Yellowjackets force Panthers into several adjustments

LIBERTY HILL — When playing for a share of the district championship, all coaches can ask is for their players to give maximum effort.

Llano High School head football coach David Yeager said his players did just that even though they lost to Liberty Hill, 28-17, Nov. 7.

“We played with great effort,” he said. “We did play them close. I think we played with a championship effort.”

The Yellowjackets skipper was most proud of the way the defense competed, he said.

“Everything they got, they had to earn,” he said. “Our defense played outstanding.”

The Panthers, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, led from the start.

Liberty Hill was in the lead, 14-0, when Estevan Aviles hit a 29-yard field goal.

Llano fullback Jeffrey McLerran scored on a running play to trim the lead, 14-10.

The teams exchanged possessions, but when the Yellowjackets were forced to punt, Liberty Hill seized control of the game.

The Panthers caught the punt and executed a reverse for a touchdown for a 21-10 lead.

“That was a back breaker,” Yeager said. 

Liberty Hill took a 28-10 lead. 

The Llano defense forced a turnover in the final three minutes on its own 12.

“We got in our NASCAR hurry-up offense,” Yeager said.

Jackets quarterback Trey Brooks capped the drive when he hit tight end Walker Woolman for a score.

“We practice that,” Yeager said. “We work on that. We knew it was something we might have to use.”

The coach said he would have liked to have seen his offense play more consistently.

“Offensively, we didn’t play as well as we could,” he said. “I just thought we might be able to move the ball more.”

Yeager said Liberty Hill coaches congratulated him for the defensive effort. 

“They were running their offense,” he said. “We were stopping it. It’s a credit to (Liberty Hill) they were able to make adjustments. They made a few more big plays than we did.”

The coach will be able to take more positives from this contest to help his squad as Llano prepares for the bi-district game against Glen Rose Friday. 

“The game was a lot closer than the score indicated,” he said. “I was happy they fought till the end. That’s what we want them to do.” 

Photo by Tom Suarez/www.tomsuarez.net