Play to Win

The offensive woes of the Llano Yellowjacket offense continued Friday night in Fredericksburg as the final score of 30-0 indicate.

Certainly not to be forgotten in all of this is the Jackets strongest weapon, Jalen Bauman went out in the first Jacket series in what appeared to be a bad leg injury.  He did not go back on the field, and perhaps took with him piece of the offense that this night was not able to replace.

Llano worked hard at throwing the ball.  I had senior quarterback Holden Simpson 6 of 7 the first half, but only 46 yards.  The second half 3 of 13 and 14 yards was not enough to get the offense even close to a score.  Two interceptions in the third quarter also was a deal killer.

While like other fans, I get frustrated with Holden, or senior running back Aaron Moss and Trevor Penny or wide out senior Kasin Riley, I need to remember all success lies in the effort and success of the offensive line.  When Aaron and Trevor and John Heflin are being tackled in the backfield, someone is not keeping their eyes open.  Yes, it hurts to have three year starter Colton Center out with a broken foot, but it takes five or six blocking on every play.  It just is not happening on the offensive line.  Seniors, step up.  Take responsibility, and then come together as a unit.  You have six weeks to make memories.

When the offense is not moving very much, you have a defense playing very well.  The 30 points is very misleading.  The Jacket defense held the Billies to 3.3 average per snap in the first half….easily winning football.  Wyatt Bauman had his best game.  Austin Miller is getting better every game.  Still so proud of the secondary.  Not just Tommy Yelvington with two more interceptions, but Dorian Green was very good.  Wyatt Casey is special.  And junior leader Cody Miller is a great open field tackler. Clayton Master and Ray Dixon had good games.  Sophomore John Heflin plays a lot bigger than his 135 pounds.  And do like the emerging of senior Colton Ekstrom playing hard in the defensive line.  Airon Layton is surprising all with lots of good plays.  He is very good on special teams.  Kasin Riley lead the team in receiving with 5 catches, he may be better on defense.  The steady Lance Reven at linebacker and senior Dalton Dewveall make for a very strong unit.

What may be confusing is that many of these players playing very good on defense are not doing as well on offense.  Most in fact play both ways.  I will say this….I really like the play of the defense, and they can win games for you too.  But the offense must pick it up.  Llano has not an easy game left on the schedule.  With 2-3 touchdowns a game, the Jackets can still make the playoffs.  The defense will keep it close.  But on both sides of the ball, the Jackets must play at 100%

Llano plays Lakeview next Friday night.  Hall of Famers Jerry Butler and David Ross from the class of 1955 asked that I inform Art that Llano has played Lakeview in the past, as they did in 1954!  I will also check my records to make sure we have that game recorded, but Jerry did admit they lost.  Lakeview made the playoffs last year, and are in 5-AAAA.  Old Angelo State Ram  and Fredericksburg Billie standout is their coach, Doug Kuhlmann.  This is a very important game for Llano.  Playing a bigger school and the chance to turn the ship around begins this week.  Llano can beat Lakeview.  But it will take a supreme effort.

Llano 21   Lakeview 14.

The loss to Brady in two sets of offensive overtimes was shocking and hurtful.  That is how I felt taking one on the chin from an old nemesis in our neighbors to the Northwest.  Playing toe to toe for 4 full quarters with the score at 7-7, but one small error at the end left the score at 20-17, Brady.

Haunting is the only word that comes to mind.  And I leave out the players name on the last play of the game for a simple reason, I did not catch who it was.  On the last play of the game, Llano lead 17-14.  Senior quarterback Joe Scott Pace rolled out and threw to a receiver out in the right flat.  Out of the corner of my eye, a Jacket defender was closing fast.  I knew it was a Jacket interception.  Timing looked perfect, felt perfect.  But the ball was a finger tip higher than Llano’s defender.  Going for the ball is not what Llano has seen in recent years.  Usually Llano defenders have played it safe….waited for the receiver to catch the ball, or just tried to make the tackle.  The Llano secondary now is playing the football.  And I love it.  Proof by the Jackets picking off 3 Pace passes this week, and now 8 for the season.  It has risk involved.  And maybe the last play of the game Friday night may have been different had our defender been more careful.  But for my money, give me that defender of Llano’s every play this season.  He is a warrior.  And I want him on my team.  If you are going to loss, loss by trying to win.  Play to win every play.

Overall, the defense put in a good ball game.  Allowed 348 yards, but only 288 in regulation play.  You will usually win holding a team under 300 offense.  Needless to say, junior Cody Miller had another remarkable game, picking up a loose ball and returning it nearly 50 yards for Llano’s first score, and then picking off two more passes, giving the young safety four on the season.  Senior Lance Reven at linebacker is just so solid.  Jalen Bauman, freshman Ray Dixon, and senior Trevor Penny had best games according the  stats.  Junior Juan Mungia has really stepped up his game.  Stetson Watson  is a great pass rusher. Hope to keep seeing Cody Harp keep getting better…could really be a force on defense.  And wrote down Clayton Masters’ # on several good plays.  The secondary is the most improved, with senior Aaron Moss, Tommy Yelvington, Casey Wyatt, and Dorian Green all having good games against a quarterback that was pretty good.  Pace is a senior.

The offense took a step back.  Moss found few holes in the running game, while Penny had 8 carries for 46 years.  The Jackets were unable to get the ball to Jalen in the open field.  Could not find Kasin Riley enough either.  Love the tall rangy tight end and makes a good target in the short passing game.  But only 197 yards of total offense will not get you much.  Four three and outs, and three intercepted passes made for a long night.  Don’t know if senior quarterback Holden Simpson was under more pass rush than usual, as three year starter Colton Center is out 4-6 weeks  with a broken foot.  Horrible set back for the offense.  But before this weeks game, and going back to last season, Holden is right at a 70% accuracy in passing.  Fully expect him back in the groove against Fredericksburg this week.

Must say again how comforting it is to have senior David Forrister kicking extra points, and his 27 yard field goal in over time put the Jackets up 17-14.  On special teams, Airon Layton is always close to the football.  He and center Colin Mayne work hard to get downfield…nothing but hustle and wanting to play hard.

Can’t worry about Brady.  Fredericksburg will be a big test.  The Billies were 10-2 last season and expect good things by feasting on the Yellowjackets.  Llano needs to rebound.  Another road trip usually means another Jacket win.  Llano has always like to travel for some odd reason.   Llano 28-  Billie 21.

The thunder being heard Friday night in Bangs, Texas was actually the anger of the Llano Yellowjackets.  The Jackets showed up big time.  Playing Bangs is a tough game always.  Last week Bangs beat a pretty good Ballinger team.  Llano lost in an insulting way to Wall.  All play off teams in 2013.  The 41-21 win on the road was big, but only big if it creates the right kind of confidence, and the right path this week in playing Brady, picked to take second place in their district race.  Llano had the kind of game every Coach hopes will happen coming after a loss.  Llano that got mad at itself, and proved it in the following week.

Bangs should not have kicked off to Llano.  Senior quarterback Holden Simpson took his team on a 16 play opening drive only to have it stall out at the 11 yardline.  16 plays!  Five first downs, Jalen Bauman catching 3 passes for 36 yards, Aaron Moss running 8 times for 39 yards, a catch by senior Tommy Yelvington for 5, and all this took 7:23 off the clock.

While the offense was taking control of the yardage side, the defense played maybe its best game in the Slaughter era.  Three and out on the first series for Bangs.  Lead by senior linebacker Lance Reven, the Jackets had 4, 5, and 6 players in on every tackle.  Senior Colton Ekstrom was great.  Senior Steton Watson saw  his best game as a varsity player.  Junior Dorian Green was always close to the ball. Austin Miller is getting in on more good plays each week ands improving. The secondary may be the most improved.  The guys with the shortest memories were at their best …have not taken the time to look up when Llano last had 4 interceptions, but it has not happened many times at all.  Junior Cody Miller picks off two,  sophomore John Heflin takes one, as does senior Yelvington.  While still giving up a long play here and there, these guys must get ready for the next play.  It is a mental giant issue.  Some can do it, some can’t.  Confidence in this secondary has surged for me.  Senior Moss, junior Wyatt Casey, and junior Dalton Dewveall round out a very solid group of over achieving Yellowjackets.

Llano and Bangs were tied at halftime, 14-14.  Llano held another three and out after the kickoff, and Simpson again put together a 10 play scoring drive, with Moss picking up 46 yards on five runs, Mr. Do Everything Trevor Penny carrying the football, and the final 8 yards with a Simpson to Bauman TD.  Holden’s 4 TD passes places him with several other Yellowjacket quarterbacks who stand in a tie in the record book in second place.  Some pretty good company.  Holden’s 246 yards passing  puts him in 17th most yards in a single game passing.  And Bauman’s 117 yards receiving is the 14 best game in history, but his 9 catches put him tied with others in a single game at 4th place.

Llano never let up.  But in my mind, few things happen good, unless your offensive line is doing more than just their assignment.  Holden, Moss, Penny and Simpson get the fame, the lineman get the respect in the dressing room.  Lead by seniors Cody Harp,  Colin Mayne, Harley Smith, Watson, and Clayton Masters, along with junior and three year starter Colton Center, juniors Stratt Stiles, Juan Mungia  and Jose Arrendondo and freshman Ray Dixon. Junior Luke Snitkin could really develop into a very good player.  He seems to be in the right place so many times. These young men made Friday night a success.

Am liking the special teams.  Seniors Kasin Riley is solid, and a good tackler and caught a 76 yard TD pass, along with doing the punting.   David Forrister is automatic.  And you can bet Airon Layton and Penny are the first ones downfield on kicks.  Great hustle.

Llano’s defense held Bangs to 275 yards of offense.  Great effort by all.

We play Brady this week.  At one time in history, that was all that had to be said.  I will try to put up an old article I wrote several years ago about Brady.  Maybe by end of this week

Llano 35   Brady 14

The Llano Yellowjacket’s opening game of 2014 was at best, a disappointment.  The thing to remember here is that we have 9 games to make a season still successful.  Wall, ranked # 3 in the State in 3-AAA, showed why they are now 16-1 over the past 17 games.  Speed, speed, and quick.  Maybe not the best matchup for Llano, but give the green and white some deserved credit, they are very good.

The 54-21 score was a game of two halves.  Llano was not competitive in the first half, and got much better and serious in the second half. So, lets concentrate on the second half.

Senior Llano quarterback Holden Simpson began the half by completing 7 straight passes and two TD passes, before an incompletion at the end of the quarter.  Completions to Jalen Bauman, Tommy Yelvington, senior Lance Reven, junior Dorian Green and senior Kasin Riley….the offense was clicking…the offensive line of Jose Arredondo, Colton Center, senior Colin Mayne, Ray Dixon, and Cody Harp fired out on the defense, instead of waiting to be hit.  And senior Aaron Moss, with Trevor Penny running hard in the backfield.  It was all working, and then the fourth quarter was  some good, and more less good.

But what I saw, I actually liked.  Llano is not going to be a bad football team.  The seniors have pride.  The skill level is lacking, but the Jackets can pull together and make every single play a better one than the last.  And for that to happen, takes senior leadership.  Reven, Bauman, and Holden can keep this team together.  I have seen teams fall apart after a few early season losses, and by midseason, no one cares.  But the last time that happened was 15 years ago.  My memory tells me 4 seniors quit mid season.  There are no quiters on the 2014 team.  and the goal of being the first Jacket team to make the state playoffs in 4-AAAA football is still very viable.

Had Llano played the first quarter as they did the 3rd quarter, Llano would have been very proud Saturday morning when they woke up.  Now, they go back to work.

The defense knows they must cover better, although covering all everything #3 Kris Gutierrez will be tough for the best.  Llano maybe was not ready for that kind of speed and quickness in one great player.  Someone after the game said it was hard to keep up with where the football was.  No problem with that.  Just keep up with jersey #3 and you could bet the football was close.

On defense, Arredondo, and Penny played well.  Penny, all 145 pounds, plays down lineman, running back, and runs back kickoffs. Moss and Yelvington will get more confidence as the season moves on from their secondary positions.  Bauman was good.  Reven was strong, recovering a fumble. Junior Cody Miller is going to be good.  Really like freshman starter, Ray Dixon.  If he stays focused, and stays serious, he could be special.  I liked the play of Wyatt Bauman.  And really feel comfortable with senior David Forrister handling our kicking game.  And look for senior Colton Elstrom to be important to this team.

Llano…forget Wall.  Don’t let them beat you again this week too.  You will match up well with Bangs.  You can beat Bangs.  Start turning the corner now.  It is the most important game you have ever played up to this moment.

Llano 28   Bangs 12

The excitement back in early February is one classic tale.  Be careful what you wish for.   The Llano Yellowjackets have been buried in a 3AAA district for decades that has clamed state championships by Bandera, Liberty Hill, Gatesville, Wimberley and state finalist in recent years with Burnet and Brownwood.  There were no easy weeks, yet the 2013 team made the playoffs by beating both Gatesville and Brownwood, a year 20 years from now “will go down in infamy.”  Llano as always, shows up to play.  Llano is not taken for granted on anyones schedule.  The little train that could has left powers in the dust for over 4o years.  That reputation today far exceeds any great coaching dynasties.  It is all about the character of our kids.

A quick reminder;  In 1973 the Yellowjackets beat #2 ranked Bastrop in a bi-district contest 7-0.  Llano beat West Lake the first two years they played.  Llano beat an undefeated and #1 ranked team in Central Texas, Leander in a snow storm, I think the score was 34-0.  And as recent as 2003 beat a good Wimberley team  when Llano was ended a 3-7 season.  Take the Jackets lightly, and our kids will smell blood.

The UIL has tried to rearrange the schools to make it more fair.  Llano has been playing many schools with double Llano’s enrollment.  Llano, at 496 kids in high school, move to 13-4A.  All school move up  an “A”, as now there is a 6-A.  Llano gets Hondo (592), Lytle (520), Geronimo Navarro (513), And Wimberley (673) in our district.  Navarro has given Wimberley fits the past few years.  Every team in 13-4A made the state playoffs in 2013.  Four will make the playoffs this season.

The Jacket’s pre-district schedule looks like it could have been from the 1960s’.  Brady, Lakeview, and Fredericksburg.  Throw in 15-1 from last season Wall, and Bangs and Salado.  There is not an easy team to play on Friday nights.

Llano is blessed with great young coaches.  These guys load up in the mornings and help with the junior high 7th and 8th grade teams.  The whole staff helps each other.  Few times have I seen more togetherness, and focus for what is best for all teams that right now.  Head Coach Craig Slaughter is athletic director also.  He cares for every single program, and helps in all phases when there is need.  Another reason our Jackets will be competitive in every game.

After the Sonora scrimmage this week, we will look at who plays where, and how do we beat state finalist Wall in Llano on August 29th.

Aug.15   Burnet Scrimmage

Aug.22   At Sonora Scrimmage

Regular Season:

August 29   Wall, here      7:30 PM

Sept. 5    @ Bangs             7:30 PM

Sept. 12      Brady here     7:30 PM

Sept. 19   @ Fredericksburg   7:30 PM

Sept. 26  S.A. Lakeview    7:30 PM

Oct. 3       @ Salado          7:30 PM

Oct.10     @ Wimberley    7:30 PM

Oct. 17th      OPEN

Oct 24         Lytle               7:30 PM

Oct. 31    @ Hondo           7:30 PM

Nov. 7     Navarro             7:30 PM

Excuses are not what we usually talk about here at Play to Win.  The circumstances do make a difference, but in the long haul, wins and losses and memories is what you seniors will remember 20 years from now.  You will remember forever beating Brownwood.  And while Brownwood may not have topped the 3-A charts this 2013, do remember…they too made the State play-offs.  Llano beat three district foes with enrolments of nearly 2,800 students, to the LHS rolls showing 498.  The horrible situation set by the UIL for smaller schools like Llano over the past 4 years is criminal.  LLano had good players….Llano had competitive teams….but you can only last so long swing for the fences with a tooth pick.  Still, the Jackets prevailed.  We still are the giant killers, and in 2014, few teams will look forward to playing Llano.  The tradition has carried Llano thru tough times before, and it also did in 2013.  The seniors of 2013 had a fun run, and super memories by all will only grow as time passes.  Believe me on that.

Seniors such as Gilberto Arredondo who played a gigantic role on the team the past two seasons should see after season honors, but he was so consistant for the Jackets.  Eli Tiffin played both ways many games, and leadership was his biggest contribution.  Great player for two seasons.  Seniors Jordan Blackmon was special in many areas, but special teams was where he saw him every week.  Senior linebacker Caleb Penny will be a senior not replaced.  Hard hitter, played like a proud Yellow Jacket every single play.  Don’t know where Ryan Mansell came from, but golly, what a great defensive end.  Sacks, pressure on quarterbacks, something Llano had to have this season.  Ryan filled the need.  Lineman Jordan Webb, Andrew Stribling and Blain Steffen were little recognized, but our lineman blocked well enough to have a quarterback end his career as best passer all-time!  Someone was blocking.  Great season to you all.  Our defensice secondary was good to very good at times.  Elizar Villegas just showed up everyday for work, and did his job…so unnoticed, so good.  Kralen Dickerson  with 4 interceptions, Tyler Stiles (Starting QB when Rabb when out, 9 for 12, 117 yards TD pass….I would retire with those numbers), Tristan Lynch , Grant Jones, had sound seasons…in a pass happy era of today, some nites just get long.  But for seniors Mason Ladd and Sawyer Stiles each made long nites for others.  Two great players with great over-all careers.  Tight ends Erich Burch and Harley Shoemate  were good blockers, but added greatly to special teams.  Good tacklers.  Missed getting to see more of Baylor Jordan due to injury from the wide receiver position.  But Justin Long  was the best special team player, leading the team with 9 solo tackles and bunches of assists.  Great hard working senior.  Carter Tatsch is in the record book with one super game, and 927 yards rushing, averaging over 5 yards per carry, along with 9 TDs.  Great senior running back.  Wish we had had Chance Ware for about three more seasons…great speed, great return man, name is in the record book at several places…gosh Chance, I hardly got to know you, and will now miss you.  Issac Hutto was super.  Should be all everything, but know holds school record as best punter ever….third all-time leading pass receiver…many big games…he was it all…someday will make the LHS Hall of Fame…and Layton Rabb…holds nearly every passing record…I will not go thru everytime he is on the books, but my spell check stopped correcting me after several dozen entries of his name…22 games as starting QB over three seasons…it was fun to watch.  I hope I did not leave a senior out.  I love you all…this last Play To Win for 2013 is always the worst…knowing now you have other missions and jobs to go do.  Just go about it like you all did as Yellow Jackets…then you will love the memories.    Go to Yellow Jacket Records…should you see mistakes or omissions, please e-mail me…I keep trying to get it correct!

   Just getting over the hump was not enough Thursday night as the Llano Yellow Jackets took it on the chin in a 35-26 loss to Glen Rose in Bi-District play in Belton.  The inablity to score in the fourth quarter prevented a serious run.  Three times inside the 16 yard line produced no points.  And while Llano played very defense in the first and fourth quarters, it was the failure to stop Glen Rose in the second and third periods that spelled doom.

   In the first quarter, the Jackets’ defense held on the first three possessions, and the Llano  offense scored on their first.  On first down senior quarterback Layton Rabb set the scoring toss up by first hitting senior wide-out Issac Hutto on an 8 yard pass completion.  Then Rabb came back with a strike of 57 yards to senior Chance Ware for the 7-0 first score.  The defense forced three punts, on three, 3 and outs.  The defense lead by seniors Caleb Penny  and Ryan Mansell…the defense held Glen Rose to -2 yards rushing on 9 tries, and 69 yards passing on 4 of 9 passing.

   Sound blocking from seniors helped the Llano running game get going.  Seniors  Jordan Webb and Gilberto Arredondo helped the running game get traction…  Rabb, junior Jalen Bauman, and senior Carter Tatsch gashed the Tigers for four rushing first downs.  After Glen Rose scored early in the second quarter, Llano responded with a 9 play drive of 72 yards highlighted with a Rabb to Ware 34 yard pass and catch and Llano lead 14-7.  And then Llano spurted.  Two long drives by the Tigers sent the host to the locker room ahead 21-14.  Llano actually scored on the last play of the half, only to have the refs not recognize the score over the end zone pilon.  With the large picture display at the end zone, replays showed Carter scoring.  Very disappointing to Jackets.   Llano allowed 152 yards in the quarter on 17 plays and three scores.

   The third quarter was an exchange of touchdowns, and good plays by many.  Linebacker  Aaron Moss was good defensivley, as was Holden Simpson and Lance Reven.  All juniors.  Erich Burch and Blain Steffen had good games.  Senior Eli Tiffin came up with a fumble recovery, and played as always…tough and hard.  Still love the play of Mason Ladd and Kralen Dickerson in the secondary.  Jacket run defense was better at times…15 plays of 0 or minus yards on plays.  Big plays killed the Jackets.  Llano scored late in the fourth to make it close.  I’m not sure the Carter non-touchdown had a big negative in the minds of our players.  Many of these Jackets are 16 or 17 years old.  How do I know what was in their syc?

   Llano’s improvement under Slaughter is 100% difference.  His 8-13 record over two years is stellar….playing schools that suite up 60 players for a game is so tough.  February we make the change into new territory and new schools we will be playing.  The UIL is set to split 3-AAA, and we will benefit greatly.  No more Liberty Hills, Burnets, or Brownwoods..It was pretty neat beating Brownwood…and now we have an over-all record against the Lions of 5 wins and 4 losses!  Coach Slaughter is already wworking on the 2014 schedule.  It is going to be exciting

   Congratulations to this very special 2013 team.  Next week, I will review the seniors, and list the records that will go into the record books…there are many.  Thanks for reading Play To Win.

   In 1998, the Llano Yellow Jackets opened the season with a 33-0 lose to Fredericksburg.  But recovered to beat Brady two weeks later 6-3, which is a super story in itself( I’ll try to rewrite the story soon).  District play began with a 26-21 lose to Wimberley.  Llano recovered again, with a 50-0 beating of Liberty Hill, and a 29-19 win over Burnet. The Jackets finished 5-5, and made just barely the playoffs.

   Here is where it gets good.  Senior quarterback Zack Vassar was all of 160 pounds. Seniors Boyce Pate, Michael Hays, Kevin Gatliff, Orin Simpson, Danny Rhea, Chris Rusche, Ryan Willmann, Nick Buerger, Chandler Schuessler, Cummings Smith, …all good high school senior  players.  None super great.

   Four sophomores made the team.  Strong junior class.  Coach Karl McCormack and the Pearsall coach could not find anywhere to play the Bi-District game.  Pearsall was 10-0, ranked in the top 10 according to the Harris Poll.  So the Pearsall Coach tells Coach McCormack that he has never seen the folks in Pearsall so fired up about a football team.  This was their year!  And Pearsall would love to have a road trip to Llano and play!  Coach McCormack fell out of his chair, recovered and said “yes, Llano would love to host the Bi-District game”.

   It had rained off and on all day.  But Pearsall busses started getting to Llano before noon.  And they kept coming.  Stangers set up in the Llano High School parking lots and bar-b-qued food!  We had never seen such a sight.  My, my, these folks are serious…they must be really good.  And they were so nice.  I meet a fellow walking in town, and he was so gracious.  And he could not wait for his team to win their first play-off game of 1998.  “On to State”.

   Llano had a serious face on for the game.  No one knew what to expect.  But Llano jumped on Pearsall from the first minute of the game, and never looked back in a 41-26 victory.  The game was not close.  Llano never let up.  It was Llano Yellow Jackets at their best, beating a good football team that no one had given the Jackets a chance.  It was good players playing their best.  That is all it takes to win a playoff game in Texas.

   Llano did the same last Friday night beating Brownwood.  Everyone playing hard every single down.  I watched Eli Tiffin and Caleb Penny.  I watched Mason Ladd, thinking not only might this be their last game, but also the last time I would get watch them play.  I wanted so much for Llano to win.  Beat Brownwood.  Not back into the playoffs, but to earn it.  I wanted these seniors to know how it felt to achieve a dream.  The Jackets’ 23 seniors have all laid awake at nights, wondering how it would be to be in a playoff game.  Now it was going to happen.

   To win this week against Glen Rose, Llano has to play even better than they did against Brownwood.  And Llano will.  This is where teams with dreams make them come true.  Layton and Issac and Chance and Carter are not finished.  There are games to be won, and games still to be played.  I do think the Jackets have gotten better each week.  You must if you want to win game number 6.  Gilberto, and Mansell, Villegas, Webb, Steffen, Lynch, Sawyer, Blackmon, Long, Burch, Kralen, Jones, Stribling, Shoemate, Jordan, all must contribute in some way.  Must all be positive, and serious.  You want to make this moment count.  There will never be another like it.

   Coach Slaughter told you last week that beating Brownwood would be a memory you would never forget.  A memory that will match few others in your lifetime.  He spoke the truth.  But you can add to that fantastic memory by soundly going to Belton Thursday night and beating a good Glen Rose team.  Few gave you much hope in August.  You have beat those odds.  Now, pile it on. Never look back.  These memories are for youselves. Live each moment, and leave not one ounce of energy in your body.  Play smart, and the game will be yours.  Llano by 15.

   Maybe some good can come from the loss at Burnet last Friday nite.  The 35-14 loss hurts, and at times felt like I had seen it before.  The Jacket defense will have to show up against Brownwood, and the offense will have to play error free and put points up early.  Burnet was not as good as past teams, but the ability to run four times on third down and make the first down was defeating enough.  But the eight first down on first down was the killer.  Burnet made the corners on their running game practically every time.  Llano must contain.

   Jackets had many very good plays.  Still getting good pressure from senior Ryan Mansell.  Colton Ekstrom is getting better every game.  Mason Ladd and Sawyer Stiles were good in the secondary.  Junior Lance Reven had one of his best games.  Justin Long played hard.  Eliazar Villegas is playing very good at cornerback, as is Kralen Dickerson.  Senior Caleb Penny too had a good game.  Still like the play of Blain Steffen.  Jordan Blackmon and Justin Long hustle hard every play on special teams.

   But…everyone does not play always well on the same plays.  This week, we must all be together.  Play hard every single play.  Seniors will know, this could be the last game.  And there is no reason that should happen.  Llano is as good as Brownwood.  Playing in Llano should give the Jackets the edge.

   Senior Issac Hutto had 7 catches last week.  I’d throw to him 15 times when he gets those short cornerbacks on him.  Jalen Bauman is great over the middle.  He will not go down with one hit.  He hurts folks when he catches the ball.  Kralen, Sawyer, Mason and Chance all can catch.  Senior Carter Tatsch has 16 catches coming out of the backfield.  All hands must be ready.  Llano will beat Brownwood and the make the playoffs , but it will be a shoot-out.

   Senior Layton Rabb is averaging 245 yards passing a game.  It may take more against the Lions.  Carter is averaging about 90 yards rushing per game.  We may need 125 from Carter, and another 75 from Layton.  It will take everything, from every player.  You will not regret leaving it all on the field Friday night.

   Comparing scores is a hard business.  But Llano matches well with Brownwood.  With both teams at 2-2 in District play, the winner goes to Bi-District.  I would hate for the game to end up with 120 points total being scored, but this game leans that direction.  Turnovers by either team changes everything.  Llano has been soundest is this area. Averaging just a bit over one per game.  You will win if we only have one.  But Mason, Kralen, Caleb, Jordan, Eliazar and Lance need to find about three from the Lions.

   How does Llano win?  The offensive line gives Layton time to throw, and holes for Carter to run.  Keep the ball from the high scoring Lions. Senior Gilberto Arredondo, Ekstrom, sophomore Colton Center, senior Eli Tiffin ( Hopefully he plays), junior Cody Harp, Jordan Webb, Collin Mayne, Blackmon, junior Clancy Durham, Blain, Penny, Steton Watson, Andrew Stribling must hold that block one more split second, and “don’t hold”!  Get a few turnovers, and Llano will be headed to game # 11.  This game is very winnable.  The seniors owe themselves this one very special moment.  It gets no bigger than this in Yellow Jacket Stadium Friday nite.  Llano by 14.