Play to Win

The very experienced and talented Blanco Panthers overwhelmed the Llano YellowJackets Friday night at Jacket Stadium to match the record of SA Randolph in tough District 13-3AAA. Blanco and Randolph each have one loss in District play. SA Cole also has only one loss, that being the 37-0 YellowJacket win back on September 22nd. It will come down to the final two weeks of play to determine the State Play off teams.

The 55-24 loss Friday night was the worse loss for the Jackets on their home field in four years. Llano is now 4-5 for the season, and 2-3 in District play. Llano is off this week. The final regular season game is in two weeks, November 3rd, at Ingram. The Jackets will need help to make the play offs. SA Cole needs to beat Marion this Friday night. And, Llano must beat Ingram. Ingram too has a path to the play-offs. Should they beat Llano and Lulling, they too would have a 3-3 district record.

All of the inexperience of the Jackets showed up Friday night. Llano never got untracked. Blanco kicked off to Llano, and in his first varsity start, freshman Luke Davis at quarterback completed two passes to senior Charlie White for 15 yards and a first down. From there, everything seemed to go bad. Three plays and out. Senior Cooper McWilliams punted for 51 yards, and good coverage by Kaleb Payten and Fitz Kennedy seemed to have penned down the Panthers on the 8 yard line. But on first down, the Blanco quarterback went 92 yards and the first score of the game.

Llano had three plays, and another solid 43 yard punt by Cooper. Blanco scored 6 plays later. Junior Tate Morgan blocked the extra point, so the score was 13-0. Tate also blocked another Blanco extra point in the second quarter.

On the Jackets third possession, senior Kaleb Payten returned the kick off 54 yards. Senior Jackson Hoot had a key block. On first down, Luke hit senior Alex Kachura for a big 32 yard gain and first down on the 18 yard line. Fitz ran twice, and Luke once, and on fourth down, Tate came in and kicked a 26 yard field goal to make the score 13-3, Blanco.

The Jackets defense played inspired football at times. The Jackets held Blanco on their next possession. Strong play by sophomore Brayton Shaw and junior Carter Bickett showed great promise. A sack by Tate, and Charlie White was outstanding in the secondary. Trey Mote, when not carrying the football plays hard at linebacker. Sophomore JD Friday was in on several tackles, as was junior Wesley Whitaker and junior Logan Van Pelt. As always, seniors Buddy Machuga and Hunter Brown played very good at defensive tackle. Senior Charlie White ended the night with 7 tackles, and senior Dusty Miller had 5 stops.

Blanco took a 35-10 half-time lead. The Jackets were able to score its lone TD in the second quarter. Luke found Alex for two catches and 45 yards down to the 5 yard line. Then on second down Luke hit Alex again for the 7 yard scoring pass. Tate kicked good for the Llano total of 10. Alex ended the night with 5 catches and 93 yards. Charlie White lead the Jackets with 7 catches and 101 yards, the best of his career.

The Yellow Jacket special teams have had a very good season. Junior RJ Coplin has run back two kick offs for TDs. Senior Kaleb Payten has had several long returns this year. Tate’s blocking kicks has been with tremendous effort, as well as his near perfect kicks on extra points. Senior Cooper McWilliams has had a very good year punting the ball, with several kicks over 50 yards. And coverage has become a source of pride. Wesley Whitaker, Jose Silas, Jacob Hernandez, Fitz and Kaleb have been tremendous. Junior Carter Bickett and Charlie knows the importance of getting down field to cover. Special effort by all.

The Jackets get this week off. More will be known after this weeks games. Who, what, when and where. We do Know Llano needs to beat an improved Ingram team. Getting to 5-5 for the season makes many things possible. Beating Ingram is a must.

The 4-4 Llano Yellow Jackets have put themselves in a big hole, after going down 28-21 in Marion Friday night. The lose puts the Jackets at 2-2 in District play, 4-4 for the 2023 season. What many thought would be THE contest of the year this coming Friday night between the Jackets and Blanco, has turned into a fight for survival.

The 13-3AAA District has turned into a grinder. Last Friday night, weak sister Ingram played District bully Randolph to a 14-6 nightmare. Marion, considered not too strong, went down just a few weeks ago to Blanco by over 40 points. Llano meanwhile took care of San Antonio Cole, and now every team in the 7 team district, including Cole, has visions of possible play-off chances.

When I did the statistics at halftime Friday night against Marion, the Jackets had over 270 yards. I felt strongly that with that kind of production, despite mistakes, we would prevail. The Jackets did have four turnovers at that point, but settling down seemed reasonable.

The Yellow Jacket defense looked different. Marion scored on its first two possessions. On the fourth play from scrimmage, Marion’s quarterback ran straight up the middle for a 34 yard TD run. Then after a Jacket fumble, Marion’s QB ran up the middle again for 26 yards and a 14-0 lead.

Llano did wake up. Freshman quarterback Luke Davis hit senior receiver Alex Kachura for the longest scrimmage play of the year and 71 yards later the score was 14-7, after an extra point by junior Tate Morgan. We were in business.

But with 3:22 left in the first quarter, Marion connected on a 25 yard TD pass and catch that put the game at 21-7.

Llano came right back in the next series. Runs by junior Trey Mote, and then a 64 yard TD pass from Davis to junior RJ Coplin put the Jackets right back into the games, now with the score at 21-14.

Optimism was running high. The Llano defense caused three fumbles in three possessions of the Bulldogs. Outstanding play by seniors Dusty Miller and Charlie White. Senior Fitz Kennedy and junior Tate Morgan had very productive nights. And junior Colton Bailey had his best night as a defensive player. I had Colton down for three tackles for loss yardage. Junior Wesley Whitaker and senior Frank Machuga had several key stops. At the halfway mark, Llano was in a good position. If we could play this bad with this many mistakes, the second half would belong to Llano.

Well, to quote two old Yellow Jacket fans, Jerry Butler and James Beesley as they quote Waylon Jennings..”Wrong”.

Llano began as everyone expected. Scored on the first play from scrimmage of 66 yards…but called back for a penalty. Then scored on the second play, 52 yards…and called back for a penalty. Llano punted.

The defense put its big boy britches on. Marion’s first possession saw only 21 yards gained, and a force punt. Sophomore Aiden Detwiler made the key stop on third down.

The Jackets got two easy first downs, lead by Fitz Kennedy and 11 yards. But another turnover gave the ball back. The defense again held Marion and forced another punt. Good plays by junior Carter Bickett and senior Hunter Brown gave the ball back to Llano.

Llano’s next drive was impressive Starting on their 20 yard line, runs by Davis, Mote, and Dusty. Completions to Charlie White and RJ. But a fumble, recovered by senior Dylon Kennedy, and two penalties forced the Jackets to go for a first down on fourth down. It was not good, but the Jacket defense again saved the day. Three plays and out by Marion. Brown, Dusty, and sophomore Brayton Shaw forced the punt.

Llano had the ball on the 46 yard line. Runs by Davis and Mote…first down. Dusty carries twice for 11 yards, first down. Fitz got 13 more, and another first down. Key blocks from center Billy Everhart, JJ Vaughn and Dylon made it look easy. And into the end zone by Fitz for the tying score at 21-21.

But this time Llano’s defense was worn down. Marion went to the air. Three completions for 61 yards and a final 9 yard run by who else…QB from Marion. With only 3:02 left in the game, Marion was ahead 28-21.

The Jackets turned the ball over for its’ 6th turnover for the game. Marion ran out the clock.

In 2019, Llano lost two district games in a row. Still made the play offs, and won the Bi-District game.

Llano has played excellent at times, and very poorly at times. The inconsistency results in a 4-4 record. I believe Llano can beat a very good Blanco team. Llano must stop the terrible penalties. And the turnovers can be killers. A win against Blanco can put the Jackets in a position to take second place in the District race. This time next week…that would be a great place to be sitting.

Same as last years score: Llano 17 Blanco 6

The Llano YellowJackets had not lost a District game in four years, until Friday night, falling to a good 7-0 SA Randolph team 24-7. The lose puts the Jackets tied for second place in district play, and has three games to go. The 4-3 Jackets play in San Antonio this week against Marion.

Randolph played a good defensive game, holding Llano to less than 200 yards of offense. Llano on the other hand, too played good defense. The Ro-Hawks were held to only 212 yards of offense…winning football in most games.

Randolph took the opening kick-off and drove 70 yards in only four plays. The score came on a 51 yard TD pass and the score was 7-0 with 10:42 left to play in the first quarter. Good defense by seniors Charlie White and Dusty Miller. Hunter Brown applied pressure, but not enough.

Mid way thru the first quarter, sophomore Aiden Detwiler intercepted a pass in Jacket territory and Llano had the ball at the 33 yard line. The Jacket offense went no-where. A 38 yard punt by senior Cooper McWilliams put Randolph on the 48 yard line, and good defense by the Jackets forced a third punt. Junior Logan Van Pelt had a stop. Linebacker Tate Morgan had a stop, one of his team leading 13 tackles for the night. Fitz Kennedy ended the night with 10 tackles. Carter Bickett had 6 tackles from his safety position. Senior Buddy Machuga had a great night from the trenches. But after an exchange of punts, the Ro-Hawks struck again and scored with 7:23 left in the half.

The Jacket offense finally got untracked. Runs by Kaleb Payten, Trey Mote and quarterback Colton Bailey had Llano in a fourth down situation. But a 15 yard penalty by Randolph, and then a 10 yard gain by Dusty had Llano at the 28 yard line. Five more by Dusty, and three by Trey. With freshman quarterback Luke Davis in the game, a 15 yard TD pass to sophomore Konrad Zwicke put Llano on the scoreboard with 3:56 left in the Half. Freshman Carlos Sapula kicked good for the extra point and the score was 14-7, Randolph.

The beginning of the 3rd quarter made the score bleak. The Jackets fumbled the kick off, and Randolph recovered, and scored on the next play. Score 21-7.

Llano took the kick off and had a very good 14 play drive. Runs by Trey, Colton, Fitz Kennedy got the Jackets to the 23 yard line. Completions to RJ for a first down. Senior Alex Kachura had the longest play of the night for Llano with aa 33 yard catch. But the Jackets could not find the end zone. Llano stopped the next Randolph drive with an interception by Charlie White.

A 22 yard field goal by Randolph in the fourth quarter made the score 24-7. With the exception of a kick off play by Llano in the second quarter, when the Jackets caught the ball, got it to Davis, who threw clear across the field to RJ who got the ball up to the 50 yard line, leading to the Davis to Konrad Zwicke 15 yard catch and the only Jacket score.

There is no doubt that Llano did not play well enough to win Friday night. Many of the same players on offense are the same players on defense. The effort is there. The will is there. I only counted 4 penalties by Llano. Much improved from earlier in the season. Getting up and going again is what this team can be all about. Going 7-3 is realistic.

The season is far from over. Llano could and should win their three remaining games. If they can do that, they will have the opportunity to win two games into the play offs. That would be 9 wins. Then…they might get to play a revenge game against Randolph…I wouldn’t bet against the Jackets over the next three weeks. Or 5 weeks. Or 6 weeks.

Prediction: Llano 31 Marion 0

The long trip to Lulling in District 13-3A Friday night proved a Jacket team getting better. The 53-13 score was the most points scored this season, and the 50 points scored at half-time was a nice relief in that more experience was gained by many players. The 4-2 Jackets are 2-0 in District play, and now face the beast of our District, S.A. Randolph.

While not to brush over the Lulling game, the Jackets were never troubled…except for an 81 yard TD run by the Eagles QB in the first quarter. Llano had seven players carry the ball, with everyone averaging over 4 yards per carry. Seven players caught passes. Carlos Sapalu was 6 of 7 on extra point kicks, and also had a 34 yard field goal. The defense was very good…..holding the Eagles to less than 200 total yards. Touchdowns by senior Dusty Miller (3), RJ Coplin, Fitz Kennedy, and Colton Bailey (2).

The most outstanding improvement was on the offensive and defensive lines. Will Landers and Dylan Kennedy dominated…..sophomore Carson Stephenson continues to improve. Seniors JJ Vaughn, Frank Machuga (Buddy by some), Hunter Brown, and Thomas Caldron along with junior Stephen Barrack all are playing great. And so happy that senior Billy Everhart at center looks to be near full speed. Blocking by tight ends Parker Parrish and Konrad Zwicke has been invaluable. Alex Kachura and Kaleb Payten are playing so good. And Jose Sillas is a star in the making…blocking and had sack on defense…really hustles all the time.

Wesley Whitaker may have had his best game….as did Mason Martin…and Jacob Hernandez…all playing hard…and the effort on special teams is noticeable…makes a difference.

The Jacket secondary will have their hands full Friday night. Senior Charlie White can be expected to have an inspired game. Junior Carter Bickett and sophomore JD Friday will need every ounce of experience this week. Aiden Beuke and Trey Mote will need to have outstanding games. And Aiden Detwiler will have to be at his best. Linebackers Tate Morgan, Fitz Kennedy and senior Jackson Hoots’ experience will be a factor. It will take a team.

Everyone will have to make a difference this week. Randolph comes to Llano riding a 6 game winning streak, and beating everyone soundly, including Blanco last Friday night. Blanco did not score until late in the fourth quarter. Randolph has only given up 71 points in 6 games. And they average about 38 per game. They are no fluke.

Randolph played Llano its closest game last season not counting the Edna game. 21-14. It was a very hard win. Randolph has the reputation of not beating itself. Very few penalties…very few turnovers…very few missed tackles. They won 9 games last season, with most players back this year. Llano has come a long ways over the last four weeks. Having fewer penalties…and fewer turnovers are difference makers. Everyone will need to play their best game…..to win.

The Jackets have scored 90 points the last two weeks, and given up only 13. The 17 straight district wins is on the line…as well as the 22 game home winning streak.

The one thing I do know about the Jackets is….they expect to win. That expectation…that resolve…that will….it is in the DNA of these players. Llano respect Randolph….but does not fear them.

Prediction: Llano 24 Randolph 21

The 2023 Llano Yellow Jackets kicked off District 13-3A with a win in a solid 37-0 victory over San Antonio Cole. With the exception that RJ Coplin did not return a kick off for a touchdown, it was the best over all outing by the Jackets this year. The 3-2 Jackets now head to Lulling this Friday night to play a much improved 2-3 Lulling team.

To try and recap Friday night: Llano played two quarterbacks. Junior Colton Bailey threw for 63 yards on a 5 for 10 throwing night. Colton ran 8 times for 55 more yards. Freshman Luke Davis passed 10 times and completed 8 for 110 yards. Both quarterbacks threw a TD pass.

Llano had 6 players run the football. Junior Trey Mote started the game and ended with 66 yards rushing. Senior Kaleb Payten started the second half and got Llano started with a strong run, then moved to receiver and caught two passes. Llano had 6 players catch passes, with RJ catching 4 for 51 yards and a TD catch. Senior Alex Kachura caught 3 passes for 60 yards. Senior Jacob Hernandez had a catch for 8 yards, and Parker Parish had a catch for 12 yards. And while a surprise that senior Charlie White had a catch for 11 yards and a TD, Charlie’s best night was playing defense. Colton moved over to receiver where Luke found him for a big 27 yard gain down to the three yard line where senior Fitz Kennedy took it in for the score.

Llano was never in trouble in this game. The 24-0 halftime score reflects that. But the defense controlled the game. The defense forced two punts in the first half, and Cole tried to make first downs on three fourth down possessions. The defense held all three times. Outstanding play by Fitz at linebacker. Junior Tate Morgan at linebacker. Charlie White got an interception in the fourth quarter. Logan Van Pelt got a sack in the first quarter. And Dusty Miller had one of his best nights on defense.

Freshman Carlos Sapula kicked true after the first two Jacket TDs, and then in the second quarter, kicked a 31 yard field goal. Llano’s punting game is steady with senior Cooper McWilliams. His one punt was for 34 yards. Cooper also went into the game in the fourth quarter, carrying the ball on five straight plays, gaining 40 yards, before Hayden came in a carried down to the 14 yard line. Luke hit Jacob for 7 yards and then Carlos came in to try another field goal. Everyone got into the act, and Dusty’s 36 yards on 6 carries was a highlight.

Sophomore JD Friday continues to get better. As does junior Carter Bickett. Both in the secondary. Sophomore Aiden Detwiler and senior Jackson Hoot had their best nights as Jackets. Sophomore Brayton Shaw looks healthy again, and played on both offense and defense. Good solid night.

Maybe the most improved of the night was the offensive line. Seniors Dylan Kennedy, Frank Machuga and Hunter Brown are usually playing both ways. Their most improved play lead the offense and defense. JJ Vaughn maybe the best of the lot. Wrote down number 62 many times. And the return of senior Billy Everhart at center cannot be measured. Great return night by the senior. Josh Cooper keeps improving. Juniors Thomas Caldron and Stephen Barrack are welcome relief.

Most all of these lineman play defense. Konrad Zwicke, as sophomore, and senior Forrest Homesley had quality plays against Cole. The Jackets still had 10 penalties. A must area to improve. And improve a bunch. Most seems to being unfocused at the moment. 5 maybe….not 10.

The Yellow Jackets now have won 22 straight home games. Easily a school record. That is something every senior will remember…when they are my age!

The Jackets have now won 16 straight district games. Another school record. Going back to the last district game in 2019. Then 4 in 2020…4 in 2021…and 6 last year. And still counting, this year.

The District is better this year, Ingram is 4-0. Randolph is 5-0. Blanco, rated in the top 12 by Harris rating is 4-1.

The “WILL” showed up Friday night. The will to get better. The will to be better. And understanding how important getting better each week is. Can only get better with concentrated practices. And getting better against Lulling.

Llano 45 Lulling 12

The Llano Yellow Jackets played a less than inspired game in Coleman Friday night and came home after a 26-20 loss to the 2-A school of West Texas.

The Jackets opened the first quarter with three straight possessions of three and outs. 13 yards on 9 plays, and three punts. One the other side of the ball, the Jacket defense played good enough to win. Coleman was intercepted on their first possession. Senior Charlie White got the interception in the first quarter and put the Jacket offense on the field at the 43 yard line.

After another Jacket punt by, the defense took the field and stopped the Blue Cats and forced a punt. Strong play by Linebackers Tate Morgan (16 tackles) and Fitz Kennedy (8 tackles). Senior Dusty Miller may have had his best game. 7 tackles. Sophomore JD Friday played well, as did junior Trey Mote, after missing last week. ( 6 tackles)

In the second quarter, Coleman mounted a drive that saw a 10 play drive, and making first downs on two fourth down tries. Coleman went ahead 8-0 with 6:03 left in the half.

Llano came right back with a 6 play drive and scored from four yards out with a run by Fitz. Quarterback Colton Bailey completed a pass to Alex Kachura for 39 yards down to the 32 yard line. RJ had two catches for short yardage. Trey had a carry for 3 yards and Colton made 10 yards and a first down. The score was 14-6 at halftime, after Coleman scored on 3 plays to end the half.

The Jacket defense allowed 113 yards rushing on 32 running plays. A 3.5 average. Not a bad defense. Hunter Brown and Frank Machuga in the down lineman positions played very good. Same can be said for senior JJ Vaughn. All three seniors play both offense and defense. Defensive backs, senior Jackson Hoot and sophomore Aiden Detwiler had good nights. Aiden got his first varsity interception in the third quarter, that set up Llano’s best opportunity, when Colton on first play hit RJ for a 29 yard TD pass, and the score was 20-20 with 5:37 left in the third quarter.

But the high point of the night was three plays before that. When Coleman went ahead in the third quarter, 20-6, the Blue Cats kicked off. RJ was there again. 76 yards later, RJ had his second kick off return for a TD in as many games. A first, as far as I know to ever happen. It looked like at this point the Jackets were going to roll. Yet, it never happened.

Llano threw an interception, and three plays later Coleman threw an 80 yard TD pass to take the 26-20 lead. Llano had the ball two more times. Only 43 total yards, a punt, and Coleman ran the clock out.

Maybe it was just a long week. Coming off the last minute win against Crockett may have carried over. Maybe looking ahead to District play. But the intensity did not look like it was there.

You can’t continue to jump off sides and start first and 15. You can’t miss easy tackles waiting for someone else to get there first. You can’t have turn overs. And you have to know every play could be your last. It is that brief.

In the Coleman football program, as I opened it this morning, I read: “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of will”….Vince Lombardi

The Jackets have got to find their will. The seniors on this team know what that is. And these seniors must start leading. Yes, many of the Jackets are first time varsity players. Being assertive sometimes does not come natural. But the will to win…the demanding of each other their most effort, on every single play. No plays off. And focus is not there when penalties are costing you games. Everyone must own up to the mistakes, and forge forward with unbridled enthusiasm.

I know the Coaches have told you players this…but everything is in front of you. You can win game # 22 straight on your home field. You can begin defending the District Crown that you have won three years in a row. The Jackets have not lost a district game since 2019. This team should go 8-2 in this regular season, and then the play offs will be fun. Make this season one to remember…for the ages. But you must find the will to make it a reality.

PREDICTION: Llano 31 SA Cole 0

Never say die….Play to the last play….why do they play 48 minutes? Why not 47? I could only laugh at myself as the Llano Yellow Jackets beat 5-A Austin Crockett 20-17 Friday night 20-17. This game will go down in the minds and annuals of the best…or most unbelievable…or the most unlikely…in the history of the Jackets. The 2020 San Saba game….the 2018 Hondo play off game are two that come to mind…but this one….wow.

Let’s just remember, the Jackets had not blown the doors off anywhere along the way in this game Friday night. The Jackets fumbled in their first two possessions. Crockett lead 7-0 mid way thru the first quarter, after a Cameron Dickey 54 yard TD run. Dickey, a D I pledge, is everything you could think of when making comparisons. I’m sure he lead his team in tackles from his safety/linebacker position. As well as playing quarterback, receiver, running back and punter.

Llano mounted a good drive at the end of the first quarter. A 12 play drive that drove to the 4 yard line. Carries by seniors Fitz Kennedy, Dusty Miller were solid, yet the longest run was 6 yards. Junior quarterback Colton Bailey did find RJ Coplin for a 13 yard pass play and a first down. Good blocking from JJ Vaughn, Dylon Kennedy and Hunter Brown helped the Jackets to the four yard line where a 22 yard field goal try was missed.

One has to remember also, the Jacket defense played nearly great. Crockett had two drives of 9 plays and 8 plays, only to be stopped. But penalties were just horrible. JD Friday had an interception that was called back. Outstanding plays by linebackers Tate Morgan and Fitz kept Llano in the game. Aiden Detwiler, a sophomore, really played well. Defensive lineman Frank Machuga had a great game.

After Crockett kicked a successful 46 yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead, the Jackets woke up.. Colton ran for 9 yards. Then Fitz for 12 more. Colton found senior Kaleb Payten for the longest play of the night and a 32 yard reception and a first down on the 6 yard line. From there, junior Trey Mote scored and the score was 10-6 going into halftime. Tate had an interception at the end of the half, and senior Hunter Brown and junior Michael Logan stopped the scoring as half time came on to welcome Homecoming.

Both teams had lots of penalties. Llano had at least 6 in the first half, not counting off setting penalties. The Jacket defense came to play in the second half. In the third quarter, Crockett had the ball 6 plays and two punts. They gained 9 yards. Fitz had a QB sack, and Jackson Hoot was in on most stops. Llano’s offense had a another 11 play drive, with one reception of 8 yards by RJ, and several tough runs by Kennedy and Colton. Two penalties did not help, and the Jackets punted. On the next possession before the fourth quarter, it looked like the offense might get untracked. Mote had a 20 yard run, and Dusty Miller ran for a first down. Tight end sophomore Konrad Zwicke had key blocks. Taking it into the fourth quarter, Colton found Alex Kachura for 8 yards and a first down. Alex had 5 catches for the night, giving him 14 for the season. Then RJ for 3 more. The final big play by Alex for 10 more down to the 6 yard line. Fitz scored from one yard out, and the Jackets took the lead 13-10 with 9:20 to play.

The defense came in and did their part. First recovering a fumble and next JD got his interception for real. Another set of off setting penalties kept everyone honest. And it looked like Llano was going to just run out the clock. But Colton ran to the right, and Cameron Dickey leveled him, causing a fumble. Dickey picked it up and ran it in for a TD…it appeared. In my 73 years, I’ve never seen what happened next. The referees called the TD back, gave the ball to Crockett, saying off setting penalties required the ball to come back to original spot of fumble. Never mind…Dickey scored two plays later to take the lead 17-13 with :51 seconds left to play.

Waiting for skipping kick off to prevent a long run back, I got up and started picking up my papers. But Crockett kicked deep. To RJ Coplin down to the 13 yard line. I scribbled 13 yard line on my pad….and RJ headed to the middle of the field…..but about the 25 yard line he planted his foot, and took off to the sidelines to his right. My thought he was trying to get out of bounds….yet up the sidelines he went. I could see most of Crockett players had wedged to the middle of the field, and Llano had several blockers on the East side of the field. At least one Crockett player was 15 yards out in front of RJ. But out of the corner of one eye, I saw a Yellow Jacket, running ahead of RJ….# 30….Jose Silas, a sophomore. Silas put the Crockett player on the ground, as RJ ran pass both in a mini second. Touchdown…touchdown, with 28 seconds left on the clock. Tate kicked good for the point after and the score was 20-17! (RJ’s 87 yard kick off return is already entered in the school record book)

I would love to say it ended there, but Cameron Dickey ran the kick off back about 30 yards. And then completed a 23 yard pass down to the 15 yard line.Yeks….but a fumble on an attempted field goal try to tie the game…… ended the game. What a finish..what a game…And Llano kept its home winning streak alive…now at 21 straight games.

Celebrate all you want, but this is another week. The 2-1 Jackets travel to Coleman this Friday. The Blue Cats have won 22 games over the past two years, and beat Brady last week 30-14. They will be hard to beat in Coleman.

I heard Coach Matt Green say to Artt after the game this was a great test for this young team. A great way to begin believing in all the work that has gone into this kind of effort and outcome. Sure am glad games are not 47 minutes!

Prediction:

Llano 21

Coleman: 7

The Llano Yellow Jackets took one on the chin Friday night in Burnet against the long time foe in 4-AAAA, the Burnet Bulldogs. And while the 47-12 loss on the “Green Field” was humbling, the Jackets can take solace in knowing this 2023 season is still all out in front of them. While I never did come up with the year that the Green Field was built, the Jackets have never won on that field.

The Jackets’ game got off to a rough start, and really did not get better. After senior Kaleb Payten caught the opening kick off and got the ball back to the 34 yard line, that was as far as they were going. A loss on a run, two penalties, forced a punt. The punt was blocked and caught in mid air and the Bulldogs ran it in for the first score of the game.

Not knowing how quickly bad things could go down hill and so fast, and the third play from scrimmage, the Jackets threw an interception. And now the good part. The Yellow Jackets defense was on the field and held the Bulldogs to 4 yards, forcing a punt. Linebacker Tate Morgan made a good stop on a running play, and pressure from seniors Jackson Hoot and Hunter Brown forced the punting unit on to the field.

Llano’s offense put together a strong series. Senior Fitz Kennedy carried the ball four straight plays for 12 yards and a first down. Good blocks from junior Stephen Barrack at center, and seniors Frank Machuga and Josh Cooper. Junior quarterback Colton Bailey then hit senior Alex Kachura over the middle for an 11yard gain. Alex ended the night with 5 catches. With four from last week, Alex leads the team with 135 yards and 9 catches in two games. RJ Coplin had 8 catches for 90 yards, giving him 9 catches for the two games. Both receivers are very good route runners. Bailey ran for three yards, and sophomore Brayton Shaw ran for three more. But two more penalties ended the drive, and senior Cooper McWilliams came in and punted for 30 yards.

This time the Bulldogs were not to be denied. Four plays and a 21 yard run put the ‘Dogs out in front 14-0 near the end of the first quarter. One paper it was not as bad. The Jackets ended the quarter with 47 yards of offense, and Burnet had 42.

The Jackets next three possessions were not good. A forced punt after gaining only 6 yards. A fumble while going for a fourth and one play. And then an interception on the first play after Burnet had just scored. Burnet scored again before the half and lead 26-0.

The Jackets were scrambling from the get go in this game. Early in the game senior center Billy Everhart came out of the game with a leg injury, not to return. Llano was trying to find the right combination. I counted 8 different players getting time on the offensive line. Besides Dylan Kennedy, Josh Cooper, and JJ Vaughn, we saw action from Barrack, Brown, Machuga, and Thomas Caldron. Junior Will Landers and Carson Stevenson also took snaps. Senior Parker Parrish is a good blocker as his his back up, sophomore Konrad Zwicke.

The offense has to find its identity. And offenses take time. We can see the possibilities of a good running game. Fitz has 140 yards rushing in two games. Shaw has 112 yards in two games. And Bailey can run from his quarterback position. Junior Trey Mote shows a real burst playing in the back field, and had 36 yards against Burnet.

I do like the Jackets short passing game. We know both RJ and Alex and catch and then run. And more throws to the backs, and to speedsters like Kaleb Payten and Parker will help back off the linebackers that have loved to get in close to the Jacket running game. This identity will be found.

The Jacket defense played much better than the 47 points allowed Friday night. Both Fitz Kennedy and Tate Morgan are very aggressive linebackers. Senior Dusty Miller had a good game. Jackson, Charlie White, Carter Bickett and JD Friday all played well. Hunter Brown is getting better in the middle of the line, as is Josh Cooper and Logan Van Pelt. Wesley Whitaker and Mason Martin had good games. The defense is going to be alright. Too many good players not to improve every week.

Austin Crockett is not the same team this year as Llano saw last year. The 5-A, Div. II school was not good last season when Llano beat them in Austin. But Crockett went on the win the last 5 of their last 6 regular season games to make the State Play offs. The brothers, Caleb and Cameron Dickey played lights out in the second half of last season. Cameron, the quarterback, was responsible for 45 touchdowns and was All Central Texas. His younger brother, Caleb, was in on 129 tackles last season, and too was All Central Texas. They shut out their last opponent last week. Expect a barn burner this week for the Jackets Homecoming.

Llano has now won 20 straight games in Jacket Stadium. Win number 21 will take everything the Jackets have to offer, and more. But this is where the Jackets grow up. Playing a much larger school with very good athletes. Llano will be better. The offense will expect to eliminate the turnovers and the penalties. And the defense will get Cameron Dickey off the field.

Llano 31

Crocket6 20

The 28-13 win over 4-A Jarrell Friday night was a strong win at Jacket Stadium and playing the first time on the new surface, installed just weeks ago.

I felt strongly that the defense would need to show up against a team that last season scored 26 points against a great Jacket defense. With a very athletic and talented quarterback in Nico Rodriguez, the Cougars were always only a run or throw away from scoring. Yet the defense did not disappoint. On the 6th play from scrimmage, Llano’s sophomore defensive back stepped in front of a Nico pass and intercepted for the first turnover of the season for this defense. JD Friday in his first varsity game showed why he is a starter. His played sparked the offense.

On the first play from scrimmage, sophomore Brayton Shaw scored from 40 yards out and Llano took an early lead after freshman Carlos Sapula kicked his first of four extra points. According to Head Coach Matt Green, Sapula is the first freshman to start for him as a freshman.

The Jacket offensive line can stand proud on this performance. Lead by senior Dylan Kennedy, the Jackets were able to rush the ball for 255 yards Friday night. Seniors Billy Everhart at center and Josh Cooper were very good in their first Jacket starts. Seniors JJ Vaughn and Frank Machuga showed their experience and were both very good. Senior two year starter Parker Parish had several key blocks. Seniors Jackson Hoot and Hunter Brown had several key plays in key spots. And sophomores Konrad Zwicke and Carson Stevenson were outstanding in their first varsity games. There will be much to improve on as the season progresses, but this was a good start.

One of the very good moments, being four of them, was the punting of senior Cooper McWilliams. Cooper’s first punt put the Cougars at their own 2 yard line. And his four punts for the night averaged over 37 yards. A wonderful debut for Cooper. And a great weapon for the Jackets. Also, good coverage by junior Wesley Whitaker and Charlie White on Kick offs. This will help Sapula’s kick off game, keeping the Cougars 31 yards and deeper each time.

The Jacket defense continued to show up when needed. Linebacker senior Fitz Kennedy had several outstanding defensive plays, while also playing running back and carrying the ball 13 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Full evening for Fitz. Junior Tate Morgan lead the team in tackles with 8. Sophomore Friday, had 7 solo tackles. Muchuga played so tough in the middle of the defensive line. And old timer Charlie White continued his play from last season with a very strong game. Senior linebacker Dusty Miller was in on 5 tackles from his linebacker position. And Brayton Shaw playing on defense, he also lead the team in rushing with 15 carries and 109 yards and a TD. Not a bad nights work for the sophomore. Sophomore Aiden Detwiler showed why he is on the varsity with a good first game at defensive back. The Jacket defense held on fourth down 3 times, forced 4 punts, and intercepted twice.

New players will be stepping up every week. This roster has 18 juniors and sophomores. I know I missed some in this first week, but I too plan on getting better. Such a surprise to me and such wonderful memories were brought back when I saw Kaleb Payten lining up at cornerback. Kaleb’s first year in Llano, is Tommy Duncan’s grandson. When I was a sophomore, I was honored to play with Tommy when he was a senior. Tommy was one of Llano’s all time greats at running back and defensive back.

And Carter Bickett had a great varsity debut. Carter plays safety I think…maybe corner. But his interception in the fourth quarter sealed the Jacket victory. Carter is the son of Billy Bickett, one of the greatest safeties to ever play for Llano. Billy started as a sophomore along with Bradley Kassell in the secondary. Nearly 30 years ago!

The running game of the Jackets was exciting, and until junior quarterback Colton Baily really gets a good feel for the passing game, will need to carry the offense for a while. Colton completed 5 of 11 passes for 94 yards. Not at all a bad start. But Colton helped his own cause with 13 carries and 58 yards rushing. Along with Fitz and Brayton, a strong running game is perfect at this point. Junior Trey Mott also came in and showed a burst of speed with two carries. I think this offensive line of Kennedy, Vaughn, Machuga, Everhart, Brown and Cooper is built to have a strong running game. It will be needed this Friday night.

I have asked around. I have been to every game played in the present Burnet stadium when Llano played, since it was built. I do not think the Jackets have ever beat the Bulldogs in their green stadium. If we have, please let me know. So this would be a great time to start. Burnet has one of their strongest teams in years. And they still have not gotten over Llano’s win last season. Let’s make it two in a row.

LLano 28

Burnet 12

The Llano Yellow Jackets host the Jarrell Cougars this Friday night at 7PM. The first game to be played on the new turf, also brings with it a Yellow Jacket 19 game home winning streak. Jarrell scored the second most points against the Jackets last season. The 26 points was bettered only by Edna in the State Semi Final game. The Jackets in 2022 gave up an average of only 12 points per game…may not be a record, but the best by far in over 30 years.

The elephant in the room today is the loss of senior quarterback Briggs Green. The returning 2nd team All State quarterback in the Coaches Padilla Poll cannot be measured here. Briggs’ 32 TD passes last season is the second best all time in school history. Career marks in passing yards, completions, and TD passes all would have fallen had the season begun with Briggs. We hope for a speedy recovery, as his leadership skills and experience as an all district safety his sophomore year marked a remarkable two seasons.

While Llano looses one of its best, know that these varsity Jacket players will be playing harder as they recognize the steep hill to be climbed. Llano still has experience at key positions, and experience that will be leaned upon every Friday night. Maybe no one more important than seniors Dylon Kennedy in the offensive line, Parker Parriah at tight end, Alex Kachura at wide receiver, Charlie White at defensive back, Dusty Miller on defense and running back, and likely two way starter, Fitz Kennedy at outside linebacker and running back. All 6 of these juniors last season received recognition on the All District team. Also, two key members are seniors J.J.Vaughn and Frank Machuga. Both experienced offensive lineman.

The Jackets looked good against Brady in last Thursday’s scrimmage. But a scrimmage against Brady is not the same as against a very good Jarrell team coming to Llano Friday night. Jarrell’s team last season was very fast at the receiver positions, as four TDs were for long yards and and they happened fast. Last season Llano had several key players that were experiencing their first varsity games. No different this season for Llano. When you think that players on last seasons team such as Ulisses Martinez, Luke Turner, Russell Nelson, and Cole Franklin had little experience, but went on to gain all district recognition, were just learning in the first game last season.

The excitement for many Jacket fans is just that. Learning new players. When I think back about Mason Baker, Hyden Manahan, or Ricky De La Torre all as sophomores and the kind of players they all became is inspiration for any young varsity player. You can do it. Others have done it. And they all started at the same spot, in that first varsity game.

Will be closely watching Friday night how our new quarterback does, as he will need a very strong running game to keep the ball away from the Cougars. That means the offensive line will have to mature and grow up fast. The defense last season, as I said, would be able to keep Llano in many games until the offense caught fire. I can say the same for this years’ defense. I feel strongly that it too can keep the Jackets in many games, until the offense finds its footing.

Prediction: Llano 27 Jarrell 20