Play to Win

   The 3-2 Yellowjackets may be as healthy as they are going to get.  Still many players (we are not suppose to mention names) likely will not play again this season.  Depth is always a concern.  Running back is thin.  Still, there is talent that can run the football.  Senior Preston Rabb will not be able to pass this team to victories.  We have seen senior Sterling Jameson  go 90 yards on a single carry.  We all hope that senior Justin Saverance gets the ball enough every game to be a difference.  His longest run of 75 yards can happen on any play.  Cody Greer, a junior should be healthy.  His bowling ball style is a complete contrast to the other Jacket runners.  Same can be said of sophomore Rhett Brooks.  Different and productive.  And Rabb’s 70 yard romp a few weeks back too can be a factor.  What I am trying to say is the committee attack could be killer against some teams, and Llano has enough speed to make all defense not gamble on blitzing.

   The passing game has been very good at times.  Receivers such as senior John McKay, Saverance, and sophomore Matthew Center have all shown skills with the catch and running after the catch.  Rabb is over 50% in completions, and it will take that to win.  The key as always is offensive line blocking and at the same time not holding.  The Jackets have cut their penalty yards in half from last season.  That continued discipline is what it will take to compete in District 25-3AAA.

   Matthew Ratliff, Zack Berry and Travis Lawrence are three seniors that must play lights out over the next five weeks.  These senior lineman can be the difference in the Jackets getting maximum production from the running game and pass protection.  They will not ba able to take a play off.  25-3 AAA is that strong.

   Texas Football picked Lampasas to make it to the quarterfinals this season.  Yet they picked Burnet to win the district!  Liberty Hill stands at the same record as Llano, 3-2. Taylor  runs the slot-t.  So, three of the first four Jacket district foes run the slot-t.  As we know, Head coach David Yeager brought the slot-t to Llano five years ago, and stayed with it until this pass spring, when he changed over to a spead type attack.  The slot-t wears teams down.  Imagine sometimes a defensive tackle might see 40 plays in a game run right at him.  That kind of pounding started to pay off by the fourth quarter.  Now Llano will face similiar game plan.  It takes endurance, and sure tackeling, plus very strong linebacker play to stop this offense.  Davis Hill, Sterling, Travis, senior Jordan Caveness, and the safties will all be tested. 

   The Llano Taylor game is at home.  the over-all record is now 3-3 with the Ducks.  Beating Taylor at home is a must win for Llano.  Later in this week, I’ll make a prediction on the outcome.

Just what the doctor ordered. Come from behind after a luckluster first quarter ( 6 yards total offense). Then pile up 457 yards over the next three quarters. The 42-21 score reflected the game in a good way. Fredericksburg has not won a game, and play calling cost them plenty.
   With a 14-0 lead, and 87 yards passing the first quarter, the ‘Billies switched to the run game, threw for only 40 more yards in the last three quarters, and then only averaged 2.85 yards per running play. Never understood this in my 37 years of observation.
   The defense still misses so many tackles. ‘Billies had 13 plays for 10 yards or more. That’s 20% of the Fredericksburg plays. More gang tackeling is needed. In the first quarter, there was no urgency to get to the ball. There are exceptions. Some of the Jackets really play 100% every play. Many do not. That is the difference in prospects of Llano going to the playoffs. The defense must start helping. Giving up 28 points per game is hard to overcome. While the offense is averaging 25 points. Not great, but Llano will make the playoffs if they can average 25 points in district play, and only give up 22. I know things change, and so do more points in football games. But, the Yellowjacket team that just was honored by being inducted into the Hall of Fame gave up 83 points…in ten games, in 1970!
   Sterling Jameson is so much fun to watch. Every play is as if it is his last. That is how you play football. Sterling plays hard on defense, and I hope we see him with the football more. He is big enough to make yards between the tackels, and fast enough to break it open. He has his first varsity 100 plus game at 130 yards and only 4 carries. His 90 yard run puts him twice now in the Jacket record books…the first one being his 92 yard pass interception run back for a TD a few weeks back. Second longest in history.
   Justin Saverance ! I’ll pay double if that is what it takes to get to see another game like he had against Fredericksburg. The catch of a pass that went the distance of 61 yards was nothing but “wow”. Then the 75 yard run maybe as fine a football run that I have ever seen. Justin is magic in the open field, but when folks are trying to bring him down, holding on is the only way. He never stops, except by natural instinct to make it appear he his going down, and then the burst of quickness, not seen by many. Justin had 94 yards rushing, and 123 yards catching the football. Game tickets are way too cheap.
   Preston Rabb is getting more comfortable at passing and running. Still, his short pass is most likely to connect, and we know he has receivers that can make the big gaines after the catch.
   I’m not sure, but since you asked, I think I would have sophomore Rhett Brooks carry the football 8-10 times a game. Then Sterling about the same. And Saverance could go back to his old poistion of wingback/slot/receiver/decoy/sell popcorn, or whatever…about 15 times a game. With the injuries of Conner Chauncy, Storey Tatsch, and Alex Greer, well players must step up. I know running the ball by committee is hard, but this team will have to make it work.
   Who played better this week? Linebacker Davis Hill had much more involvement. So did Jordan Johnson. Really liked the kicking of John McKay. It seems very natural to him. Zach Barry got hurt a little, but he is one of the big differences as we go along. He will have two weeks to get sound. Great play at limited time for Cody Wisdom. A senior with his first interception. Cody Lang is gettng better. As is Cole Barrett. Michael Rusche had good plays. We need him to get tough, as the corner backs have killer nights ahead as we plan on the play of three slot-t teams in district play. Raven Herron had his best game. This senior needs to lead this secondary to respectability.
   The Jackets are at 3-2, now with a week to heal. Liberty Hill is also 3-2. Burnet is still the team to beat in order to win district. Lampasas is averaging over 350 yards per game in their new slot-t offense. Those are Llano numbers. So we know we must beat at least three of these schools to make the playoffs. With the week off, next week I will talk about the Taylor…Ducks. This game is not negotiable. Llano must win this very important district opener at home.

The 54-14 score was somewhat expected.  Brownwood is deserving of the #1 ranking in Class 3-AAA.  Llano is about 40 points behind.  Still, I was not disappointed in the effort.  Llano did not play well on defense.  The missed tackles just keep adding up.  Many times, Llano was in position to make the plays.  Gang tackeling did not start until after the half.  When gang tackeling started to happen, the game came under control.  The Jackets still have too many players waiting for someone else to make the plays.  Still, effort and want to must begin to find results.

   The motor of senior Travis Lawrence runs wide open on every play.  I never see him take a play off.  Every Jacket must start their own engines…sooner…and understand that kind of effort is the only way the state playoffs can still be realistic.

   Sterling Jameson had a good game.  So did Conner Chauncy, Justin Saverance.  Good to see Justin Wyatt and John McKay back on their game.  And senior Cody Wisdom had some very good plays.  Wes Haverlah showed good effort.  And senior Zach Berry made some plays.  Four catches by sophomore Matt Center produced 2 first downs when quaterback Preston Rabb found him open behind the linebackers. 

   The Jacket passing game is best in the short game and looking for the 8-15 yard pass.  Rabb is much better throwing from the pocket.  And his scrammbles more effective from the inside.  Getting John McKay back into the mix at receiving is a key to this offense moving.  Brownwooods’ speed on defense defused most of what I just said, but Llano will not play another team with this speed unless they can get to the third level of the playoffs.  Center, McKay, Conner, Vance Bauer, and Sterling are all capable of moving the chains with a first down type pass.  The deep throws have not connected. 

   Llano plays one of its oldest rivalries and traveling to Fredericksburg this Friday.  The over-all record against the ‘Billies is bad…very bad….16-35-3 bad.  But the Jackets have owned the’Billies the last three years.  The Jackets need a very strong game this week more than ever.  Why this week?  The Jackets need to make the following happen: 1) Have a 3-2 record before the week off.  Resting with a good taste in ones mouth goes along way in determining the way you look at the up coming district race. 2) Positive results from Fredericksburg will help determine how this offense is going to evolve.  There still is not a set and winning…go to formula….is it Saverance and Chauncy and a few passes…is it a short passing game and lots of draws…is it all passing and passes to backs coming out of the backfield?  After five games, Llano will know better what works. 3)  the district is not as tough as the past eight years.  Burnet can be beat by Llano.  Lampasas has not yet found its footing in their new slot-t offense.  The Badgers have the athletes to hurt people.  But until they do, Llano can beat Lampasas.  Liberty Hill always can be good…very good, but this Jackets team did not allow the reputation of the Panthers win last year.  Llano can beat any of the three favorites for post season.  Beating Fredericksburg soundly this week sets the stage for district play.