Play to Win

REMEMBERING ART

The 2026 football season has finally arrived. Eight months of ringing hands and walking the floor, and watching basketball…and soccer! And a little baseball. But few things can take the place of football.

In my first article in 2020, I said that that season was the “most anticipated” season I could ever remember. Our strong rivalry in district play with Lago Vista. So many great returning players. Quincy Prince…Jarod Beasley…Case Kuykendall…and that line…wow. And despite COVID putting a cloud over all…it was magic. I still will never forgive Somerset High School for backing out of our regular season game. Oh…they played that week, but did not play Llano as scheduled. The Jackets great season ended with Halletsville in game number 14 for the Jackets. Had Llano played Somerset, the 14-1 season would have been best ever. But Llano was 13-1. Matched only by the 2022 13-1 team.

The 2026 team faces a schedule like no other in the history of the school. What happens to a great program like the Jackets…no one wants to play you. Llano is 64-14 over the last six years. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ranks every high school in the state over a six year period.

Llano was ranked the 9th highest in the State over that period in Class 3AAA, Div. 1.

Llano plays 9 teams this year that made the State play-offs last season. Bandera at 10-1 last year. Jim Ned was 11-2. Blanco was 10-3. And that is pre- district. Bandera, Burnet and Lago Vista are 4AAAA schools. Our new district will take getting use to, but Ingram from our old district follows Llano to Region 1.Ingram had a very good team last season, and returns 8 offensive and 8 defensive starters from their 7-6 team…going three deep into the play offs after coming in second place in our district last season.

Our new district…3-3 AAA, Div. 1 includes San Angelo TLC and we play them in our last home game of the regular season, October 30. We play Early in the last game of the regular season November 6 in Early. The Jackets also travel to Ingram on October 16th. But the first district game is against Wall…16-0 State reigning Champion. Craig Slaughter is the Hawks head coach, and was the Llano Head coach for 7 seasons. Texas Football picked Wall to win our district. We play Wall in Llano October 9. I would expect it to be the largest crowd in Jacket Stadium history.

More details next week. Most anticipated? Maybe. But Concerning is my adjective. This is one season the Jackets get to play one game at a time. It would be foolish for any of us to look ahead. Every game is a chance to stumble. And maybe stumble is a bad description, as every team we play is good. Some very good. It’s August. Time to get serious. Football season is upon us.

The 2025 Llano Yellow Jackets fought a determined Edna Cowboys team down to the last few minutes to take a 38-35 win home in the State Regional Quarterfinals game last Friday night in San Antonio. The Jackets did not make it easy on anyone. The Cowboys lead at halftime 28-17, and three plays into the third quarter, lead 35-17.

Ironically, Llano took the opening kick off and drove 7 plays down to the 4 yard line where they ran out of downs, and senior Francisco Parravano kicked a 21 yard field goal and Llano was ahead 3-0. Freshman Cole Landers had a 23 yard run and junior quarterback Luke Davis had a 32 yard run. Luke’s 9 yard pass to junior Cash Lynch produced a first down. But on fourth down, Francisco came into the game.

Edna wasted little time in taking the lead. On second down, # 4 Hicks went 62 yards and a Cowboy touchdown. Only when there was 3:55 seconds left in the game would the Jackets take back the lead.

In the first quarter, Llano got the ball back two times. Forced to punt once, and a Jacket fumble lead to Edna having the ball two times, and both times the Jacket defense forced fumbles. In between that, Llano had an interception. Llano had 105 yards of offense, and Edna had 106 yards.

The second quarter got off to a fast start. For Edna. On the fourth play from scrimmage and after a 30 yard pass completion, Edna scored again. Score 14-3. Jackets on defense were relentless. Seniors Grayson Lilie, George Gallucci, Gavin Hays and Austin Humphries were making stops, but not soon enough. Llano took to the field. 20 yard run by Luke. Four more on a pass to Cash. Another 8 yard pass to Austin. First down. and then Luke saw senior Graham Prokop and hit on the 43 yard TD pass and catch. Score 10-14.

And then a light at the tunnels end. Senior Gavin Hays picks off an Edna pass. But the Jackets lost yards on the set of downs and had to punt. This time Edna found their daylight. On the fourth play, the Cowboys hit on a 61 yard TD pass. Score 10-21.

Llano came right back. 28 yard reception by Cash. Another 8 yards from Luke to Austin. And the final 36 yards on a very tough run by Luke to find the end zone. Score. 17-21. Strong blocking against a very strong Edna defensive line. Senior James Greenwood, junior Dylan Smith and senior Cason Stephenson were earning their keep. Edna had a defensive lineman…# 60….that was making tackles all over the field. But as I watched, I thought our guys were wearing this guy down. We’ll see.

Thinking it was getting close to the half, maybe we could hold on and regroup at halftime. Nope…Edna took the ball and three plays later scored on a 50 yard pass!! But watching our sidelines….Llano players were not hanging their heads. Yet before the half ended, both teams traded turnovers. Pretty messy first half. The Jacket defense forced 4 turnovers. And Llano gave back three.

Down 28-17 at halftime…no problem. At half time, I told several Jacket fans we had them right where we wanted them!! I just had not counted on the Edna Cowboys also had regrouped!. Kick off to Edna. On the third play…50 yard run to another Cowboy TD. 35-17.

We better try something new. The Coaches did. They put senior Graham Prokop back to receive the kick off. With Grahams speed, he took the pigskin to the house. 87 yards and a Jacket TD. Llano went for 2 points, but threw an interception. Score 35-23.

Two things happened here. The Jacket defense took over the game. Edna would run 23 more plays. The defense forced three punts. Held on a failed field goal try. Senior JD Friday got another interception. And allowed 73 total yards, with only one first down. Senior Niko Arms at linebacker, Cole Kennedy and Mario Hernandez on the defensive line. And Junior Nick Light having his best game Cody Greenwood, Austin, JD, Juniors Jason Cherry and Logan Robinson had their motors on full blast. Junior Josiah Wood and Grayson made no mistakes. And senior Jose Sillas is at times, sometimes the best. Seems always to be in the right position. Junior Isaac Rhea (# 30) is making a hand. Senior Isaiah Aguiliar at linebacker was in on several big stops. Junior Emerson Pool had a good game in the secondary. A super effort by all. And Art mentioned in his article, Coach McCloud’s adjustments… WOW.

Coach Priem’s offense followed the defenses’ lead. Llano did not get in a hurry,. First series…Llano ran 7 plays, two first downs, but did not panic. Jose came in and punted. After Edna punted, Llano drove to the 36 yard line. Senior Brayton Shaw had a 40 yard run, longest run of the night for the Jackets. Llano went for the first down on fourth down… Did not make it. Fourth quarter.

Llano held Edna on a fourth and one. Llano’s ball. Again Llano punted. Three downs and out…Edna punted. 6 minutes left in the game. Luke hit Swiss Army knife Brady Kelly for 11 yards. Cole ran for 2. Luke ran for 7. Fourth down and one. Luke runs for 5. First down from the 28 yard line. Luke drops back and Cash makes a catch that only Cash can make. TD. Strong pass blocking from junior Camren Smith and seniors Ethan Griego and Zach Driskel. Score 35-30.

Edna was not dead. They drove to the 20 yard line and on fourth down tried a field goal. It was not good. Likely because of pressure from JD Friday off the edge. Llano’s ball. Less than four minutes to play.

Edna had been watching Llano’s big tight end, Konrad Zwicke with a safety and a linebacker most of the game. The first play from the 26 yard line, they didn’t. Only the safety. Luke saw this. Threw to Konrad right over the line of scrimmage. Off to the races. Konrad may have not been faster than the safety, but he was stronger. Everytime the safety tried to tackle the big tight end, Konrad would just push him away. Not once…not twice…maybe five times. The safety decided to take another approach. This time he came from behind, and made the tackle from the back side. Too late. Konrad was in the end zone. Francisco Kicked good. Llano lead 36-35 with 3:55 left in the game. Llano went for two. So the Coaches look around and think “who hasn’t thrown a pass this year? Yes, lets let Brady throw the trick pass play….And Who hasn’t caught a trick pass play? Yes, let’s throw this one to Luke.

With a defender in his face, and being tackled, Brady throws to Luke who is sliding in the back of the end zone…makes the catch. 38-35.

JD ended the game with his interception. Llano took a knee to end the game.

One more note. On one of the Jackets’ kick offs…Edna broke open what appeared to be untouched, going for a TD. But kick off man Francisco made the TD saving tackle…again. One play can change these games.

A thought: I hope Ingram and Jarrell are proud of the Jackets. I know most all were proud of how they played so hard and good in the play offs.

We play a team we have never played before. Yoakum must be very good. They knocked off the reigning State Champion, Columbus. Coach Green told me that word around the State was that Columbus was unbeatable. Yoakum did not get the memo. Many thought Llano would never get over the hump with Edna. Having lost by four touchdowns in each of the previous play off games to the Cowboys, it looked like they had the Jackets number. Until they didn’t.

Llano played in this fifth game deep into the play offs only one other time, 2020. We played Hallettsville, and they had a player (Jonathon Brooks) that now plays his football on Sundays. The Jackets are 13-1, equaling the best record in the history of LHS. Yoakum is 12-2. Llano will not be intimidated by the Bulldogs. And when we go to Pflugerville Friday night, this team can make history.

But history can wait. Friday night is now. Llano plays a smart game, and a few fewer turnovers, they will win. They will find a way to win.

In 2020, Llano played Hallettsville on December 10th. Friday night is the 12th…the deepest in school history playing in December. Let’s play a little deeper.!

Jackets 28

Yoakum 14