Perkiomen School Debuts 8-Man Football in PA

Perkiomen School debuts 8-man football in Pennsylvania with their first home football game since joining the NorthEast 8-Man Football League. Perkiomen will take on Millbrook School on Saturday, September 29. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. on the Robert Freeman Football Field, located on Seminary Street, in Pennsburg, Pa.

“The 8-man version of football is an offensive-minded game built for speed, requiring fewer players, and less ‘big linemen,’” says Headmaster Mark A. Devey. “We are looking to lead regional high schools in this new direction.”

The eight-player football league, co-founded by The Gunnery and Millbrook School, has expanded this fall to include Perkiomen School and Holderness School near Plymouth, N.H. Pomfret School and Forman School round out the New England preparatory school league.

An 8-man game varies in a few key ways. There are eight players, rather than 11, playing on a slightly smaller field at 80 x 40 yards for four, 10-minute quarters. The fewer bodies on the field is often an advantage for skill players, opening up play and thus, the scoreboard. Eight-man typically allows a coach to manipulate which positions are “omitted” on a play, whether that be linemen or skill position players. It is a fast-paced game in which players’ quickness and agility is paramount.

Eight-man football was celebrated during the last NFL draft as the first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, Leighton Vander Esch, thrived in the 8-man game in high school. In April, Vander Esch told Sports Illustrated that playing 8-man football was actually a huge help in his development. With six fewer bodies on the field, the ball gets into the open field much easier—as a result, plays unfold faster, and defensive fundamentals become critical. The game is learned from both sides, and there is more demand on endurance and durability.

Headmaster Devey has recruited former Upper Perkiomen High School player and coach, former Kutztown University player, and current Perkiomen School science teacher Casey Perlstein as head coach of the 8-man team.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to bring 8-man football to Perkiomen and to Pennsylvania,” says Perlstein. “In addition to pioneering this movement in our state, we also get the rare opportunity to compete against schools in the northeast. To have success in 8-man football, just as in the traditional game, we need to be fundamentally sound at blocking and tackling. Therefore, I plan on building a program and culture that emphasizes the importance of blocking and tackling, being physically fit, and competing every day. If we can do well in those four areas, I believe this will translate to success on the field. I look forward to working with my staff in our inaugural season and sharing my passion for football and the life lessons it taught me.”

“Football has a long-standing tradition at Perkiomen School,” says Perkiomen's Director of Athletics Ken Baker. “8-man football will allow us to continue this tradition in a positive way. More than 30 states field teams, so there is a significant movement around the country toward this brand of football.”

Schools interested in learning more about 8-man football, coming to campus for a game, and/or inquiring about Perkiomen School’s schedule are asked to contact Director of Athletics Ken Baker at kbaker@perkiomen.org or (215) 679-1170.