September 28, 2009
Click HERE to tell a friend about this page.
Virdell Real Estate Home Page
2009 Articles
Jul 15 - Schedule
Play to Win Archives
Play To Win
By Mikel R. Virdell…recording the history of the Fighting Llano Yellowjackets since 1973.
The 1-2 2009 Llano Yellowjackets played their best football against Taylor two weeks ago and won by the score of 30-14. No, not the best football in 2009. The best football this decade. Llano beat a 3-0 football team that was averaging nearly 50 points per contest. They beat a team that was state ranked, and had two of the very best athletes on their team that Central Texas will see this football season. Llano’s defense had a monumental task of stopping the steam rolling Ducks. The bell was answered by the Jackets in one of the best team efforts in a decade. The defense controlled the football game from the end of the first quarter to the final gun. If Llano can play at the same energy level and same intensity as the Taylor game, the Jackets have an opportunity to make 2009 very special.
District play began this past weekend, with Llano having the weekend off. Liberty Hill beat Fredericksburg, Canyon Lake beat Ingram, and Wimberley finally decided to start their season, and rose up to beat Burnet. The first week tells me two important things about 8 3AAA. One….Burnet may not be the giant killer it has been in the past. Very good, but beatable. And Llano will have it no easier this year making the playoffs than any other season. But beating Fredericksburg this Friday night in Fredericksburg becomes more important than ever. The team that wins the district will likely have one loss, and the third place team into the playoffs likely will have three losses. Should Llano win the next 6 games in a row, all of this does not matter.
The great running back Kevin Fain of the 1977 Llano Yellowjackets had the wonderful memory in last weeks’ Llano News in which remembered the Llano-Fredericksburg game his senior year. The 34-14 halftime score was one of my most cherished memories. Kevin ran for 173 yards that night, when at halftime, many of the Llano people went home! Sounds strange, but at halftime I remember going down to the concession stand and talking with folks that were afraid it was going to get ugly! (The score). It did get ugly, if you wore “big red” red. Frederickburg fumbled the first two times after the half in which it had the football and the Jackets recovered both and scored off both turnovers. When Llano took the lead, the ‘Billies came right back down the field to the 16 yardline, and on fourth down missed at chip shot field goal try. The 35-34 score is one of the great moments in Jacket history.
Llano’s defensive play in 2009 can win this district. But as was the case two weeks ago, 11 players must be playing hard every play. The team tackling makes so many things happen good. When everyone is around the football, there is a chance a fumble will be caused and the chances enhanced for a Jacket recovery. And it becomes a habit. Missed tackles are going to happen. But one missed tackle should not give the runner a chance to go the length of the field, which has happened so often over the past years. Long plays have killed the Jackets. When it becomes competitive on your own team to be part of the tackle, long plays will stop happening. Llano’s offense is going to score, and score often. You put a defense on the field as good as the offense, and Llano will become one serious headache for 6 teams in 8 3AAA.
So many players have started to play well. And that part of the game is why I believe this Jacket team is going to do so well in the next 6 weeks. The Jacket seniors see the urgency of winning now…playing hard now. No luxury of playing hard for a while, and resting for a while. Every team in 8 3AAA can beat anyone on a given night. With the exception of Ingram, there are still six teams in 8 3AAA that are making plans on being in the playoffs.
Playing in Fredericksburg will not be easy. The crowd noise will be on the ‘Billies side, and their fans usually show up in masses. With one loss already, it will be like last season. The Billies know they cannot afford another loss in District play and have a realistic chance to be in the playoffs. Llano faces their toughest mental test to date. Fredericksburg has the talent to beat Llano . It will come down to which team is toughest both mentally and physically. The Jackets have shown what they can do in one game. It was a great relief to many of us. Now they must do the same thing again, only this time against a team that will be playing for and having nothing to loss.
Llano 35 Fredericksburg 12