Llano ‘walking taller’ after 48-21 victory against Hondo
JENNIFER FIERRO / STAFF WRITER
LLANO — The Llano High School football took a business-like approach in beating Hondo 48-21 on Oct. 21.
“We faced the top two teams in (District 13-4A Division II) already (in Wimberley and Navarro),” Yellow Jackets head coach Craig Slaughter said. “We knew we needed to get the next two to get that third-place spot (to go to the playoffs).”
So Llano (3-2, 1-2) seized control immediately by scoring first. And though Hondo answered to take a 7-6 lead on the ensuing drive, the Jackets scored on their next three possessions for a 28-7 advantage at the half.
The big defensive play happened when Llano led 14-7. Freshman defensive player Aaron Brown caught the ball in midair after the Hondo ball carrier coughed up the ball. Brown ran 60 yards to paydirt.
Junior running back Mason Greenwood finished the game with 215 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. John Heflin had 10 carries for 96 yards, and Brown added three carries for 75 yards.
Slaughter said the team needed a contest where it dominated in all three phases. The offense had 400 rushing yards and controlled the line of scrimmage from the start.
“The kids played really well,” he said. “I loved what our offensive line did with the ground and pound game. There were several kids we felt like we had to get going.”
What the head coach enjoyed most though was watching the joy of his staff members and players after the last regular-season home game.
“It’s fun to see your kids and coaches breathe easy and enjoy things that come with winning in high school sports,” he said. “It makes you walk taller.”
The Jackets end the regular season on a road trip to Bandera on Oct. 28 with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium, 474 Old San Antonio Highway in Bandera.
jfierro@thepicayune.com