Faith Academy football continues teaching, practicing
CAPTION: Newcomer Ronin Burns listens to instructions from defensive coordinator Cole Garrett (left) and head coach Jay Silvers before lining up for another drill. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Faith Academy of Marble Falls football program continues preparing for the 2025 season.
The Flames added full pads Aug. 7 and kept teaching the sport to four newcomers, who are learning six-man football.
They are sophomore Austin Edwards from Lake Travis, Ronin Burns from Austin Westlake, Colten Lane from Lago Vista, and Ben Strmiska from Llano.
“It’s going well,” head coach Jay Silvers said. “There’s lots of learning. The young guys are getting lots of reps on a lot of things we’re working on. We’re getting better at the things we need to get better at.”
Silvers said the biggest adjustment for the newcomers is the speed of six-man football. It’s different from 11-man offenses running tempo because on the field, the unit runs to the line of scrimmage and gets ready as the quarterback looks to the sideline to get the play. Then he takes three steps to the left to shout out the play and three steps to the right to shout out the play before settling into the shotgun to get the ball snapped.
In six-man the field dimensions are smaller — 80 yards instead of 100 — and every offensive player is a threat to score.
“Everybody can be a wide receiver,” Silvers said. “They’re learning the concepts.”
That means on some plays, the Flames start as blockers and then turn to catch the ball. Or they may snap the ball to the quarterback, who tosses it behind him and becomes the lead blocker as the center is looking to set a block, too, with the aim of springing the running back loose for a big gain.
“Being a wide receiver who blocks and running with the ball is similar to 11 man,” the coach said. “But those five guys on the line can’t go down the field. In six-man everything is moving and anyone can be eligible. Everyone can be a blocker. All the guys can run and catch the ball.”
But unlike 11-man football, once a six-man offensive player breaks one tackle, he is usually galloping to the end zone. And Silvers, who also serves as the program’s offensive coordinator, is emphasizing that to his unit.
“In six man, if you can get past your guy, you’re going to the house,” he said. “If you can beat one guy, you’re golden. I like to put our guys in situations where you’re out there with the defense one on one. We want there to be mismatches. I want to make sure our guys get touches.”
The coach said the veterans, particularly seniors Andrew Houy and Adam Merlick, juniors Wade Dillard and Price Rosamond and sophomore Landon Silvers, the coach’s son, are helping their teammates learn the plays, techniques and other details of the playbook.
“They’re all doing a great job of getting them lined up,” he said. “They’re asking questions the guys are answering. If they have more questions, they’ll ask me and we’ll discuss it. But that core group had done a great job of relaying information.”
The other part is the veterans know that if the Flames want to accomplish all of their goals this season, they must help the learning curve for the newcomers and underclassmen, Silvers said. In other words, the quicker every Flame knows his role and reacts more than he thinks, the harder Faith will be to beat, he added.
“They understand that when these guys are successful, the team will be successful,” he said. “We all see it. If we don’t help them, there’s no way the team will be successful.”
The Flames will face Austin Valor South, classical charter school, in their first scrimmage of the season at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Britton Field on the Faith Academy campus.
CAPTION: Egan Barnes plants and kicks the ball off so the Flames can work on kickoff coverage and returns. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
