Llano has must-win game against Hondo in postseason race
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
LLANO — The Llano High School football team has two games left in its season and is looking to win both to secure a spot in the playoffs.
The first of those contests is a District 13-4A Division II home date against Hondo on Oct. 21 with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. at Llano Stadium, 400 Texas 71 East.
“It’s another game we need to play well and win,” head coach Craig Slaughter said. “It’s two winnable games.”
Hondo (1-6 overall, 1-0 district) beat Bandera 34-14 last week for its first win of the season; the Yellow Jackets (2-6, 0-2) lost to Wimberley 35-16.
Because the Owls have already beaten Bandera, they have taken a step toward the playoffs. A win against Llano assures them of finishing no worse than third in the district standings.
Meanwhile, the Jackets have lost to the top two teams in the district — Navarro and Wimberley — and need a victory against Hondo as well as one against Bandera on Oct. 28 to make the postseason.
The Owls utilize the Slot-T offense, a run scheme that uses quick handoffs and misdirection to try to confuse the defense. Senior running back Matthew DeLeon has 146 carries for 966 yards and 16 touchdowns, while junior running back Jordan Gomez has 91 carries for 667 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Garrett VanDamme has completed 17 passes for 313 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions and has 52 carries for 277 yards and three touchdowns for Hondo.
Slaughter said the most dangerous element of Hondo’s offense isn’t the unit’s strength.
“They are extremely patient,” he said. “They stay on schedule. They go for it a lot on fourth down. It’s going to be a game where the clock is going to roll by quickly.”
Slot-T offenses will typically dominate the game clock so that each team will get no more than nine possessions in a game. By contrast, most spread or pro-style offenses will have six possessions per half.
The Owls’ defense is based out of the 4-3 formation, while the secondary usually plays man-to-man defense. And very few Hondo athletes start on both sides of the ball.
The Jackets will counter with junior running back Mason Greenwood, who has 127 carries for 891 yards and nine touchdowns, and junior quarterback Ben Walling with 33 carries for 224 yards and one score. Walling has completed 46 passes for 689 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. Junior receiver Anthony Watson has 15 catches for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
Slaughter noted that Llano’s six losses have been to opponents that have a combined record of 36-7: Sonora (6-1), Brady (4-3), Lago Vista (6-1), Burnet (6-1), Navarro (7-0), and Wimberley (7-1).
jfierro@thepicayune.com