Menard Yellowjackets ready to run in first year of six-man football
Findlay Field has seen quite a bit since it first opened for play back in 1934.
In its 88th season, however, the historic Menard High School football stadium will see something it never has – the Yellow Jackets playing six-man football.
Menard, which has remained playing at the 11-man level despite declining enrollment, makes the transition to six-man football in 2022.
The Yellowjackets join Irion County, Robert Lee, Eden and Veribest in District 13-1A Division I.
“Menard has been in a really tough spot playing 11-man for a long time now. They’ve been playing some really tough teams and just have not had the numbers to compete with the Christovals and Eldorados and Masons,” said first-year head coach Bryson Oliver, who was hired to lead the program into six-man football.
“The community has been ready for (six-man), it’s just been a matter of finding the right time and the right person, and it was pretty surreal that the right person ended up being me.”
Oliver, an all-state quarterback that led Throckmorton to a state championship in 2012, says all the adjustments to Findlay Field for the six-man game have been completed, including swapping goal posts with Water Valley, which is going to 11-man.
The new coach thinks the old stadium is the perfect setting for Friday nights.
“I absolutely love this football stadium,” said Oliver. “It’s got an old coliseum-type feel to it with the home stands. It’s carved out of a little mountain here at the top of Menard.
“It’s a pretty incredible field even for 11-man, but in terms of six-man and the fields I’ve been around, this is one of the coolest settings I’ve seen.”
Leading the Yellowjackets into the six-man game is senior running back Joel Guerrero, an All-West Texas selection that rushed for 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. He also made 75 tackles on defense, with two interceptions and six pass breakups.
“I’ve been around a lot of good players,” said Oliver. “Joel Guerrero is going to be right up there in terms of just pure athletic running backs that I’ve been around.
“I think he’s going to shock some people around the state, and I think he’s one of the better running backs in our district and probably in our region.”
Joining Guerrero in the backfield will be Jacob Guerrero, a transfer from Water Valley, who Oliver says is "just a step” behind Joel.
“Those two guys in the backfield are pretty dynamic,” he said. “They’re going to give people a lot of trouble.”
Isaiah Stanislawski, a 6-foot-3 all-district tight end from last season, is expected to be a big part of the offensive attack as well.
“I don’t know too many people that are going to be able to cover him one-on-one,” Oliver said. “ He’s going to give people some problems, too.”
Roy Brown, who served as a team manager last year, was urged by his classmates to play his senior season.
It didn’t take long for Oliver to see why.
“He’s a natural leader, very vocal, and he throws a really good ball,” said Oliver.
“He controls the huddle, he controls the offense, and does what I need him to do. He’s going to be a really good senior leader for us.”
Oliver says offensively, Menard will mostly run out of a balanced line T and unbalanced J-bird formation, similar to what he ran very successfully at Throckmorton, averaging more than 66 points per game.
“We keep it pretty simple. We don’t get crazy with anything we do. We like to get creative within the simple formations,” he said.
“We will do a lot of different things where we spread some guys out, or get in a gun formation and spread things out, but the base of our offense will be out of those two formations.”
The Yellowjackets will run a 4-2 defense, led by the Guerreros as safeties, and Stanislawski at defensive end.
“Defensively, I think we’re a little further ahead,” said Oliver.
“We’re going to be beyond physical compared to some of my teams at Throckmorton. I think our defense is going to be more on the stronger side.”
Menard will be tested early in its nondistrict slate, including a trip to No. 5-ranked Garden City and a home game vs. San Marcos Academy, a TAPPS state finalist.
“We have our schedule set up, where we’re going to find out how good we are pretty quick,” said Oliver. “We need to be tested early so we can battle it out with our district.
“But I think we have the athletes where we can compete. I definitely think we can compete with our district, and I believe a playoff run is a realistic goal for us.”
Menard Yellowjackets
District: 13-1A Division I
Head coach: Bryson Oliver (0-0; 0-0 at Menard)
Last year’s record: 2-8, 1-4 district
Last district title/playoff appearance: 2017/2019
Enrollment: 86
Stadium: Findlay Field
Returning lettermen: 5
Returning off./def. starters: 2/3
Base offense: T and J-bird
Base defense: 4-2
Team strength: Running game, speed, athleticism
Team weakness: Passing, six-man experience
Players to watch
RB/LB Joel Guerrero (6-0, 170), WR/DL Isaiah Stanislawski (6-2, 175), RB/DL Hunter Whitaker (5-9, 150), TE/LB Brandon Spinks (6-1, 185), QB Colby Powell, QB Logan Powell
2022 schedule
Date Opponent
Aug. 26 San Marcos Hill Country
Sept. 2 at Garden City
Sept. 9 San Marcos Baptist Academy
Sept. 16 at Bronte
Sept. 23 Valor South Austin
Sept. 30 Nueces Canyon
Oct. 7 at Robert Lee*
Oct. 21 Veribest*
Oct. 28 at Irion County*
Nov. 4 Eden*
*District game
2021 results
Cross Plains L 14-33
Bartlett 56-0
Ropesville L 21-22
Ozona L 6-70
Harper L 8-53
Junction W 7-6
Christoval L 0-53
Miles L 32-44
Eldorado L 6-49
Rocksprings L 35-60
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Menard Yellowjackets ready to run in first year of six-man football
