming year?

The two teams that I could see moving down to 6-man within the next year are Drake-Anamoose and Parshall/White Shield. Drake-Anamoose has already had to forfeit two games this year due to injuries and Parshall/WS plays Mandaree later in the season. Both teams only have 14 players on their roster or somewhere around there.

If 6-man gets going here in North Dakota, I could see some of these co-ops breaking up and some schools could field their own teams again.

ndlionsfan, did it happen to say what the name of the league was? I think that the Grenora team (aka MonDak Thunder) is their JV team as their Varsity plays a Montana schedule.

caserace0710 wrote:The two teams that I could see moving down to 6-man within the next year are Drake-Anamoose and Parshall/White Shield. Drake-Anamoose has already had to forfeit two games this year due to injuries and Parshall/WS plays Mandaree later in the season. Both teams only have 14 players on their roster or somewhere around there.

If 6-man gets going here in North Dakota, I could see some of these co-ops breaking up and some schools could field their own teams again.

ndlionsfan, did it happen to say what the name of the league was? I think that the Grenora team (aka MonDak Thunder) is their JV team as their Varsity plays a Montana schedule.

Midway-Minto could be another that looks to move to 6 man in the future...also have had issues with having enough players...maybe even Four Winds would consider. If it catches on up here...would there be any schools that would consider dissolving a coop to form two 6-man teams?

I wonder how the NDHSAA will start sanctioning it, though. What will the enrollment cutoff end up being from 9man to 6man. I'm sure it will come at some time. These schools with decent sized enrollments but trouble with numbers probably aren't going to be allowed in 6man.

Maybe the NDHSAA could start looking at past success instead of just their adjusted male enrollment number. I don't think that if you win state in 9 man you should be automatically bumped to A, but if you're on the threshold and you've lost 5 total games in 3 years and the team going to get bumped up has won 10 games in 6 years, maybe some common sense should be used. I would hope they could do the same with 9 man to 6 man. If a school doesn't have success in 9 man or has a very low participation rate they could give them the option of 6 man.

I think we're years from sanctioning 6-man football.

My opinion: when/if it's ever sanctioned they'll let anyone play 6 man that wants too. The only schools I see wanting to play 6 man are the schools that are routinely getting less than 15 kids out. I can't see a school that gets 22 kids out wanting to play 6 man.

Just an opinion:

We will either see, in 2019:

Sanctioned 6 man

2 classes of 9 man

Exception to enrollment standard for host-satellite relationship in coops.

In the statewide surveys, for the first time, coaches, ads, and supers favored competition over geography. If that's the attitude, more schools will consider 6-man to keep the sport. They won't mind travelling to play a level they think they can compete at.

This will force a new thought process on classification. The NDHSAA will have to keep up. I don't think you want 20 schools playing a sport you sanction in a way you don't sanction it.

I'm not sure how it will finish. Personally, I'd favor 2 classes of 9 man with a ratio consideration for satellite schools in a coop. I think that's the most stable path forward.

WRT to heimer's post, how many years was "Class A" baseball played before they sanctioned it?

I'd favor 2 classes of 9 man with a ratio consideration for satellite schools in a coop.

OK, what does this mean?

You are correct about Grenora playing varsity 6-man in Montana. They co-op with Westby, Montana. Known as Mondak Thunder since 2012. They are ranked number 1 this year in Montana 6 man. They have been in the playoffs each year since 2012. Finished second twice. I am close to the program as I have 5 grandkids in Grenora. This is very exciting football to watch and not as high scoring as you would think.

I have never seen a 6 man FB game so I cannot speak to weather it is good, bad, etc.... In our area (south central ND) I have not heard a single coach or AD speak in favor of moving to 6 man. I have heard a number of coaches speak out against it (for a number of reasons). I would like to watch a 6 man game just to see for myself what it's like before I would make any comment on it.

Here's a news story from August about 6 man in ND.

http://www.myndnow.com/news/bismarck-ne ... /789805969

There is also a video on youtube about Alexander and finally playing football again after 28 years. The story is from 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAf6_iTFnr4

Sportsrube wrote:I have never seen a 6 man FB game so I cannot speak to weather it is good, bad, etc.... In our area (south central ND) I have not heard a single coach or AD speak in favor of moving to 6 man. I have heard a number of coaches speak out against it (for a number of reasons). I would like to watch a 6 man game just to see for myself what it's like before I would make any comment on it.

what would the reasons be against it?

The biggest reasons I have heard as to why the coaches are against it are "It's not real football", "if you don't have fast players you are screwed" and "our fans would never go for it". Remember, these aren't my words - I will refrain from making a judgement on 6 man FB until I can see a game for myself. I think the fact that we have some schools in this area that have a very strong history of success in FB (at 9 and 11 man levels) may also have a lot to do with it, especially the "our fans would never go for it" part.

Those who comment should research the history of 6 man football. My father played 6man in west central nd, and on to a brief college career. Once played throughout the plains northern Mexico to Saskatchewan. Still the rage of west Texas small oil towns and adjacent northern Mexico towns. I believe leagues in Ok still exist.

Didn’t know 6 man football existed in our state. Now I do

hockeynut wrote:Didn’t know 6 man football existed in our state. Now I do

Mandaree, Alexander & Center-Stanton are playing a 6-man schedule (playing some MT teams)...It may take some time but it may take hold for some of the smaller communities.

This is pretty much anecdotal evidence, but I was visiting with a bunch (6 or 7) of guys this past weekend. They were all originally from small towns that have moved down from either 11-man to 9-man, or 9-man to 6-man, including myself. Every one of them, including myself, were excited at the idea of 6-man football and the possibility that it grows to the point where some of the 9-man co-ops may consider breaking up to form their own 6-man teams.

What do you realistically need for 6-man, about 15 boys to come out? Basically the high school basketball team?

Flip wrote:WRT to heimer's post, how many years was "Class A" baseball played before they sanctioned it?

I'd favor 2 classes of 9 man with a ratio consideration for satellite schools in a coop.

OK, what does this mean?

I believe I know what Heimer was talking about. But Flip, what the heck does the "WRT" mean in your sentence, "WRT to heimer's post" mean?

With reference too, maybe?

bingobangobongo wrote:This is pretty much anecdotal evidence, but I was visiting with a bunch (6 or 7) of guys this past weekend. They were all originally from small towns that have moved down from either 11-man to 9-man, or 9-man to 6-man, including myself. Every one of them, including myself, were excited at the idea of 6-man football and the possibility that it grows to the point where some of the 9-man co-ops may consider breaking up to form their own 6-man teams.

What do you realistically need for 6-man, about 15 boys to come out? Basically the high school basketball team?

Basically if you can support a basketball team in the winter you should be able to put a 6 man team together if you can get those same kids out. 15 kids would be a good number, there are plenty of 11 man A teams with 22-28 kids on their roster.

with regards too

Some questions regarding 6-man football to keep conversation going:

How many refs do a game?
Are there any special rules concerning punts and kickoffs vs. 9 & 11 man?
Are there any other special rules differentiating 6 man?
What are field dimensions?

classB4ever wrote:Some questions regarding 6-man football to keep conversation going:

How many refs do a game?
Are there any special rules concerning punts and kickoffs vs. 9 & 11 man?
Are there any other special rules differentiating 6 man?
What are field dimensions?

I know the field dimensions are smaller 40x80 I believe. One rule I thought was interesting is that the QB cannot cross the line of scrimmage unless the ball is pitched to him.

Don't know anything about the refs or kickoffs/punts

ndlionsfan wrote:

classB4ever wrote:Some questions regarding 6-man football to keep conversation going:

How many refs do a game?
Are there any special rules concerning punts and kickoffs vs. 9 & 11 man?
Are there any other special rules differentiating 6 man?
What are field dimensions?

I know the field dimensions are smaller 40x80 I believe. One rule I thought was interesting is that the QB cannot cross the line of scrimmage unless the ball is pitched to him.

Don't know anything about the refs or kickoffs/punts

Good old rock-solid, reliable Wikipedia says: "Six-man is a fast-moving game played on an 80-yard-long by 40-yard-wide field. Furthermore, the game specifies a 15-yard distance from the line of scrimmage to gain a first down, instead of the normal 10 yards.

All six players are eligible to be receivers. On offense, three linemen are required on the line of scrimmage at the start of the play. The player to whom the ball is snapped cannot run the ball past the line of scrimmage; however, if the ball is tossed to another player, that player can run or throw the ball and the player to whom the ball was snapped is still an eligible receiver. All forward passes to the player who snapped the ball (center) must travel at least 1 yard in flight."