Ten Highland Lakes Sports Insights

CAPTION: Smoking For Jesus defensive coordinator Boo Maxwell gives instructions and adjustments to the Eagles during halftime of their loss to Bulverde Gloria Deo Academy. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

We are quickly moving to the month of December, which is an exciting time for teams that play on the girdiron, the hard wood and the pitch. The closer we get to the new year, the more the pace will quicken for athletes and coaches as the spring semester always brings more after-school practice. But we can’t move to 2023 without closing out 2022 and that begins with football.

1. One Highland Lakes football team remains on the road to capturing a state title and to the surprise of very few, it’s the Llano Yellow Jackets. The Jackets earned a big win against Vanderbilt Industrial 42-17 Nov. 25 where they outscored the Cobras 28-3 in the second half. Llano simply found another gear and showed it in three plays led to the outcome. The first was when senior Miguel Hernandez took the opening kickoff of the third quarter 65 yards to the Industrial 28-yard line. Junior quarterback Briggs Green found senior receiver Ross Prokop for the 28-yard touchdown. The Jackets recovered the pooch onside kick that allowed Green to find senior receiver Jackson Dillard for a 39-yard completion to the Industrial two-yard line that senior running back Carson Kuykendall ran in for a touchdown. And senior defensive back Ulisses Martinez caught Cobra sophomore running back Cooper Martin on the Llano two-yard line to keep him from scoring though he ran 55 yards on that play. That forced Industrial to kick a field goal, its only points of the second half. Hernandez’s kickoff run, the recovery of the onside kick, and Martinez’s refusal to quit on the play illustrate why Llano is so tough to beat. Next up is an equally stubborn opponent, Edna, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at Rattler Stadium in San Marcos.
2. The Smoking For Jesus football team’s road for another state crown ended in a 34-32 loss to Bulverde Gloria Deo Academy Nov. 25. Small mishaps on snaps, slipping on a wet field and the slick ball because of a constant mist throughout the contest were too much for the Eagles to overcome. It was a very difficult loss, especially since the two teams met a month earlier where Smoking For Jesus prevailed 36-34. The Eagles began the season as brand new members of the Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organizations at the recommendation of head coach Charles Frazier, Sr. after spending at least three years in the Texas Christian Athletic League. Though the season didn’t turn out the way they had hoped, the Eagles have plenty to be proud of: they won their fourth consecutive district crown and represented the region with class and character.
3. After starting the 2022-23 season with two wins, the Marble Falls boys basketball team has lost its last two contests. Head coach Travis Crain said the Mustangs are showing their youth, are still learning how to win on the road and how to play 32 minutes. Right now, their slow starts in the first quarter are giving the opponents an advantage and putting the Mustangs in a deficit. They were able to overcome that in the first and second games and unable to do so in the last two contests.
4. Meanwhile, the Marble Falls girls hoops squad has obtained a 7-1 record with its only loss to Hutto 48-43 Nov. 17. The Lady Mustangs are off to their best start in the seven years head coach John Berkman has been at the helm. Marble Falls has the scoring versatility complete with the tough defense Berkman wants to see from his team. It’s one Achilles heel this early in the season is free throw shooting. In short, Marble Falls’ biggest consistency in that category is its inconsistency. In the loss to Hutto, the Lady Mustangs were 9 of 19. They return to the Max Copeland Gym court Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when Belton pays a visit.
5. Not to be outdone, the Burnet Lady Dawgs are 4-2 on the season with wins against Lake Belton 59-51, Leander 63-29, Dripping Springs 57-24 and Mason 58-32. The losses were to Stephenville 43-23 and Smithson Valley 45-39. Junior posts MaeSyn Gay and Zaria Solis are back after wrapping up their commitment to the volleyball team. Eight players return from last season’s Class 4A Region III finalist team, which won the last two district crowns. One month remains before the start of District 24-4A play, and it’s shaping up to be a great one.
6. On RR 1431 are the Faith Academy Flames and Lady Flames basketball teams. The Flames began the season with a 66-54 loss to Killeen Chaparral Nov. 18, the same school that visited the Marble Falls football team in September and lost. Despite the outcome, Faith head coach Zakk Revelle was incredibly encouraged because of the rapport and fight from his players in taking on a team that had more height than the Flames. Senior Brock Davis remains the most complete power forward in the Highland Lakes, though there might be a couple of players who’d like to differ. Still, Davis led his team by scoring 19 points and grabbed 19 rebounds during the loss. Faith got its first win, a 60-15 victory against Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills, which is rebuilding.
7. The Lady Flames are still contending with youth though head coach Kat Canada sees how much her players have grown from last season to this one. Fans can see the Lady Flames are more decisive with the ball. Basketball is a game of reaction, so having a natural feel for where the ball should go as the Lady Flames move to get open offensively will be huge this season.
8. I mentioned in item No. 6 about possible players who’d like to differ on the region’s best. They are Llano junior guard Weston Baker and senior forward Owen Powers. The two have led the Jackets to a 1-1 record with a win against Mineral Wells 60-40 and a loss to Pflugerville 56-51. Baker is averaging 26 points a game, while Powers is averaging 17 points.
9. Let’s hand out some game balls. To Llano senior receiver Jackson Dillard, who caught 4 passes for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns. He gets a game ball because of the way Dillard caught the ball. One was while he was on his back after he slipped. He was constantly covered and constantly came through with the important catches. It’s the type of game that separates the great from the elite, and Dillard showed why he is in the second category.
10. To Smoking For Jesus quarterback Isaac Legier, who refused to allow his team to go out without playing his best football. I had him for 293 all-purpose yards, though coaches may have had him for more. The greatest compliment an opponent can give is not allowing a great player to have another shot at winning the contest. When Bulverde Gloria Deo ran out the clock, it didn’t give Legier another chance to break their hearts again, something that most definitely would have happened if the Lions attempted a pass while Legier was playing defensive back or he had the ball as an offensive ball carrier. He was ranked in the top 20 for passing yards by MaxPreps.com and is among the elite in the region.

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