Despite record, Llano defense going strong and steady
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
LLANO — A look at the final score doesn’t always tell the complete story for the Llano High School football team.
And the rest of the story is the Yellow Jackets are fielding a solid defensive unit despite the fact they are 2-4. The Jackets’ wins were against Bangs (41-12) on Sept. 4 and Salado (27-24) on Oct. 2.
Head coach Craig Slaughter purposely scheduled teams known for their tradition (Wall), rivalry (Brady and Fredericksburg) or enrollment (San Angelo Lake View, a District 4-5A member).
Llano has given up an average of 27 points per contest, but in the first half, opponents have only averaged nine points.
“They have held their own,” Slaughter said. “I don’t feel like (our offense) has done anything to help them out.”
Offensive miscues such as turnovers and multiple three-and-out drives have kept the defense on the field much longer than Slaughter would like. In fact, because the Jackets haven’t been offensive enough and the defense has been stingy, the coach said he has thought about taking calculated gambles because he has so much confidence in the defense.
Senior linebacker Wyatt Baumann leads the team with 86 tackles, has caused two fumbles and has an interception.
Senior cornerback Cody Miller has four interceptions on the season, the most on the squad, and junior defensive lineman Hunter Roemer is the leader in fumble recoveries with two.
The 27-24 comeback win against Salado illustrates the defensive dominance.
The Jackets led 14-0 in the first quarter thanks to the defense forcing two punts and an interception by junior safety Brent Greenwood.
That triggered a string of interceptions. Senior cornerback Matt Agee had the second on the Eagles’ next possession, while Miller caught the third one after the Jacket offense committed a safety to get Salado on the scoreboard.
And now that the defensive line includes sophomore Ray Dixon and senior Colton Center, Slaughter said runners are finding it harder to get past the line of scrimmage.
“Wyatt and Cody are ball hawks like I’ve not seen before,” the coach said. “The kids are settling into their roles.”
When Llano qualified for the playoffs in 2013, the Jackets had some offensive weapons in former quarterback Layton Rabb, former running back Carter Tatsch and former receiver Isaac Hutto. Rabb is a quarterback at Midwestern State University and Hutto is a pitcher at Texas State University.
They defeated Lampasas 59-58 in overtime and Gatesville 39-26 en route to qualifying. This year’s Jackets defense has played well to give the offense opportunities to find its rhythm. And Slaughter said that’s been invaluable.
“They have fought like dogs and played a high level and are getting better,” he said. “Those guys have played their tails off.”
And while the defense is off to steady start, the Jackets believe they can play even better.
“Each week is a new challenge,” Slaughter said. “They’re headed in the right direction.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com