THe Liberty Hill Panthers more than showed they were a top 20 team in 3-AAA Texas High School football.  And Llano played very good football for two quarters.  After that, it was all Panthers.

   I have the hardest time understanding the numbers game.  How can a school continue to win year after year and run the same offense, and never try to trick anyone?  It is getting easier.  Liberty Hill plays in a new Stadium built for a 5-AAAAA school.  They have about 30 more boys to choose from out of each class to play football.  They win.  Move-ins are a big factor.  Parents want their kids to play on winning teams.  It has all worked for the Panthers.  The only 3-AAA school in the Austin area.  This combination has made it tough on a school like Llano.  Less than 500 in high school.  Our district foes average near 900.  What do I not understand.?

   Llano played hard.  But it was quality depth that won the day.  Llano has one experienced running back.  Liberty Hill had 5.  And Llano matched the Panthers point for point until the final drive of the first half, which ended at 21-14.  It looked good at the half way  point.

   Senior quarterback Layton Rabb was back, completing passes to senior Issac Hutto(5 catches- 74 Yards), Chance Ware (4 catches 46 yards) and Jalen Bauman (5 catches-24 Yards), Carter Tasch ( 2 catches- 11 yards) and Kralen Dickerson- one catch and five yards.  But it was not enough.  Tatsch had 44 yards rushing, while Layton had 64 yards on 11 tries.

   All in all, a good effort, but Llano seemed to die in the second half.  That cannot happen this week.  Llano must go back to being LLano.  Seniors are responsible for this. And Llano has 22 seniors.  Leadership shows up in tough times.  The Jackets must realize now is the time.  You have only four more games left in your football careers.  Four weeks, and it is all over.  Make it count seniors.

   The University of Texas was dead meat only 5 days ago.  But the senior offensive lineman made a tough stance.  No body was going to push them around anymore.  It was a mental decision.  They did not get bigger, or faster.  They got tougher from the shoulder pads up.  They were not going to take it anymore.  They fired out into the mouths of defensive players.  They drove and got secondary blocks.  The offensive lineman did this.  In the span of  one game, Texas had a running game.  No longer were backs tackled in the back field.  No longer were passes batted down at the line of scrimmage.   And Texas became the team it was imagined it could be.

   Llano seniors, and specifically, lineman, blockers, backs, all must step up against Lanpasas.  Llano must take responsibility for their play.  Llano can beat the Badgers.  BUt only when they decide that they are not going to take it anymore.  Don’t take it from Lampasas.

Give it to them.  Llano by 19.