DAYKIN, NE — If you’re looking for a guy who knows about moving from eight-man to six-man football, John Adam is your man.

He’s done it twice. Once as a player at Hildreth High School and once as head coach at North Loup-Scotia.  Now Meridian’s new head coach is set to guide the Mustangs through that same transition.

“It’s a big adjustment," Adam said. "I told the kids, you’ll get ‘six-manned.’ There will be a big play, a wild play, crazy play that you won’t be ready for. You think you got it perfect but all of a sudden it’s a big play.”

For those unfamiliar with six-man football, Adam describes it as a combination of track and basketball being played on a football field.

“Schoolyard football is the best way to explain it to people who don’t know a lot or to these kids," Adam said. "When you were in junior high or elementary playing football - that’s what you’re doing, you’re just doing it with pads.”

What do the players think about making the change?

“It’s slow, but we’re working on it,” Senior Corin Paul said.

“Almost everyone’s eligible so we gotta figure out how to switch to that," Senior Lane Barton said. "It’s a different mindset.”

With everyone able to touch the ball, that means players relegated to the line now have a chance to carry the rock.  That includes junior Keagan Sones.

“It’s a lot different," Sones said. "My sophomore year I was on the line and now I’m going out for passes. I’m knowing all the positions a lot better now because we have to play them.”

Sones says the players are viewing the change as exciting. They’re working to fit the new style of play.

“We’ve been doing a lot of conditioning, running-wise," Sones said. "Everyone’s been doing a lot of pass routes and ball handling drills just to prepare ourselves because who knows who’s going to touch the ball this year.”

Meridian starts the season August 28th at home against Dorchester.