The 2022 Llano Yellow Jackets 13-1 season equals the best ever in school history. No easy feat. Yet the loss to a very good Edna team will hurt for a long time.

What many fans noticed soon after the game was Llano played very good football for two quarters, outscoring the Cowboys 21-13 in the second half. One great loyal Jacket fan pointed out that “had we known” before the game that Llano would get three turnovers, we would have taken that. Had we known that against a much larger line, our offensive line would help Carson Kuykendall churn out 158 yards rushing. That Briggs Green would complete 11 of 18 passes for 133 yards, we would have been happy with those numbers. Those are winning numbers. Llano did not have a penalty in the first half. Playing smart and controlled. But getting behind 27-0 in the first half became a hill too tall.

This article for the past 50 years has one strong trait. The article after the last game, is always impossible. Even when you are 13-1. Or, think about those players in 1987…0-10. Tough thinking about the right thing to say. Because nothing really helps. No words help. But the players can be assured that Llano still loves them. That Llano knows we have the best kids…best young men…best players with the most heart of anyone. We would not trade our guys for anyone else’s guys. That Jackets are the best, and today, Monday, is a good time to be a Llano Yellow Jacket.

Over the next few weeks I will put together more musings. Such as thinking about the three shutouts by one of the best defenses to ever put on the Blank and Orange. In the modern age of football, or at least over the last 20 years, no defensive team has played like the Jacket defense. Allowing only 12 points a game in the time of offenses scoring sometimes at will. But not against Llano. Two shutouts against play off teams. Teams averaging nearly 30 points a game. I’ve mentioned that I have no category for the team interceptions. We will now. The reason is simple…hardly ever has it been significant. Well…30 is!!! That is big time…and over the next few weeks I’ll go into detail about that.

It looks like now, this 2022 Jacket offense has broke the school record on total yards. Wow…Great balance with passing and rushing. And we go back many decades before you have a team with two rushers over 1,000 yards. Senior Miguel Hernandez had a tremendous season, carrying the ball 143 times for 1,039 yards, and a 7.27 yards per carry. Carson Kuykendall had a season for the ages, getting 1,931 yards and averaging 6.93 yards per carry.

It may not mean alot today to this fantastic offensive line, but someday, it will. In 1967, Randy Scott was the Jacket senior running back. Randy was fast. But things were different. The game was slower. Some games we would not run 30 plays. Playing tight end, we all did alot of blocking. Llano got to the 9th game, before we…the line got Randy his 1,000 yards. As far as I know, Randy was only the second Yellow Jacket ever to go over 1,000 yards. George Fraser was the first. Many things I think back about with great pride. Knowing I helped Randy get 1,000 yards was special.

Second most points ever scored in a season. Missed the record by 5 points!!

Many of these seniors played on teams that went 13-1…8-3…13-1…34-5 for the three years. Best three year run ever in school history. Second place is 1995,’96,’97….28 wins. But know one has won three district championships. And no one ever had a 19 home game winning streak.

No doubt. It hurts today. But assured of this it will get better and more special for the rest of your young lives.

We will be working on the record book. And as soon as I receive the All District team, I’ll get it up for all to see. It is a great time to be a Llano Yellow Jacket.