Can’t fight ‘em, join ‘em. Or get one you can’t fight (successfully) and get her here. Dianna Heiner is the new head volleyball coach in Llano. She had that position at Bandera, and we know she beat the Jackets five times in a row—2013-2017, the John Black era. Black’s last day at
school was April 20.
So, where were we? Oh, right. 19-6, Llano in front of Burnet, April 13. Lightning and rain cause a five-day delay. I was chided a bit for
writing that, “This one was over,” when we went to press a day before it was in the books. If Burnet had come back to win, my headline, April 25, was going to be: “Dewey Defeats Truman.” ***The Chicago Daily Tribune wrote that on election morning after the presidential election, 1948, but President Harry Truman won.
Back on the diamond: the team ...
If you can get kids (and their folks) out to the soccer fields on a perfect day for, uh, the slalom, or hockey on the nearest frozen pond, I think you’ve got something going.
“They have a ball,” Deana Kenner told me. She’s treasurer of Llano Youth Soccer. More than 200 youngsters—about equally divided between Llano and San Saba counties—come to the pitch on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
BURNET—Who knew?
Ray Dixon, one of the best
shot putters in the state, has
struggled a bit with the shot,
but he’s been in much more
serious trouble with the discus. Reviewing what happened in 2017: Ray was region champion in the shot, third in state; second in region
with the disc, fourth in state.
2018 has included a 54-foot shot-put heave which is maybe two feet shy of what he needs to win 4A state next month.
BURNET—Anna Casey, in her first 19-4A district competition on the track, won two gold medals and a silver to lead five other Jacket runners into the Area round of postseason.
“Ran her heart out,” said Lady Jackets’ head coach, Amy Withrow. “She’s passionate—she’s a beast.” That’s positive talk in athletic language.
“I got boxed in on the first lap,” Anna told me, after winning the 800 meters.
While most of Llano slept, the lights remained on at the Jackets’ ballpark. And, suddenly, close to 10:30 PM, three hours after the game
against Lampasas had begun, Cade Fly swung at a Jon Davis pitch. His bat became a violin bow, creating one of those crescendo sounds, the kind where the ear knows that’s a line smash, a missile a few feet off the ground.
LAMPASAS—She had made a hundred on her previous test, but that’s no good in this course—or on the course. Llano High’s Kenzie White, playing the last 18 holes of her varsity career, took 15 strokes off the April 5 visit to Delaware Springs by shooting an 85 four days later at Hancock Park in Lampasas, and that earned her All-District honors.
TAYLOR—A good comeback for the Lady Jackets, March 27, but the Ducks countered with two runs to win, 9-7.
“We expect to win when we hit like that,” said head coach Kemp Lowery.
His bunch opened fast with two runs in the first inning. Lauren Young and Jordyn Hull got singles and were helped home by a Taylor error.
This is a column on Dakoda Trull, the powerlifter, but I promise no more (super) stats on what he lifted to become Number One at the State Championships, March 24, in Abilene.
I wanted to deliver a couple of personal thoughts and take you “behind the scenes” at the event.
I have followed Dakoda’s success for two (maybe three?) years.
And Nic George’s life has never experienced anything better on the track than it did, March 29, at home in the Jacket Relays.
He captured the Llano Stadium Triple Crown: the 800 and 1600-meter races and capped the triumphant tour in the Jacket Relays by anchoring the 4x400-meter relay team to its first victory of the season in personal (personnel?) record time of three minutes, 33.1 seconds.
“I knew I had to start faster,” said Nic, concerning the fourth and final lap.
