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It took 17 games, three quarters, seven minutes and 20 seconds—and close to two years—for the Llano basketball Yellow Jackets to realize they were writing the final chapter on one of the most painful district-losing streaks in school history, but an 11-2 run in the last period got the job done for a 41-37 victory at Vandegrift. The school wasn’t even born when the skid began.

“Two hard seasons is what it’s been,” Layne Sprey related following the harrowing ordeal, January 29, against the Vipers. He said it all by saying: “It’s beyond words to describe.”

It appeared that Vandegrift of Austin, but the Leander ISD, was going to be describing the win, as it led 25-21 early in the third quarter and simply seemed like it owned control. The Jackets, though, coveted some ownership themselves.

Marshall Benavides, maybe not the best of the Black and Orange, maybe not Shannon Taylor’s favorite at times, maybe not all smoothness and glide, but simply the heart and soul of a squad full of soul, hit a two that was nearly a three and a three that was a three. Sterling Jameson also scored, as the deficit shrunk to 27-26.

“We persevered through the first half when we didn’t play that well,” a relieved Taylor declared after his usual 32-minute workout on and off the bench. “We got through adversity—not making shots—and eventually we were able to hold on.” Oh, eventually is about as far away as Nancy Pelosi singing the National Anthem at the GOP convention.

30-26, Vandy, became 30-30 as Sprey scored four of his nine points. It has to be noted here the Vipers got to 30 with four minutes to go in the third, so the Llano defense held the home side to seven points the final 12 minutes.

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Praise for the defense was on hold when Cody Witt delivered a right hand to the midsection—a three pointer for a 35-30 Vandegrift advantage with five minutes on the fourth quarter clock. It was Witt’s only score of the night.

“We had been playing selfish,” Jameson disclosed to a radio audience. That’s what the coach told the team at halftime. “Our way wasn’t working,” Sterling continued, “and we weren’t doing what we’d been taught.”

“What I meant by that was,” Taylor explained, “was that sometimes when things aren’t going well, guys will take it upon themselves to right the ship. They do this instead of relying on the team; we have good players, but we don’t have that one dominating type. We have to be patient, we have to rely on each other.”

Matthew Ratliff is very much a part of the offense: get the big guy the ball inside and let him score, especially against a smaller bunch like the Vipers. The trouble was Ratliff had a frustrating night—the trouble for Vandy was he got his only field goal to make it 35-32.

“…Llano ball in the front court…Sprey shoots a straightaway three…it hits the back of the rim…and dies and goes in!! I’m telling you it just died on the back iron, and this game is now tied 35-35…”

“I didn’t know if I should shoot,” Layne stated with candor, “but I felt good; I let it loose, and it went in.”

Jameson untied matters with a two. Llano, dormant so long, had manufactured a lightning-quick 7-0 run. “A record for us,” Taylor was able to joke later. “Points have been tough for the kids,” and now he wasn’t joking.

“Every possession was so critical,” said Jameson, a gutty inside man who is simply an outstanding athlete. Critical, I guess; the playoffs were on the line midway through the 8-3A schedule.

Vandegrift was having its own problems. Dakota Prukop finally scored for a 37-37 tie, but that was the Vipers’ only two the last five minutes of the barn burner of a contest. The scorebook would show the hosts had just 14 second-half points and a lame five in the final stanza.

“…Sprey at the free-throw line…he shoots…it’s no good, but Jameson has the rebound! He shoots…..and scores!! Llano has taken the lead 39-37 with 40 seconds to play!!”

“He had to find a way to get to the rim,” coach Taylor observed, “and he did.”

“Layne’s scoring and Sterling’s baskets just made us hungry for a win,” Benavides insisted.

The drama resumed with 6.6 seconds to play. The Jackets’ lead was two, but Vandegrift had the ball in its front court. It’s time for Charles Durham to read his lines. The pass inbounds went in the direction of Witt, but Durham disrupted everything. The ball went out of bounds, and it belonged to Llano. With two-thirds of a second to play, Benavides was fouled.

“I was kind of shaking,” the 59% free-throw shooter admitted. “I tried to hide any fear, because I didn’t want the crowd to sense any, didn’t want them to feed off it.” What they fed off was noise, but it didn’t matter. Marshall may as well have been shooting in a museum for all the bother he displayed. He made both shots at the line to complete a 10-point night, and losing streaks in the record books were reduced by one.

So, now, Llano is 1-3 in district and tied for the third and final playoff spot with Vandegrift and Rouse with four games to go. The trio is 1-1 against each other.

“The playoffs are always in the back of our minds,” Taylor acknowledged, “but we need to stay focused on keeping things simple. We have to worry about each opponent to get better, not the playoffs.”

It was February 1, 2008, when Llano downed Wimberley 46-43. Lance Dickey had five threes in the game, and he scored 22 points. No district victories—but 17 losses—followed until the visit to Vandegrift. It was a difficult journey, but the team has reached the end of that dark and somber road. No one can turn the streak to dust, but no one can erase the joy of the night its travels found the finish line.