Ten Highland Lakes Insights

CAPTION: Llano football head coach Matt Green hands the bi-district championship trophy to his players. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

To celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, here is my list of blessings this semester.

1. Every football team in the region had a shot at the playoffs, even in the final week of the regular season. It doesn’t escape me that Burnet and Marble Falls play in District 4-4A Division I that has a total of five members. Had the Mustangs beaten Brownwood in the final regular season game, they would have advanced to the postseason because all they needed to do was win. That is a big blessing, indeed.
2. It’s also a huge blessing when teams win district crowns. The region had two of those: Llano and Faith Academy. The Yellow Jackets added their fourth district title under the direction of head coach Matt Green, who is in his eighth year at the helm. Green already has the most wins in program history and has the chance to guide this team to its fourth gold ball by winning the regional semifinal contest against Goliad at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29 at Dub Farris Stadium in San Antonio. Green and his coaches are the only staff in Llano history to get the Yellow Jackets through three playoff rounds. If the Jackets win Saturday, they’ll make more history.
3. The Flames winning the district crown is a return of the championship to Faith Academy after a one-year hiatus. It’s the first district title for head coach Jay Silvers, who just completed his first year in charge of the program. The Flames went undefeated during district play and though their season ended in a playoff loss at home to begin the postseason, they accomplished plenty in 2024 that will help next year.
4. Though the Burnet Bulldogs may have had a disappointing loss to end the season in the bi-district title against Andrews, the Bulldogs are far from disappointing. In district play, they lost to Lampasas 42-38 and to Brownwood 31-30 in overtime. That’s by a total of five points. And while Burnet will say good-bye to a talented senior class, it has stacked some back-to-back classes that will keep the Bulldogs in the playoff mix for awhile.
5. And to illustrate the depth of District 4-4A Division I, Lampasas and Stephenville each won two playoff games and are still playing during Thanksgiving week. Brownwood lost last week after winning its bi-district game. District 13-3A Division I also has two members still playing: Llano and Universal City Randolph.
6. Let’s switch to volleyball where every single team in the region either advanced to the playoffs or came within a win of advancing. Marble Falls, which is filled with some talented players, many of which are newcomers to the varsity, simply needed to beat Jarrell to advance to the Class 4A playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. And they came close, which will help the Lady Mustangs next season.
7. Meanwhile, the Burnet Lady Dawgs continued to be their brilliant selves as they finished third in the district and won a bi-district championship. And it’s important to note the depth and talent in this district with one important fact. District champions Salado beat district runner-up Georgetown Gateway four times in 2024, none bigger than in the Class 4A Division II Region III championship to advance to the state tournament.
8. The Faith Academy Lady Flames began the season with a banner that had the name of its sport on it and nothing else. It ends the season by winning a regional championship and advancing to the state tournament of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools for the first time in program history under the direction of Erin Sawyer, who completed her second year at the helm. Like Marble Falls, the Lady Flames will have some talented and experienced players returning next season.
9. The Llano Lady Jackets had a season of firsts: a co-district championship, a bi-district title and a win in the area round of the playoffs. The Lady Jackets’ season ended in a three-set loss to Bushland, which won the Class 3A Division I championship. The Lady Jackets’ top player, Amelia Robinson, signed to play for Georgia Southern.
10. And since we’re talking volleyball, a big congratulations to the Johnson City Lady Eagles for winning the Class 2A Division I state title. This is even more impressive considering they won both the state semifinal and state championship matches in five sets. Johnson City played some impressive teams during the pre-district including Burnet, Blanco, Fredericksburg, Comfort and Wimberley. They beat the Lady Billies, the Lady Panthers and the Doe.
11. Here’s a bonus addition since we aren’t talking basketball just yet. Congratulations to Marble Falls senior guard Tidus Willie for scoring his 1,000th point in a Mustang uniform. Willie has played well throughout his time in the program because of his work ethic and commitment.