Gordon’s 6-man team earns a spot among the all-time greats in Texas history
The ghost stories about a six-man Texas high school football team are not only true, but scarier, and more impressive, than often told.
This is one of those teams that needs to be seen in person to appreciate its greatness, and the level of destruction that it creates. Gordon’s football team this season should be regarded as one of the finest in the history of the state since the sport was introduced in 1938. Maybe the best.
That was an expressed goal stated by Gordon coach Mike Reed, and his team needs to be in the conversation “around the fire pit.”
On Wednesday at AT&T Stadium, Gordon won its third straight Class 1A Division I state championship by defeating Rankin 69-22. Don’t worry; it wasn’t that close.
The game ended with 6:46 remaining in the third quarter when senior Stryker Reed ran 44 yards for a touchdown, which prompted all of his teammates to rush him in the end zone to finish a season that covered tragedy, inspiration and, ultimately, perfection.
“It feels like a movie,” senior quarterback Noah Kostiha said after the game. “It was a generational run.”
Factually, he’s correct. Three-peats in anything don’t happen often.
Gordon was playing for more than a state title
In running its win streak to 44 games, Gordon won its fifth overall state championship, and provided a nice diversion to a community in desperate need of something to take its mind off life.
In mid-May, Gordon was one of the communities affected when seven tornadoes touched down on the same day throughout north central Texas. An EF1 tornado ripped through Gordon, destroying multiple homes, injuring citizens, and leveling several of Gordon high school’s athletic facilities, including the baseball field, track and football field.
The damage made Gordon a road team for nearly the entire season. The stadium reopened in late November, which allowed the school to host a homecoming game on senior night.
“We can still see the damage, what we have to go through,” coach Mike Reed said, “and the cleanup ahead of us.”
Gordon’s population is approximately 500 people; even if your house, or life, wasn’t directly affected by the tornado, you knew someone whose was. There was no avoiding it.
Everybody grabs a bucket. A rake. A broom. A mop. A hammer. The neighbor’s trash can is a community trash can.
The football team consists of only teenagers, kids — but they were all well aware of what their role was in this cleanup, and rebuild.
“Give them a three-hour break from what they have going on at home,” Stryker Reed said.
Gordon’s historic blowout in Arlington
Gordon is one of those special instances when a team is so good, so dominant, and so boring, that it’s worth saying you saw them play in person. Even if you know nothing about the sport, there is always an appeal to see a dominant team dominate, to know what it looks like. Sounds like. To look at the scoreboard in person.
To see the player, or two, who stands out.
The only suspense to the game Wednesday was how quickly it would end, and if it would be over at halftime because of six-man’s mercy rule. If the margin is 45 points by halftime, or any point thereafter, the game ends.
Gordon’s first play from scrimmage was a 25-yard touchdown reception. Less than four minutes into the game, Gordon was ahead 16-0. With less than five minutes gone, the Longhorns led 24-0. At that point, Gordon had run a total of six plays to score three touchdowns.
At halftime, the Longhorns led by 39.
There was nothing especially atypical about Gordon’s game Wednesday. What it did against Rankin is pretty much the same thing Gordon has done over the past three years. Their games seldom reach the fourth quarter.
It looks easy.
“Nothing in six-man is ever really easy,” Kostiha said.
It looks easy because the majority of the seniors have been together since they were in the fifth grade, and there are four players who are on track to play Division I NCAA sports.
An admitted historian of six-man football, Mike Reed has stressed to his players to appreciate the rarity of what they just accomplished.
“When you have kids and put them in a sports program,” he said, “you’ll know what you’ve done doesn’t happen.”
Gordon made history happen, and it should be recognized and celebrated as one of the best in the history of Texas six-man football.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 3:12 PM.
