The NBA season ended, finally, and so did golf’s U.S. Open; the Federer-Nadal match barely beat darkness and baseball’s All-Star game finished (I think), so that timely collection means--football must be just around the corner (back).

The Llano Yellow Jackets and more than a thousand other high school teams in Texas get double their pleasure on Monday, Aug. 4: the practice known as two-a-days. Rockdale hosts Llano in the opener, Aug. 29.

“We have a lot of question marks,” head coach, David Yeager, admits, “because we graduated a big senior class; and that included running backs, Ty Thurman, Lance Dickey, and Wes Regmund.”

That trio will leave behind a monster 3,149 yards of rushing amassed in the 9-4, area-championship campaign of 2007.

The good news? “I’m excited about our quarterback, Trey Brooks, and we have a chance to have as good an offensive line as we’ve had in my four years here.”

Andrew Ratliff and Walker Woolman will anchor this bunch, and their colleagues may come from: Josh Gammill, Jase Ball, Royce Haines, Corey Wunderlich, and Patrick Fonbuena.

“We’ve got good kids on defense,” Yeager points out, but he adds, “We must be smarter as coaches; we've got to get our guys in the right places to make plays.” Defensive coordinator, Jimmy Thomas, has a list (maybe) for the men up front: Gammill, Ball, Haines, Ratliff and Wunderlich--sounds like we’ve been down this (two-way) street before.

Linebacker names include veterans Woolman, Logan Davis, and Jordan Ashabranner and junior varsity LB, Kayden Gass. Taylor Maddox and Todd Tribble could be the corners, and Ty Compton and Estevan Aviles will be among those battling for the safety spot.

Brooks could very well see time at this position. “I like knocking heads,” Trey declares. Remember, plenty of defenders are after his head half the game.

The six-foot, five-inch, 280-pound Ratliff is the man getting the most attention. You won’t hear any loud boasts out of this Texas Football Magazine preseason all-state selection, but his modesty won’t help opponents.

The Running Game: “We’re going to celebrate first downs this year,” Yeager says with a hint of a smile and a hint of wondering, “Oh, why did those 50-yard explosions have to leave us?” The Replacements: Ashabranner, Davis, Maddox, Aviles, Clayton Maples--and Brooks, 362 yards and six touchdowns on the ground a year ago.

The District: “I’m glad we’re in a tougher district,” Ratliff says, “since this should prepare us better for the playoffs. This will be more fun; the last two seasons were too easy.”

You hear such talk from most of the Jackets, even though the “fun” will be provided by these members of district 8-3A: Burnet, Liberty Hill, Wimberley, Fredericksburg, Canyon Lake and Ingram.

“I don’t think you really get to show what you are in a four-team district,” Woolman advises. “Who wants to say we made it the easy way? We want to go through the toughest schedule to make it to postseason.”

Tough Enough? The Panthers and Texans, and non-district foe, Bandera, have won four state championships since 2002, and those Bulldogs in Green, were in the title tilt twice.

Will Jackets Cut anyone off at the Pass: “We’ll always try to establish the running game, and this will open up the passing game,” Yeager discloses, and he candidly admits, “Chunking the ball is not our style.”

The Quarterback has the mike (the ball) in his hands: “Our new backs are fast and quick,” Brooks claims, “and if we’re running the ball 340 yards a game, we don’t have to pass,” and he offers this line from the lecture, “Running can tire down a defense by the second half.”

Pass the Stats: Trey was 36 of 66 for 674 yards in ‘07, and he fired 11 touchdown passes. Woolman caught 19 aerials, and, almost half, eight, were for scores.

“It’s now or never for the seniors,” Walker mentions with both excitement and dedication in his delivery. “This is our last chance, so we have to give it all we've got to make the playoffs.”

Yeager has led the Jackets to the postseason three consecutive autumns, and his record is a most impressive, 24-13. “I’ll definitely miss the guys who graduated in May, like I miss all the ones who move on, but it’s a good feeling realizing the Woolmans and Tribbles and Comptons were freshmen when I came in. I’m looking forward to great leadership; it’s time for a new generation to step up and carry the torch.”