The Llano Yellowjackets had a very rough opening district game Friday night in Wimberley.  The Texans opened with a 60 yard TD pass on the first play of the game, and built a 45 – 0 halftime lead.  Losing the coin flip at the beginning of the game got the Jackets off to a bad start.  Talking with a Jacket parent at halftime…we decided that from now on, if we lose the coin flip, we will ask to go for 2 out of three…the loss was bad…but now start over.

Llano can  now regroup.  A week off and three district games to go.  Lytle on October 24…travel to Hondo on Halloween, and finish with pre-District favorite Navarro on November 7.

We will talk about the Texans very little.  We can learn from it, and we can work to get better.  But no need to play it again.  Llano outscored the Texans 20-7 in the second half, but know that Wimberley took the foot off the pedal to some degree.  Still senior quarterback Holden Simpson threw 2 TD passes, one a 19 yarder to senior Lance Reven in the third quarter, and then a 56 yard heads up play to senior Kasin Riley who broke deep when Holden was running for his life. A 26 yard screen pass to senior Aaron Moss was near perfect. Reven ended the game with a 3 yard run and a TD.

Briefly, many Jackets did recover from the first play, but it was not soon enough.  Stetson Watson played well.  Still like the center position of Colin Mayne.  Junior Cody Miller from his safety position was the last defense before scores were made.  Trevor Penny and Austin Miller played hard.  And junior Wyatt Bauman had one of the best defensive plays this year in a linebacker blitz on a fourth and one play that was a two yard loss.  Dorian Green continues to have positive plays, and Stratt Stiles was much better.  There just were not enough plays made early.

The Jackets have 6 players that were starters that did not play.  Some, such as Jalen Bauman, Colton Center and freshman Ray Dixon played both ways.  Do not know if they will return.  So you play with who is healthy, and Llano can win with these players.  This point in the season, Llano must get healthy…mentally.  This is the point in the season that the seniors realize there are only three games left in their lives.  Since the 7th grade to now…all is on the line.  To make the playoffs, the Jackets must win one more game.  They should win two more for sure.  But what I see happening is Llano wins out, Wimberley losses Navarro ( Navarro has beat the Texans the last two years), and the Jackets share the District Crown.  That is what the Jackets think about this week.  Putting every ounce of energy into three more games, to make sure their original goals set in August can still be realized.  Sure, Wimberley took the wind out of our sails.  But you don’t let one half of one game be who you are.  Llano can beat Lytle in two weeks….build on that and beat Hondo in Hondo…then play for it all in November….this is when it can be fun and wash away any poor games of this season.  Win it all.

I will write again toward the end of this week…picking the score and spending this week thinking hard on everything that we as a town and players can do be  all that we can be.