The 2015 Llano Yellowjackets found success at home last Friday night beating the Bangs Dragons 41-12 while playing the first game on the new artificial turf.  The beautiful new field was just the backdrop of a Jacket team that was hitting on all cylinders…playing strong defense that held the Dragons to 98 total yards while the offense ran and passed for 395 yards.

After playing a pretty good game  last week against state ranked Wall, the Jackets came back strong Friday night.  One of the most glaring examples is the secondary players were not the leading tacklers.  But they did lead in interceptions.  One by senior linebacker Wyatt Bauman, and then senior cornerback Mat Agee early in the second quarter picked one off and went 33 yards for a Jacket score.  And all senior cornerback Cody Miller could do was pick off two passes  while making 6 tackles  in the game.  The yardage improvement this season is a difference maker.  Long plays have killed the Jackets in the past seasons.  Friday night, Bangs on first play got off a 17 yard run.  Bangs had only one more play the remainder of the game of over 10 yards.  Sound sound defense.

Can’t say enough about the aggressiveness of sophomore Ray Dixon.  14 tackles with help.  Bauman too in on 14.  Junior Blake Dillard with 10.  Brent Greenwood played a great game on both sides of the ball, and in on 12 tackles.  Really like the play of junior Kegan Greenhaw on the defensive line.  In on 10 tackles.  Gang tackeling is starting to make a difference.   Dorian Green does that.  It prevents the second effort of a running back and stops those long runs.  Great improvement by the defense.  Defense must really step up this week.  We play Brady in Brady.  They scored 41 against their chief rival Ballinger Friday night.  Good test for this defense.

The offensive line was better this week.  Junior Cameron Hall had a very good game.  As did Cameron Brumley.  Juan Mungia  had his best game, as did senior Jose Arrendondo.  Improve every game.  That is the key.  Senior Colton Center shows his experience of being a four year starter.  Dixon was great.  And ends Jason Gann and Luke Snitkin blocked with good effort out in the secondary.  Gann also caught a Casey pass .  Good to see Roberto Alcala getting better.  This junior could come on strong with more confidence.  The off-side penalties must end.  Real deal killers on any drive.  Concentrate, concentrate.

If the line is wondering about confidence, think no more.  It is showing up in the confidence of your running backs.  Running as hard as they can on the first step and then the hole opens up.  Mason Greenwood had 168 yards on 14 carries.  Brent and 4 carries, William Oliver, Hunter Roemer, John Heflin, Dorian Green, Sterling Rogers, and Christian Rodriquez all showed they have talent carrying the football.  Good depth at running back.  And who would have thought that the longest run of the season comes from senior quarterback Wyatt Casey ?  Made an 82 yard TD run look easy.  Outran everyone.

Back in the old days, Brady was the Jackets oldest and most hated rival.  And it was mutual.  Brady had no use for Llano.  Last season Brady beat Llano in Llano 20-17.  Really was a season changer.  Llano never recovered from the very close loss.  The Jackets success in Brady over the years has been a bright star.  Seems even old rivals keep being passed down.  Nothing could help Llano get that bit of extra confidence needed to go forward than beating Brady in Brady.  For many of us old timers sitting in the stands nothing is more important.  Nothing.  Llano needs this win very badly.  That extra effort on every single play could be the one play that counts.  Llano 17   Brady 12.