Six-Man, Matta Eras Begin in Bronte With High Expectations

BRONTE, TX-- There’s a lot of excitement in Bronte ahead of their first year playing six-man football.

Rightly so, too.

The Longhorns hired Jourmain Matta from Balmorhea, where he played in high school and learned under legend Vance Jones after graduating from Angelo State University. Getting a coach of his pedigree added to the already extensive excitement for the community of Bronte.

Prior to Matta’s hire, though, the Longhorns felt eager to start the next chapter of Bronte football.

“I think, quite honestly, everyone was excited about it,” said senior Garrett Knight. “We were ready for a change, you know, being the underdogs, the smaller team. We found out we were moving to six-man and everyone was ready to move on to a new chapter.”

In the early days of two-a-days, Matta and his staff have been busy acclimating their athletes to the six-man game.

A smooth transition to the six-man variation is crucial to Bronte’s first season in Class 1A, where they will play Eden, Paint Rock, Robert Lee and Veribest.

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Part of the reason Matta was hired toward the end of the school year was the crossover between the variations he’s learned under Jones.

“It’s been very crucial (to my coaching),” Matta said of his time in far West Texas. “Coaching under Vance Jones, who a lot of people consider a legend in six-man, I’ve learned a lot in the last six years. I’m bringing the majority of his system, which helps because the kids are making the transition from 11-man to six-man. Part of his system was coming from 11-man, so that helps with the transition because a lot of the fundamentals and the basics are going to be the same.”

Among the many stories of Vance Jones’ legendary career is the one of his 1976 Marathon Mustangs, which was told by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine's Managing Editor Greg Tepper in this year’s summer magazine. The Mustangs were placed in a one-team district by the UIL and could not get any non-district games because six-man teams did not want to play them. So, Jones picked up seven games against 11-man opponents and his team of 24 kids went on to win State that year.

With his background, Matta had an easy time getting the kids to buy in to his process.

“The kids have come out and they’ve been working hard,” Matta said of the first few days of practice. “We’ve got a good, solid group of kids. They’re excited to be here. I’m excited to be here. That’s a good combination right there.”

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Knight and Colton McIntire have stepped up in Matta’s eyes to help get the team bought in to the process and thinks that’s big for the team.

Despite it being their first year in six-man football, the Longhorn’s goals are set high and they’re ready for their first winning season since 2012.

“Our overall expectations are winning district,” Matta said. “We told them the first day that’s our goal. Bronte, overall, hasn’t had a winning season since 2012. We’re trying to bring some wins here. Then, hopefully, that will trickle down to the younger kids. Hopefully we can build a program here.”

That 2012 season was also the last time Bronte won a district championship. For the seniors, a winning season and district title in their first year of six-man would be a storybook ending to their unusual path.

“It’d be great for us,” Knight said. “Considering it’s my senior year, I think it would be awesome to come out with a district championship. It’d kind of show everyone we’re here to play.”

The Longhorns kick off their first season of six-man football in Rochelle against Rising Star on Saturday, Sept. 1.