Six-man football is more than touchdowns and wins in Texas: ‘It’s like an identity’

['Carlos Morales', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-09-19 09:01:00

But the game he’s been announcing for the last decade isn’t your typical football game. In Texas’ rural pockets, high schools like Marfa with fewer than 105 students can opt to play a small-town version of Friday night lights: six-man football . While for many high school football in Texas means multimillion dollar stadiums , high-salaried coaching jobs and coveted five-star talent , the six-man game is more than touchdowns and championships – it’s about small community pride. “It’s not like 11-man ball, but you still have the basics,” said Foster, who coached at Marfa High School. (Carlos Morales | For NPR)For Brown, the game of six-man football is part of the culture of small town Texas.