Dallas, Texas, November 30th, 2018 - Six-man football was developed in 1934 by Stephen Epler in Chester, Nebraska, as an alternative means for small high schools to field a football team during the Great Depression. As of the 2017–2018 alignments from UIL, TAPPS, TAIAO, TCAF, and T-CAL, the state of Texas has 262 six-man football teams.

Game Play

Six-man is a fast-moving game played on an 80-yard-long field. 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. 

Dallas Lutheran School won its first state title last year. 

The team went 10-1 in the TAPPS conference beating Austin Veritas 54-48 in the 2017 Division 1 Six Man State Championship game in Waco. They are up against Austin Veritas again tonight for the final 4. If Dallas Lutheran wins tonight they will be defending their state championship playing in Waco on December 6, 2018. 

Returning All State players Isiah Sampson, Sam Chapman, and Athan Georgalis, including the top running back in TAPPS Isaiah Sampson. Isaiah ran over 4000 all-purpose yards last year and led the division in touchdowns.

DLS is 9-1 and is the favorite to repeat for BACK to BACK championships.

6-Man in the Movies

The Slaughter Rule, released in 2002, used six-man football as played in Montana. The film contains a brief explanation of how the game of six-man football is played. The title refers to a rule in which a game is called in the second half if one team gains a 45-point advantage over the other. In other states, it is referred to as the mercy rule. When invoked, one team is said to have "45ed" the other.

Dallas Lutheran has "45ed" many of its opponents this year and hopes to win their second TAPPS State Championship. Not bad for a small school of 175 students… and that includes the middle school! 
It reminds us of the basketball movie Hoosiers, but here in Texas. 

If you want to know more about the little team that could, call Christine Wondoloski, Admissions Director.  

Dallas Lutheran School is one of the best kept secrets in Dallas. It’s a school is made up of a diverse group of students, parents, faculty and staff that all share the love of Christ as their Savior. For over 40 years that shared faith has been a foundation for offering an education that allows all students the opportunity to grow spiritually, academically, physically and socially.