“Claw, rip, bite. Do anything to get the football out,” head coach Anthony Cook said to galvanize his team.

One of the Drake-Anamoose players quickly quipped back: “Bite? Wouldn’t that be hard with a face mask?”

“OK, headbutt then.”

A laugh was shared, but then it was back to work.

Alex Eisen/MDN Drake-Anamoose 6-foot-5 junior wide receiver Hunter Fletschock (left) tries to reel in a catch over junior cornerback Chayce Borchardt-Sieg (right) during a practice held Wednesday.

The undefeated No. 1-seeded Drake-Anamoose Raiders (6-0) are preparing for the program’s first-ever championship game this Saturday in Watford City.

From not being able to field a team for a majority of last season to now reaching a coveted title game, the Raiders rise to the top of the North Dakota independent 6-man football league has been an interesting odyssey.

“The first year, there was a huge learning curve,” said Cook, a former University of Jamestown running back. “The difference between 11-man and 9-man isn’t so bad. But the difference between 11-man and 6-man… It’s still football, but it’s a whole different brand of football.”

Drake-Anamoose fielded a 9-man squad from 2009 to 2017 with playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016. Lack of able bodies saw the 2017 season cut short after three games.

Unwilling to fold the program or get absorbed into another co-op team, the Raiders found another option to keep playing football.

The outlandish concept of 6-man football was a hard sell at first. But, eventually, the small rural communities of Drake and Anamoose have embraced the new style of play.

“There was a little pushback at first, but now they are completely behind it all,” Cook said. “They just didn’t know what it was. I mean, I’m pretty well-versed in football, and even I didn’t know there was 6-man football. It’s just a new thing, and sometimes that scares people.”

The transition from 9-man to 6-man in 2018 was a bumpy one. After a few more forfeits, the Raiders earned their only win of the year in the last game of the season. The 53-51 victory over Mandaree sparked new life into the team. It was the program’s first win in over two years.

Not only were the Raiders about to undergo a resurgence, 6-man football had also found a more stable foothold in North Dakota with a new 8-team independent league forming for the 2019 season.

Drake-Anamoose rolled through a perfect regular season averaging 60 points per game. The Raiders received statewide attention after beating Midway-Minto on Sept. 27 in a historic, eye-catching affair that finished 107-84.

“It was haymaker after haymaker,” Cook said. “There aren’t many adjustments you can make on defense when you have to go score on offense right afterward. It’s essentially who can score the most points at that point.”

It was an experience that won’t be soon forgotten. A happy memory that wasn’t forfeited due to a lack of players.

“It was just a big fight,” senior Kayden Boucher said. “It was a long game too, like three hours. But it was a good time.”

The Raiders have been eagerly awaiting their next game after the scoreboard-breaking contest. Drake-Anamoose was scheduled to play a semifinal playoff game last week, but the two postseason games were canceled due to inclement weather.

Drake-Anamoose, as the higher seed, was moved straight into the championship game this Saturday against the No. 2-seeded Center-Stanton Wildcats (6-1 overall).

The Raiders handed the Wildcats their only loss so far, 57-44, during the second week of the regular season.

Center-Stanton started playing 6-man football in 2017. The extra year of experience is an added benefit, according to Cook.

“They are very physical and like to come right at you,” he said. “We aren’t afraid of that, but we got to recognize that they are a very talented team that has been doing this a little bit longer than we have. So, they are a little bit more savvy. But I think our kids are up for the challenge.”

The Raiders run their high-powered offense through junior quarterback Payton Martin, and he has plenty of weapons to utilize. All six players on the field are eligible to be receivers.

When the offense is clicking, finding open space on the 80-yard-long, 40-yard-wide field is a relatively easy task.

Running backs Jaylee Brandt and Elijiah Nickelson have been difficult to contain on the ground, and 6-foot-5 wide receiver Hunter Fletschock is a can’t-miss target through the air.

“It’s mostly about speed and quickness, and we have a pretty fast offense,” Martin said. “Being in the championship game means a lot. We have gone through a lot. We work hard every day at practice.”

As football participation numbers continue to shrink around the state and country, Cook hopes the revitalization of 6-man football can offer somewhat of a saving grace.

“A lot of these towns are clinging to their football programs,” Cook said. “And 6-man gives them an outlet to keep their team. Keep their mascot. Instead of clinging onto another school, and just having a letter in their name.”

The Drake-Anamoose Raiders are making the most out of their 6-man rejuvenation with a championship game appearance.

The North Dakota 6-man independent football championship game will kickoff at 7 p.m. Saturday evening at the Watford City Rough Rider Field.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.