Yellowjackets’ season ends against Bridgeport

STEPHENVILLE — The Llano High School football team’s season ended with a 41-27 loss to Bridgeport Nov. 15 in the area round of the playoffs.

The Yellowjackets ended their year at 8-4 overall.

“We had a great season,” head coach David Yeager said. “Our kids played hard every game. We ran up against the No. 1 team in the state in some polls. They were able to make a few more plays than we were. We started off in a hole from the go.”

The Bulls took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and needed only two plays to score on their first drive highlighted by a 32-yard run by Corbin Green. Green added a one-yard run later in the quarter.

Llano got on the board thanks to a Logan Davis 10-yard run. But Green answered with a two-yard run. Daniel Olmos scored on a 24-yard scamper, but Clayton Maples answered with a two-yard run for the Yellowjackets. 

Green scored on a one-yard run to end the first half and give the Bulls a 34-13 lead.

Davis hit paydirt on runs of 16 and one yard, while Green scored from 13 yards out to secure the game.

Llano forced two interceptions and a fumble.

“That slowed them down a little bit,” Yeager said. “They have very good athletes with great team speed and athletes who are fast. They spread you out and have the ability to run and throw. It hurt us a few times.”  

The Yellowjackets had 408 yards of total offense with 344 coming on the ground.

“They have a very good defense,” Yeager said. 

Bridgeport recorded 456 yards with 159 in the air and 297 on the ground. 

Brothers Corbin and Cameron Green were the players who made Bridgeport’s offense go, the Llano skipper said.

“They are 4.5 (seconds 40-yard dash) guys,” he said. “They have a very good football team. I expect them to keep playing.”

That in turn allowed the Bulls to make plays, he said.

“You really could never get them in negative yards,” Yeager said. “Their backs and quarterback were very good at reading the blocks.”

He was proud of the way his players competed. 

“I think anyone who was at the game came away knowing we battled,” Yeager said. “We had a chance to close within a touchdown and had a play called. I wish I had called a different play or two.”

The Yellowjackets went two rounds in the playoffs for the fourth straight year, which will motivate underclassmen to keep working, Yeager said.

“We’re setting the bar and want to keep raising it,” he said. “I think our young kids are going to feed off that and carry on the tradition.” 

Photo by Tom Suarez/www.tomsuarez.net