2-0 Jackets Rest in Bye Week

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Mike Virdell

With the 53-0 win Friday night in Lulling, the Yellow Jackets take this week off. Again, Llano went unchallenged against the Lulling Eagles for the second week in a row. The offense came prepared, the defense had its second shutout in three games, and all seems perfect in Jacket Nation. But Jacket fans know how quickly things can change.

Llano prepares for Randolph in 10 days. Follow that up with the Marion game at Marion. And the team that has most surprised, the final game of the regular season will be with Ingram.

Ingram is tied with the Jackets in first place in district play, along with Marion. All three are tied with a 2-0 district records. Ingram has a 4-3 season record and Marion is now 5-2. Last year Llano beat both teams by one score. These were not easy games. And one to remember…Llano beat Randolph last year only because the Jacket defense held the Ro Hawks out of the end zone when they went for two points and the win when they scored and came within 2 points of beating Llano. The Jackets are 24-3 in District play over the past six seasons. The Jackets are going for their 5th District title over the past six seasons. Never has happened in school history.

The Jackets again held a team to less than 100 yards of offense, and in this game, less than 50 yards. Jose Sillas had another interception. Luke Davis threw for three more touchdowns. Cash Lynch, Konrad Zwicke, and Graham Prokop caught the TD passes. The running game was crisp and without turnovers. Jose, senior Brayton Shaw, Brady Kelly, George Gallucci, and Josiah Wood all ran hard and make for a tough out for anyone on defense. Cody Greenwood had a fumble recovery in the first quarter and Llano turned that into a quick TD.

Jackets making plays on defense were seniors Isaiah Aguilar, JD Friday, Austin Humphries, Grayson Lille, James Greenwood, and Gavin Hays. Players on offense doing their jobs included Hayden Bigger, Cason Stephenson, Ethan Griego, Zach Driskel, William Foley and Niko Arms. Special team players showing lots of hustle were Hays, Cody Greenwood and River Thomison. No one took the week off.

The Jackets have to work harder now. The reason is the work load the last two weeks has been light. And while Randolph appears to not be the Randolph of past years, don’t let that fool you. The Ro Hawks are a good football team. And they would love to beat the Jackets in Llano…just as the Jackets beat them last season in front of their home crowd. Randolph was a 10-3 football team last year. Players and fans alike….should not take Randolph lightly.

The best thing that happened to Llano in the month of October is alot of players got in some good playing time. Players like junior Evan Gomez lining up on both sides of the ball. Junior Emerson Pool. Junior Caden White. Junior Scott Henderson. Junior lineman Camren Smith. Junior Jason Cherry is seeing alot of playing time…so valuable to this team. Lineman Xander Cruz and junior Cooper Scott played nearly three quarters. The Coaches know they can send any of these guys into the game at any time, and get good sound performances.

And we also learn that returning to the starting lineup next week will be Head Coach Matt Green. Green was out for two weeks with an emergency procedure, but has healed. And best part of his absence was he was able to listen for the first time to ART and LANCE and EVAN on the radio.

Next week we’ll follow up with this Friday night games and get ready for Randolph.

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Caution Abounds- Jackets 1-0 District

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The contest aganst Florence Friday should give caution to Jacket Nation. The 58-0 halftime lead did not reflect the real score. Our guest for Llano’s Homecoming were a woeful team. Their first two possessions had fumbles, and their first quarter netted 22 yards on 13 plays. Llano played solid football against a much weaker team. But small mistakes loom. 4 penalties in the first half…not good.

The Jackets had a torrid first quarter. 101 yards passing by junior quarterback Luke Davis connecting on 3 of 4 passes. Senior tight end Konrad Zwicke hauled in the first pass for 20 yards and the Jackets first score. Senior running back Brayton Shaw snatched the second completion and went 60 yards for the TD. And with Luke’s third completion, he hit senior Graham Prokop for 21 yards down to the Buffaloe’s 39 yard line. Luke then took it the remainder of the way on the next play, and a Jacket 20-0 lead . Llano ran the ball four times in the first quarter. Senior Jose Sillas on the first play from scrimmage had a 33 yard run. He followed that up with an 18 yard run. And on his third carry of the quarter, ran for 19 yards and the TD. 70 yards on three carries for Jose.

The Jackets came to play and to hit. Defensively Jackets that stood out were senior Grayson Lille at safety. JD Friday had his usual solid game at safety. Senior Austin Humphries was oustanding.

In the first quarter, Austin fielded two punts. He ran both back for touchdowns. Both were called back. Maybe a record!..Junior Mario Hernandez in the middle of the defensive line has been outstanding all year. Junior Cole Kennedy is a menace at defensive end. And defensive lineman junior Nick Light continues to improve. Really solid. Junior Kincade Rodriguez got valuable time in the game. Love the play of our linebackers. Senior Isaiah Aguilar, junior Cody Greenwood and senior Niko Arms, junior Evan Gomez and for the first time this year, we got to see senior linebacker Gavin Hayes. Gavin, returning from an injury, comes at a great time

Junior Jason Cherry is starting to make plays on defense. Junior Scott Henderson and senior James Greenwood were in on stops. Junior Logan Robinson has been consistent all year. All making this defense strong and ready for more stronger test in just a few weeks.

Luke completed two passes in the second quarter. A 57 yard TD pass to junior Cash Lynch, and a 55 yard TD pass to Austin Humphries. Seems like his name has come up sometime before! But at the end of the second quarter, and the entire second half, Llano did not throw another pass. Senior running back River Thomison had five carries for about 35 yards. Senior William Foley had five carries for about 25 yards. Senior George Gallucci had 7 carries and three first downs. Senior Grayson Lille had a five yard TD run at quarterback. And kicker senior Francisco Parravano kicked 7 of 7 extra points.

Extra effort…River…Brayton…Isaiah…George…Jason…Kaden Cruz…William…Josiah Wood…Caden White had an interception…all came to play in the Jackets first district game. All special effort…even in the kicking game and coverage.

Senior Brady Kelly blocks very good when he does not have the ball. So does senior Emerson Pool. Senior Lane Weston had a good night blocking. Greenwood, Light, Zach Driscal, Hayden Bigger and Cooper Scott all got in valuable playing time. The line, lead by Cason Stephenson , Dylan Smith and Xander Cruz are getting our running game going. And the return of Ethan Griego is big….

Llano has another text this week. Lulling will be stronger than Florence. But maybe not by alot. The Jackets must stay focused. And it is hard to do. While Llano can have fun this week, but the eye cannot be taken off the ball. Those penalties…come on guys….think…most players know the front of a helmet from the back. Those will be hard penalties against Randolph and Marion. This game is where you get better. The BYE week comes next…then the meat of the DISTRICT schedule. Getting better every week….this week included is the path to your goals.

Might be of some interest. The Jackets five non-district opponents…Lytle, Comanche, Jarrell, Comfort and Marble Falls…are a combined 20-8 right now. I still expect Jarrell to win their 4-AAAA district. And Lytle, Comanche and Comfort should all make the playoffs.

The Jackets are 5-1. And playing good football. Let’s start playing great football.

Llano 64 Lulling 12

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4-1 Jackets Prepare for District Play

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The 41-0 win against Comfort last Friday night had to be rewarding to the Jackets in the light of playing much better against a slot t offense, and the fact that the Jacket offense was humming. The Jackets put together another slow start, but hard to complain as the score was 20-0 at half time and finished with 41 points. The Jackets have averaged 47.4 points per game, while giving up 17.6 points per game.

In comparison, last season the Jackets defense gave up 16.8 points per game in the first five games, while the offense averaged 29.2 points per game. And on this subject, great to see Comanche, Lytle, and Jarrell all winning this past Friday. I really expect Jarrell to win their 4-AAAA District. And that means beating both Wimberley and Navarro. 4-AAAA power houses over the years.

The Jackets’ first drive was 10 plays and resulted in a Jose Sillas punt. Comforts’ first three plays ended in a minus 13 yards and a punt. Linebacker Niko Arms had one of his best games. Safety Grayson Lille was in top form, making tackle after tackle. And the night saw three Jacket interceptions. Seniors Brady Kelly and JD Friday each took one out of the air from Comfort, and Jose had one in the second quarter and took it to the house from over 50 yards out. This was Jose’s second returned interception for a TD this season.

Comfort too ran the slot t offense. It is 3 yards and a cloud of dust. No mistake, this was not Jarrell. But Llano handled it much better. The Jacket defense forced the first five running plays of the Bobcats to loss yardage, and Llano did not give up a completed pass until deep into the second quarter. Junior Cole Kennedy may have had his best game. Was all over the field. Junior Mario Hernandez had several stops for losses. And Logan Robinson, a junior continues to get better. Junior Josh Wood is a player…play after play. Junior linebacker Cody Greenwood made life unpleasant for Comfort and had several key stops. And I continued to write down # 25. Senior Isaiah Aguillar…great night against Comfort.

The Jackets effort was tops. On special teams I see Grayson going down hard to cover kicks. And kicker Francisco Parravano made the tackle of the night in the stop of a kick off that looked like the Comfort returner was going all the way…but with a great open field tackle, Francisco made the stop. Senior linebacker William Foley made the tackle on a kick off and senior Graham Prokop hustled his way down field to make several stops. This kind of hustle makes winning teams.

Junior quarterback Luke Davis had 13 completions to 8 different receivers. Cash Lynch stretched the field with a run and catch for 72 yards and a touchdown. Senior tight end Konrad Zwicke had four catches for 63yards and a TD. Austin Humphries had two catches for 62 yards and two TDs’. Please correct me…but without review, I think Luke has 18 TD passes thru five games. Graham, Jose, Brady, Brayton Shaw and junior Caden White also had catches Friday night. Folks…that is spreading the ball around.

Blocking has improved every week…yes even against Jarrell. See junior Emerson Pool downfield blocking. River Thomison protects well when Luke drops back to pass. Jason Cherry and Konrad at tight end do a good job. And thinking Zach Driscal and Cason Stephenson are really good on the offensive line. Junior Scott Henderson and senior James Greenwood are ones making this offense work.

Now the games start that count. We are not tricking anyone in saying Florence is a great football team. But as we should remember, last year they played hard the first half on their home field. They will play hard against the Jackets this Friday night, Llano’s HOMECOMING GAME. But the only way the Jackets can realize their goals this year…is to get better every week…even against teams that we are much better…work on no penalties…no turnovers…perfect routes, quicker releases…snappier passes…all goes into getting better. The Jackets know that this team…could be special…but only as they continue to improve. Because we know…Llano will play teams that are more talented and more athletic. You beat those teams by being smart and playing perfect football…the goal of the 2025 Jackets.

Llano 63- Florence 0

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Jarrell…Just Very Good…Jackets 3-1

Posted on September 23, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The Llano Yellow Jackets played one of their toughest games last Friday night in Jarrell and experienced their first loss of this young season. 4-AAAA Jarrell was waiting. In the four games that the two teams have met, Llano took the first three beginning in 2022. In each game the Cougars were competitive, and as the years passed, you could see they were getting better. The Cougars hired a new Coach (Alan Haire) last season, and he brought with him the “Slot T” offense. With the skill set of the Cougar players, and having nearly twice the enrollment of Llano, it was only a matter of time. That time came last Friday night in a 40- 29 win for the home team.

The Jackets started strong. Taking the opening kick off, Llano marched 11 plays down to the 18 yard line before running out of downs. Junior Quarterback Luke Davis completed 6 of 8 passes, running back senior Brayton Shaw added 6 yards rushing and saw 4 first downs. The confident Jackets looked like the number 2 team in the State, according to Dave Campbells Texas Football poll. Llano was ranked # 12 in the Harris Ratings.

The Jackets traded punts with the Cougars and on the Llano third possession of the first quarter, senior Jose Sillas scored standing up. Senior Francisco Parravano kicked true. 7-0 Llano. Llano had 81 yards of offense…the Cougars 37.

JD Friday kept Llano ahead in the game for the second quarter. The Cougars scored with 11:10 in the second quarter. But JD blocked the extra point. I should know how many extra points and field goals he has blocked in his career, but I don’t. But… it is often. 7-6 Llano.

Luke hits Cash Lynch for 15 yards and a first down. Shaw for 2. Another 17 yard strike to Cash from Luke. 10 yards by Jose. 15 yards more by Jose. And the final 2 by Jose. Luke runs for the 2 points. 15-6 Llano. Llano onside kicks…and JD recovers. Llano ball.

We have woken a big giant. An interception sets the Cougars up on the 49 yard line. Slot T in gear…five plays and Jarrell scores. Score now 15-13 Llano.

Senior Grayson Lille fields the kick off and gains 18 yards up to the 33 yard line. Luke completes four of 5 passes. Two more to Cash for 17 yards. Senior Graham Prokop for 15 yards and a first down. Third down and 15 to go. Luke finds Jose and he takes it to the house for the final 35 yards. Llano leads 22-13 going into half-time. Llano had 132 yards of offense in the second quarter. Jarrell had 113 yards.

Jarrell took the kick off and scored on 6 plays. All running plays. Mario Hernandez had a great game on the defensive line. JD from his secondary position was in on multiple tackles. As was Grayson and senior Austin Humphries. But the grinding down by Jarrell was beginning to show. At this point, Jarrell has thrown only one pass. The score going into the final quarter is 22-19.

The fourth quarter was very odd. Three possessions by the Jackets…ran the ball three times for 2 yards. Luke passed 11 times for 82 yards on 5 completions. The longest to senior Brady Kelly for 20 yards.

Jarrell on the other hand had the ball three possessions…and three touchdowns. Ran the ball for 78 yards on 15 plays. One pass. Final score 40-29.

The Good: Senior tight end Konrad Zwicke had two catches for 53 yards. Can be a bull. Hope Luke can find Konrad more in the future. Jose is playing both ways. He was pooped in fourth quarter. Shaw has shown he can carry more of the load. Cody Greenwood at linebacker and Caden White had good games. Junior Logan Robinson played strong. And seeing more of Niko Arms on defense. Great effort.

And what a weapon we have found in senior Francisco Parravano. His on -side kicks are perfect. Bounce…bounce…bounces high and Llano recovers. The Jackets got two and nearly had the third. We may be doing that every game….certainly no surprise…but perfect bounces makes it anyone’s ball.

Llano didn’t have anyone play bad Friday night. I really think we played a better team, and their running game was bruttle. The Jackets face the slot t at least two more times this season. Maybe three. This test will make Llano better in the games ahead. We will not play a better team in the regular season this year. We are in the same spot now as we were this time last season. The Jackets upped our game then. We will do so this year too.

Llano travels for the third week in a row, this time to Comfort. This is where the Jackets get serious about improvement…getting better each week….working extra hard in practice….making every snap count. The Jackets will be heavy favorites the rest of the regular season. That cannot be reason to rest. For the Jackets to realize that dream season, every game is played one at a time, and every game is big. Getting sloppy…penalties…turnovers will kill those dreams. This is when seniors realize this is it. Leadership becomes paramount. Coaches can coach. But the players have to make it come true.

Llano 56 Comfort 12

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3-0 Jackets Romp On Mustangs

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The 2025 Llano Yellow Jackets raced to a 3-0 record here in the early part of season by winning 50-18 over our close neighbors, Marble Falls. The first out of town game was one of three Llano faces in a row. Marble Falls falls to 0-3 for the season.

For the second week in a row the Jackets fell behind on the score board in the first quarter, and for the second week in a row, it was not until the second quarter that Llano was able to take the lead. The Jackets 22 points in the second quarter furled Llano on to a 21 point third quarter and the Jackets won…going away.

Llano had four rushers that combined to run up 135 yards on the ground. Senior Jose Sillas had 14 carries and 48 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Brayton Shaw had 5 carries and 44 yards, followed by senior River Thomison with 4 carries and 29 yards.

But the offense this week came off the arm of junior quarterback Luke Davis. Luke’s 359 passing yards made the record book, as did the 212 yards receiving by junior Cash Lynch, along with two catches for TDs. Shaw, Graham Prokop, Josiah Wood, Austin Humphries all had catches. Brady Kelly had three catches and 65 yards with a TD catch, and senior Konrad Zwicke had a 34 yard TD catch. Luke now has 14 TD passes in the first three games this season. That’s some pass protection on that offensive line.

The numbers have looked great up to this point in our young season. No one can tell if we have played a good team yet. Lytle has won a game since we played them in the opener, and Comanche won this past weekend. Still, no real yard stick. That changes this week

One veteran observer of the Yellow Jacket program said before the season began that the team to watch is Jarrell…they are 4-AAAA, and in one of the toughest Districts in the State. The Cougars were 6-4 last season, and that is not bad when you play Wimberley, Lago Vista and Geronimo Navarro every year. Their fourth loss last year was to the Jackets. A slow start is not advised. Jarrell lead Llano at halftime last year. Remember, Llano only won that context by one score, and we were playing them in Jacket Stadium. This game will be a yard stick.

The running game of the Cougars will be brutal. Their best running back, Jaysen Hobbs weighs in at 190 pounds is starting his third season. Their defense was remarkable improved last year with a new Coach. Expect more improvement this week.

Llano gets down to the hard stuff this week. It is like the Cougars are waiting for their chance to redeem themselves after three straight losses to the Jackets. The Jacket defense will have their hardest test…keeping the Cougars under 21 points, and Llano will win.

Llano 35 Jarrell 20

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Jackets Beat Comanche Soundly

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The concern that Llano could be facing a Comanche Indian team that resembled the 2024 version was put to rest Friday night with a 62-23 win at Jacket Stadium. The Jackets actually did not take the lead in the game until 4:19 was left in the first half. But after that point, the game was all Llano. 6 TD passes, three running TDs, Two Yellow Jacket interceptions and a defense that held Comanche to 62 yards in the second half, not counting the Indians final drive.

Comanche scored first with a 50 yard TD pass with 7:43 in the first quarter. The Jackets responded. A running game that featured quarterback Luke Davis with 2 carries and 22 yards. Senior Brayton Shaw had two carries for 9 yards. Luke completed a pass for 8 yards to Shaw. And Senior Jose Sillas had 4 carries for 10 yards and the Jackets first score…but the extra point was missed and Comanche still lead 7-6.

Comanche came right back and had an 8 play drive for a quick score. Players on defense seemed to be just getting warmed up. Niko Arms had his best game as a Yellow Jacket. Isaiah Aguilar had a very good game at linebacker. The defensive line of Cole Kennedy, Mario Hernandez, Nick Light, and junior Logan Robinson were at their best. Really started to take control of the line in the second quarter. And into the third quarter just had the upper hand and were tiring out the Indians. This allowed our linebackers to make plays.

If our secondary continues to improve, it could be legendary. While not a good thing when your secondary is making so many tackles… they do make a lot of tackles! Senior Austin Humphries leads this group. At one place in the game I had Austin making 3 out of 4 tackles on the four plays. Senior Grayson Lille, Nico, junior Josiah Wood, junior Emerson Pool, junior Caden White and the hard hitting senior JD Friday. These guys are quick and not afraid to come up hard and fast. Could develop into a really strong group. White and Austin had interceptions Friday night.

Llano’s blend of passing and running has worked well so far this season. I had Llano passing on 22 downs, and running 38 times. Over 500 yards of offense. Luke had five TD passes. Graham Prokop caught one from Luke and one from senior Grayson Lille. Junior Cash Lynch caught one from Luke, giving him 4 TD catches for the young season. And senior Brady Kelly had his own record tying game. His three TD catches ties the school record. The receiving core of Case, Graham and now Brady really makes it hard for opponents to cover these three players. All have the ability to score from anywhere on the field. Luke has lots of options. And with Brayton and Jose being very good at pass catching coming out of the back field….Llano is starting to get an identity.

The Jackets have 25 seniors on this team. All are contributing. Players getting their shots include Jason Cherry at linebacker. Haydin Bigger is playing well. And lineman Cooper Scott and Xander Cruz are adding great depth at offensive line positions. Getting better every week is the key. Not just going thru the motions. Working hard…getting better. You have to know that Marion and Ingram are working hard. And know Goliad and Edna can be on the horizon. They are not sitting still.

Marble Falls does not seem to have a very good football team. But bet all you can…they will play Llano its hardest. Families, friends, and foes alike are in Marble Falls. The Jackets need to make this game a disciplined outing. Penalties…turnovers…crisp tackles…a work in progress. Being 3-0 is special. Because it only gets tougher. Three weeks of out of town games….Llano gets better.

Llano 49 Marble Falls 7

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Jackets Pound Pirates 55-14 In Opener

Posted on September 2, 2025 by Mike Virdell

If there was any question about the Llano Yellowjackets being “ready” for the season opener last Friday night…put that aside. The 55-14 score did not tell the entire story. They broke and tied records, had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries…and lots of Jackets got to play.

Junior Luke Davis, starting his 20th game as starting quarterback broke for 30 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Luke threw to junior Cash Lynch, one of his 6 receptions of the night. Lytle then had the football…and senior JD Friday intercepted and got the Jackets back to the 48 yard line.

Senior Jose Sillas ran for 26 yards. Austin Humphries picked up 6. Sillas again for 6. Luke for 9 more. And then Luke in for the TD. Senior Francisco Parravano kicked the extra point, the first of 7 extra points for Francisco.

The Jacket defense held Lytle to minus 6 yards on their next possession. Senior Grayson Lille from his safety position lead the defense. Junior Nick Light in the line made a stop for a loss. And Lytle punted. Lytle would punt five times in the game. And with the five turnovers, there was little room for the Pirates to show much offense. The Jacket defensive line with junior Cole Kennedy, Scott Henderson, Logan Robinson, and junior Mario Hernandez along with Light were outstanding. Playing a three man front against 5 blockers all night long, and our three outplayed their five play after play.

After the Lytle punt, Brayton Shaw ran for three. Luke picked up 14 more. A pass to senior tight end Konrad Zwicke for 7 more down to the 10 yard line. Luke then hit Cash and the TD….Cash caught 3 TD passes from Luke to tie the school record for TD catches in a game. Something of note: Jackson Dillard in 2022 against Burnet…Case Kuykendall in 2019, Ned Butler in 1976 against San Saba, Larry Clutter in the 1970s’, Issac Hutto in about 2012, and Michael White, Johnny Baskin and Ryan Willmann…all had three TD catches. Pretty elite company.

Junior Emerson Pool picked off the next Lytle pass. And it set up the Jackets on the 44 yard line. Senior Brayton Shaw ran for 12 yards and a first down. Brayton would finish the night with 7 carries and 99 yards, the best game of his career. Luke dropped back and hit senior Graham Prokop for the TD. Fran kicked good.

The Jacket defense held again. JD had a strong stop. Jose was in on several stops from his linebacker position. And Austin Humphries has deadly at the corner back position. It took Llano four plays to score. Brayton had two runs for 31 yards. Jose had his best run of 31 yards. And Luke found Graham for the TD pass and catch of 9 yards. The score was 28-7 with 10:07 in the second quarter.

Again…Three plays and a punt….Grayson and junior Cody Greenwood made the stops. Senior Niko Arms at cornerback played great. As did junior Jason Cherry. This defense is coming together.

Llano was not finished. Next series….Brayton for 30 yards on three carries. A 22 yard pass to Cash. and final 29 yards to Cash for the TD…# 3.

The Jackets got a lot of practice in on Kick offs. Isaiah Aguilar was the most aggressive getting down field to cover. Great effort….but senior River Thomison too was remarkable covering….And junior Eva Gomez….and junior Josiah Wood….with effort like these players put in on special teams…Llano is not going to be out hustled this year…great effort by all.

Lytle had a 7 play drive working at the end of the first half. Greenwood, Pool, Austin, Grayson, Kennedy, Cherry, JD, Josiah, and Mario were fighting strong as the clock wound down…and the fumble…and Jose runs in..scoops it up and in for the TD…41-7 halftime.

But… for one game… found a running attack. Earlier this month I mentioned that Llano needed to find our next “Mote”. Last season he was sitting on the bench when Brayton got the season ending injury. Mote comes in and runs for over 1,600 yards. Between Brayton, Jose, senior Brady Kelly, and Isaiah, Llano has a running attack…Oh, yea…This guy River Thomison….had 7 carries and 73 yards….all ran great…..maybe a committee….Quarterbacks Luke and Grayson had another 50 yards rushing. Total of 309 yards rushing…9.1 yards per carry.

Llano will need all of those yards this Friday night. Comanche beat Llano last season…soundly. They are in one of the toughest District 3AAA in the state…with Jim Ned and Sweetwater. They return 9 offensive players and 8 defensive players from last year. They believe they are loaded. They are not afraid of the Jackets. Comanche is not Lytle.

Llano waited last year til after the Comanche game to understand that getting better meant getting better every week….practice was the key…getting better….needs to start this year before the Comanche game.

Two last notes….The Jacket offense had 489 yards last Friday night. 489 yards will be hard to duplicate every week. You’ve read the star players names from last week…but always remember…those guys down there in the dirt and mud make things work. They have few statsisics…But Luke had time the throw,,,Brayton and Jose and River had blockers…..it is hard to notice these guys but I will try to get there names in the articles as we go along….but when you have 489 yards of offense…centers, guards, tackles and tight ends are blocking….seniors James Greenwood, Ethan Griego, Zach Driskel, Cason Stephenson, Xander Cruz, Cooper Scott, Lane Wesson, Hayden Bigger, Konrad…Juniors Cherry, Mario Hernandez, Scott Henderson, Dylan Smith, Cameron Smith, and Nick Light….these were the studs last Friday night.

A moment to reflect. When I started writing Play To Win in 1973, Ken Gray was the Head Coach…his first year as head coach. John Baskin had been the head coach at San Saba. Three years before Baskin had taken the Armadillos to the State Quarterfinals. Two years later, the brillant school board of San Saba fired Baskin. Baskin’s college roommate at Howard Payne University was Ken Gray. Gray hired John as his offensive coordinator for the start of the 1973 season. Llano went to the quarterfinals that year.

In three years that Gray was head coach, Llano won district two years, and lost only one district game. Ken Gray then took the offensive line coaching job with the Cincinnati Bengals. John Baskin was hired as the new head coach for Llano.

John coached in Llano 8 seasons. He had a 48-22 record with a 68% winning percentage. Second all time only to our present Head Coach, Matt Green. John won the district championship in 1976, and took the Jackets to play offs in 1981. He was fired after the 1983 season. He continued to coach until he retired. He Coached mainly in the San Antonio area. His son “Johnny B” as most of us knew him, recently retired from coaching. ‘Johnny B is in the LHS Hall of Fame, one of the greatest recievers of all time, and a State Champion in the 800 meters in track.

Coach John Baskin passed away this past weekend. He was a wonderful Coach. Added so much to the legacy of being a Yellow Jacket. He will be missed…and remembered.

Llano 35 Comanche 28

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Jackets Open With Lytle Pirates

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The season is here! The long wait since the early days of last December is over. Llano opens the season in August for the second year in a row. Last year Llano traveled to Lytle. This year the Pirates visit Jacket Stadium with kick off at 7 PM Friday night.

The hopes are high in Jacket land. Plenty of starters return from last seasons 12-2 season. Lineman may lead the way. On offense look for 6 feet 2, 240 pound Cason Stephenson. Zach Driskel and James Greenwood are starters from last season. Senior Cooper Scott at 264 pounds will see action. A solid Ethen Griego returns. On defense we will be looking forward to New Comer of the Year last season was Cole Kennedy at defensive end. Cody Greenwood returns as does junior Mario Hernandez who was a solid nose guard last year. Scott Henderson, Lane Wesson, Hayden Bigger, will be playing lots of snaps on both offense and defense. Logan Robinson, Nick Light and Cameron Smith will be fighting for playing time, all juniors. I really expect the lineman on both sides of the ball to take the lead for the Jackets early in the season.

While the skill positions are strong now, expect new faces here and there. Certainly Llano’s Konrad Zwicke won’t be missed. The 245 pound All District tight end is just as good of a blocker as he is a receiver. Wide receivers Cash Lynch and Graham Prokop are proven players with speed. Where there may be question marks is at running back.

Few players are tougher than Jose Sillas, who is a standout on both sides of the line. Expect him to get lots of carries this season. And players with speed and moves fight over more playing time. Senior Brady Kelly, senior Brayton Shaw, senior Niko Arms, senior River Thomison, senior Isaiah Aguilar, and senior Austin Humphries all could try to replace the 1,600 rushing yards that Trey Mote churned out last season. James Greenwood who had about 300 yards last season may get the most looks early.

Expect the secondary to be good. Returning starters Humphries, JD Friday, and Nico to play alot. Newcomers Grayson Lille and Josiah Wood played great in the Brady scrimmage at the safety position. Look for Emerson Pool and Diego Flores to see time.

Returning junior quarterback Luke Davis has 19 starts at quarterback. Senior Grayson Lille has impressed in practice and scrimmages, especially with long passes. Expect both to see the field Friday night against Lytle.

This, like last year…will take a few quarters to find out who they are. The expectations are as high as they have ever been. But expectations don’t win games. The 2025 Yellow Jackets will have their own personalities. Players knowing what they can do, and knowing what the player next to them can do. It is going to be a fun season. Lytle will be coming to Llano to prove last season was a fluke. The Jackets will have to prove to themselves, last season was not an accident. It was what was expected.

Llano 35 Lytle 14

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Jackets Getting Ready for 2025

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The 2025 season kicks off in 10 days. And many of us have been waiting for about 250 days. The Jackets have taken two paths over the past twelve months. This time last year there were so many questions.

Having a 5-5 season in 2023 was a kick in the pants with so many players. Not even making the playoffs. Something that had seemed so automatic. 2020, 2021, and 2023 the Jackets won every district game, and went a combined 33-5. So with the 5-5 season in the rear view mirror, what could 2024 produce?

We questioned the quarterback position. Luke Davis started five games as a freshman. Injuries put so many questions in front of the Coaches. How could the Jackets rebound. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine had Randolph winning the District this time last year as well as being highly ranked. To be honest, the complete unknown was worrisome.

The first game last August with Lytle and they were picked to win. The Pirates had all their skill players returning. Quarterback, receivers and running backs. I really knew this was going to be a true test for our young and in some positions, inexperienced players. Could we get going fast enough to stay up with Lytle? I had real concerns.

The 12-2 Jackets were a surprise to many…maybe not the players and coaches..but to many. The Jackets again sweep the 13-3AAA District. Beat Randolph on their field with last second defense that left some of us in disbelief. The “come down to earth game” was when the Comanche Indians beat the Jackets in Comanche by two scores. Maybe the best loss Llano has had in years. The Jackets never looked back after that loss.

This season is completely different. Dave Campbell thinks Llano will win our District. He thinks we should start the season rated # 8. Highest ranking in the history of LHS. He thinks Luke is fine, and the Jackets will have a 2020 like season. This again is where the worrisome part begins.

You never can figure out 15 to 18 year old kids. Did they read Texas Football and believe it, or did they put it down and remember only hard work, continually making practice as important as games can only make predictions come true.

The Jackets can be special. But special only comes when the season is over. Think for a second when Lytle comes to Llano next Friday night they won’t be thinking revenge. Think for a second Comanche is intimidated by Llano? Do you ever wonder how Randolph is thinking in regards to the Jackets? Marion is picked second this year. Sure hope they aren’t imagining an upset of the Jackets. And Goliad!! Think for a moment a few of their players have laid awake at night…thinking about the Jackets. This season could be special. But there are many hard hard days ahead for Llano. Being high up the ladder sure gives lots a folks a clear shot at you. Llano needs to make sure it is ready for the adversity that comes with being so fell thought of.

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Slipping Up on 2025 Not Possible

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Mike Virdell

The 2025 Llano Yellow Jackets enter into the season as heavy favorites in District 13- 3AAA, and expectations of driving deep into the State Play-offs makes for one more hurdle to breeze over.

The Jackets could say that 2024 was a dream season. Not picked to win the district, or ranked anywhere to be seen at this time last season. Running back was a question mark. The concern that sophomore quarterback Luke Davis could carry the offense. And who was on that offensive line?

For Llano to overcome 7 come from behind wins was one thing. But to sweep the district was another. And to go 12-2, matching the second most wins in school history. This all based on low expectations by all publications. The ones that did not read the reviews were the Yellow Jackets themselves and a Coaching staff that keeps players grounded and focused.

2025 will be different. Will another Trey Mote step up and rush for over 1,652 yards and have the 6th best single season rushing season? Would be a miracle. But we have been blessed over the past 8 seasons that Head Coach Matt Green has been in Llano. Most wins, most district championships, best winning percentage….and the offense has buzzed along with three quarterbacks making all-state. Offensive coordinator Ryan Priem has too been there with Coach Green for all 8 seasons.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine out in early July each year. It ranks every high school, from #1 to over 1,000 schools. It takes the last six years and and puts the numbers to several categories. Over the past 6 seasons, Llano is ranked # 9 in Class 3AAA, Division 1.

One category that caught my eye. DCTF magazine ranked the best records of schools with winning one score games. Llano was # 3 in the entire State with 6 wins in 2023 and 2024. Only State Champions North Crowley and Coppell ranked # 1 and # 2. Pretty nice company.

Next week we will start looking at our Jackets. A schedule that could have some pitfalls. Players that must step up. And misfortunes that must be over come.

At the end of last season I mentioned some of the greatest games of ALL TIME. I’ve never experienced anything like the Llano- Goliad game in the Regional Final game this past season. But other games to be included are the following. Also, please send me your thoughts. But here are a few that go down as some of the best ever. Llano beat #2 ranked Bastrop in Bi District 7-0 in 1973. In 1976, Llano lost to eventual State Champion Rockdale 10-9 in the final seconds of the game. The 2012 Salado game. The 2020 San Saba game in which Llano scored 2 touchdowns in the last two minutes to win 35-31. And seniors on this years team should remember the 2023 Austin Crockett game that Llano won in the last minute when RJ Coplin ran back a kick off to win. Jacket senior linebacker Jose Sillas, then a sophomore, threw the block that allowed RJ to score.

Momory makers all. I can’t wait …2025 season is here.

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