Llano 14 - Liberty Hill 63
Llano 27 - Blanco 13
Llano 10 - Early 13
Llano 19 - Commanche 0
Llano 41 - Vista Ridge 20
Llano 34 - Comfort 20
Llano 48 - Ingram 27
Llano 24 - Brady 26
Llano 35 - Bandera 26
Llano 17 - Wimberly 42
Llano 27 - Poteet 20

Play to Win Archives

2003

2004

LISD Football Records

Play To Win

By Mikel R. Virdell…recording the history of the Fighting Llano Yellowjackets since 1973.

How do you spell “relief”? Would Popebunnelldickeypasselindleyhoersterwillmannmorgansaverancebiggerhilllan
fordwooten iveymiiller whitakermeadorstriplingwarrenfryclaytonleverettcoffeeschneidel
thompsonfortney ritchielongvirdell sound about right?

The 27-20 victory by the 2005 Llano Yellowjackets over the Poteet Aggies in Bi-district was a thrilling game, and no one left early. Just when you thought, maybe Llano would pull away, Poteet would score in a flash of an eye, and you would sit back down.
The Aggies scored three times, completed 5 passes for 241 yards and were ready to be rude and beat the visiting Jackets.

But Llano had a better game plan. Llano took the opening kick-off and drove 76 yards for its first score. Llano ran 19 plays. Had only one mistake, a five-yard penalty. Shane Pope carried the ball 14 times ! Senior Branden Long carried two times. Senior Jonryan Passe carried once. Sophomore Lance Dickey carried twice. Pope scored with 2:02 left in the first quarter! Senior Grant Morgan kicked true and Llano was ahead 7-0 with nearly ¼ of the game over! 19 plays…surely this is a school record. And what a disciplined drive….19 plays! Unheard of!!!

But, Llano still had to play the remaining 38 minutes. Poteet ran three plays in the fourth quarter and punted, where Llano started play at the 9-yard line. Five plays later Grant punted for a net of 73 yards, and put the Aggies on their own 10-yard line where Llano’s defense again held, this time on a fourth and one. Grant, Willmann, Luke Meador, Long, Whitaker, Coffee, Virdell, and Bigger made key stops.
Llano responded with a 72-yard drive, but this drive had two things that rarely happen. Llano completed two passes…. in the same possession. Junior quarterback Jordan Leverett first hit Pope on a 13-yard pass, and came back and hit Davis from his tight end position for 8 yards and the TD. Pope had the longest run of the night, going over junior center Jonathan Hill, tackles Hoerster and Wooten, and tremendous effort from senior Zack Lanford for a 20 yard run. Llano lead 14-0 with 57 seconds left to play in the half. This was too much time left for Poteet. They needed only 28 seconds to go 75 yards and score. Halftime was 14-6, and Llano had a little worry on its face. Or at least I did.

Poteet wasted one play in the third quarter before they scored on the second play…going 77 yards with the long TD pass. Passe took the kickoff and got back to the 27-yard line. The Jackets ran 10 straight running plays, with Passe getting 9 yards on a play with a sweep left. Hill, and Lanford again providing super effort in the trenches. And lightening hit for the third time. Leverett threw a 37-yard strike to Passe for the TD and the Jackets lead 20-12.

And what happens. We kick-off, and 7 plays later the Aggies score with a 55 yard pass. Go for two, make it and we’re tied at 20-20!

Llano goes to the well one too many times, and on third down…threw a pass and it is intercepted!. Crunch time…fourth quarter. And Llano plays lights-out defense. Andy and Davis and Grant put the stop to this high-powered offense, and forces a punt. And the rest is history.

Shane carries four times for 18 yards. Lance two carries for 12 more yards. Passe for five. And then in comes senior T.J. Bunnell and with one burst goes 54 yards for the Llano TD and the margin of victory. Still, Llano has to play the final 5:48…which is too much time for the Aggies. But not to worry. Chris Saverance, Grant, Luke, and Patrick along with great effort all night long from junior Corey Ritchie, Robert Coffee, junior Jordan Clayton and senior Long, the Jackets squeeze down, and on third and 10, sophomore Lance Dickey makes the play of the night on defense with an interception.
Now, Llano must hold the ball. 10 plays, all runs, Llano faces third and 9. In comes T.J. again…and 32 yards later the senior has Llano on the six-yard line where Llano takes a knee to run out the clock. I’m tired~!
Llano last made it to the second round of the play-offs in 1999 getting beat by eventual State Champion Sealy. Back in 1997 Llano made it to the second round of the play-offs and met Cuero. Cuero had it hardest play-off win that year, beating Llano 13-7. Llano’s Bradley Kassell was a senior, and played hurt. We nearly beat the Gobblers.

For you that like a little history, Llano has won only one game in the second round, that being in 1973 when Ken Gray was the Coach, beating McGregor 17-14.

Cuero is the number one team in the State. They were 14-1 last year, getting beat in the final Championship game. The Gobblers will be picked to win by 20 plus points. Our task will be mighty!
Llano is young. Junior Josh Yocum is out, and will be missed. Yet, the Jackets are such a solid team, that anything can happen, and one thing that has happened, and that is Llano controls the football. Llano beat another very good football team in Poteet Friday night. When Llano has the football, it is hard for other teams to score. The Jackets have every reason to think they can beat Cuero. This 8-3 Jacket team is solid. Sound offense…sound defense…and excellent smart coaching. Should Llano beat the number one team in Class 3AAA, this would be the biggest win in the history of the school. You must believe first. Then you go out and do it.

Llano 21 Cuero 18

Next Play To Win Special Wed. PM 11-16-05