For the Smithville Tigers and the Bastrop Bears, football season is over.

Smithville had some great games and Bastrop had its best season in years, but lost in the first round of the playoffs last Friday.

There’s one local team still playing and which begin the playoffs Saturday at 2 p.m. in Hutto.
Head coach Billy Helm thinks they have a great chance of winning it all.
The team is the Tribe Consolidated Warriors and they are unique for several reasons, and not just because one of their coaches wears a kilt to the games. Tribe Consolidated plays six-man football, a scaled down version of 11-man football.
Six-man football began in 1934 in Chester Neb., when high school coach Stephen Epler found that fielding a full team and getting the required equipment wouldn’t work for his small rural school, so he reduced the size of the teams making it possible for his players to experience the game of football.
The sport has grown considerably, especially in Texas, with over 200 schools and six leagues, providing rural and private schools an opportunity to play organized football.
Tribe Consolidated is an affiliated, Christian-based athletic program that is open to all private and home-schooled students in the area that are not involved in other athletic programs.
They are also part of the Texas Christian Athletic League (TCAL) and the team has players from throughout Bastrop County.
Helm, who has been coaching in various capacities for 18 years, started the athletic program, which includes football, volleyball, basketball and track.
The team has a stadium off of Lower Red Rock Road and Hwy. 304. The field is called “The Pasture” because up until last year, that’s what it was. The players, their families and friends built the field, complete with stadium lighting.
Helm is excited about the playoffs with San Antonio River City Christian on slate for Saturday, but for this team, it’s more than a game.
“We try to instill that it’s not just about winning, it’s about doing the best we can for Jesus Christ. Winning will soon follow.” Helm said.
Six-man football is fast paced and it’s a lot of fun for the players.
“Our goal is to give every kid a chance to play,” Helm said. “For a lot of kids, this is their first year to ever play organized sports and they’ve done amazingly well.”
The game is played on an 80-yard field that’s 40 yards wide. Teams need 15 yards for a first down. All players are eligible receivers and once in play, there must be a “clean exchange of the football” according to the rules, which means the quarterback must hand off, pitch or throw the ball before it can cross the line of scrimmage.
In six-man football, speed and agility is key.
We will put the fast guy on the field before the strong guy,” Helm said, although conditioning and strength are also important.
“We spend a lot of time pulling sleds. It’s a big part of our training,” he said.
Teams gets six points for a TD and one point to run it in for the point after touchdown. Kicking is different too, with a team scoring two points for the PAT, and four points for a field goal.
Helm mixes his play, running a spread offense most of the time, opening the field for the running attack and cross-field passing.
He’s had a lot of success with a double-wing tight formation, giving his quarterbacks an opportunity to hit their tall wide receivers.
One standout for the team is Connor Ray. He was named TCAL Student Athlete of the Month in October.
As QB, he’s had a great year, posting over 70 completions during September. He also carries a 3.7 GPA.
Helm is excited that the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is taking a look at Ray, and he deserves the attention.
He’s ranked number three in the country in 6-man football for his passing game and number two in Texas. His total offense put him at number seven in the country with over 1,200 yards passing.
Helm also said that Ray is an exceptional young man.
“He has dozens of achievement stars, but he’s not displaying them on his helmet. He’s a very humble young man,” Helm said. “He volunteered to help after Hurricane Ike, and then on mission trips with our church organization in Mexico.”
One of Ray’s favorite targets is his brother Vance.
Keaton Holcomb is another leader for the team, anchoring the offensive line.
Other standouts include Isaiah Tyler, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior from Bastrop. He’s tall, fast and quick, and shows it at wide receiver. He also plays defense.
Helm has two sons on the team. Willie Helm is the team’s kicker, and he holds a pivotal role because of the points potential for kicks. His other son, Darby Plentl is a wide receive and defensive back.
Last year, Tribe Consolidated Warriors lost the TCAL State Championship game in overtime.
Their first round playoff game for Division 2 against San Antonio River City Christian is Saturday Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. at Hippo Stadium in Hutto.