REMEMBERING ART:

If you were watching the Jackets take the opening kick off of the season, and march 14 plays, you might have thought the season was going to be perfect. No penalties. Senior quarterback Luke Davis hits senior wide receiver Caden White for a first down and 14 yards. Then fires to senior receiver Cash Lynch for 9 more. Sophomore running back Cole Landers runs four times for 25 yards and a first down. Luke runs 6 times for 20 more yards. Senior running back Isaac Rhea gets six more yards. All behind senior blocking of Scott Henderson, Dylan Smith and Nick Light. And with a fourth down on the 13 yard line, sophomore Pablo Sapalu kicks the 23 yard field goal for a Jacket 3-0 led with 7:08 left on the clock in the first quarter. This is going to be easy!!!

Not so fast. The 4-AAAA Burnet Bulldogs and hundreds of fired up fans had other ideas.

Sapalu kicks off, the Jackets cover, and hold Burnet to 6 yards and a punt. White, sophomore Javier Aviles and senior Jaxon Cherry make the stops. And the game slows down. Llano goes three and out. Burnet fumbles at the end of the first quarter, and senior linebacker Dionicio Estrada recovers.

On the Jackets’ possession, Luke hits Landers on a 13 yard gain. But two plays later Llano fumbles. Burnet waste little time. From the Jacket 47 yard line, senior Colt McGraw goes the distance, untouched. Burnet takes a 7-3 led in the game. And more to come. Luke throws an interception in the Jackets next possession and before we know it, Burnet scores again. Now it is 10-3.

The Jackets get their game faces on. Cole runs for 14. Isaac gets 6 more. Luke finds Cash across the middle for 21 yards down to the 36 yard line. Isaac two carries and 5 yards. Luke keeps and gets 5 more in a keeper. And from the 26 yard line Luke finds Cash deep in the corner of the end zone for the TD pitch and catch. Sapalu kicks good. 10-10.

The Jacket defense holds Burnet to one first down and a punt. Senior Mario Hernandez and senior Logan Robinson on the defensive front line stop the attack. Sophomore Tanner Stone from the secondary is in on several tackles. As is Cherry and senior Evan Gomez.

Cole starts the next drive with a 16 yard run. Luke hits Cash for 30 yards. Cole for another 16 yard run behind blocks of junior Doug Burtner and junior Christian Cortez. And Luke takes it in from the one to score, with 45 seconds left in the half. Score 17-10.

Sapalu kicks off. Again McGraw takes the ball and goes 56 yards down to the Jacket 22 yard line. And on the next play he goes 22 yards to the one. Burnet scores. 17-17.

Llano comes right back. Cole and Osaac each carry twice. And then Luke runs to the corner, turns and goes 56 yards for the Llano score. 9:13 in the third quarter. 24-17 Llano

Burnet takes the ball on the 43 yard line. Tanner Stone makes a stop. And on the next play, senior Emerson Pool makes the interception near the end zone. Llano’s ball on the 6 yard line. Cole carries for 4 yards on first down. On second down Cole goes 57 yards down to the 32 yard line before he is pulled down. 6 running plays by Isaac, Luke and Cole. Luke scores standing up. Sapalu kicks. Llano ahead 31-17. After the 94 yard drive.

If Llano can hold on the next Burnet possession, we got this! And on third down sophomore Tanner Stone intercepts. Llano’s ball on the 36 yard line. Llano leds going into the fourth quarter, 31-17

For next 9 minutes, Burnet controls the game. They sack Luke for a 21 yard loss. Get the ball back, and in 7 plays score from 44 yards out on a pass play. Score 31-24.

Burnet on side kicks…and recover the ball. On the Jacket 49 yard line, run for 9 more. Then 22 more yards. Another 11 yards down to the seven. Burnet scores with 7:50 left in the game. Man-O Man….I heard that from somewhere…it’s 31-31.!

The Jackets next possession nets only 15 yards in 6 plays. Luke punts. And Burnet has the ball on the 32 yard line. On first down, Burnet gets a first down on the 48 yard line with a 16 yard run. And the Jacket defense wakes up .Cherry, Hernandez and Estrada take over. Zero yards…one yard and on fourth down and 3 to go, the defense holds. Llano takes over the ball at the 43. Luke passes to Cole for 7. Luke runs the QB draw for 15 yards. And then scrambles out a bit and finds senior Cash Lynch at the two yard line for a 30 yard gain. Luke scores standing up. 24 seconds left on the clock. Sapalu kicks. 38-31.

In a desperate attempt to come back, Burnet throws down field and senior Josiah Wood is there to stop the hope. Josiah’s first interception in his senior year. There will be others.

Over all record since 1927…Llano 41 wins…Burnet 40 wins. And the Jackets have now won 29 of the last 30 games played at Jacket Stadium.

Llano has never played Jim Ned…a great school with a great tradition. Jim Ned was 11-2 last year. They have won 62 games over the last six seasons. Jim Ned was State Champion 2020.

Travel can be a tricky thing. About a three hour bus ride to Jim Ned, just south of Abilene. “They” say home field advantage is worth 3 points. I think that is about right. Llano 35 Jim Ned 24.