It is not often that kickoffs play a major role in a football game.

I'm aware that a 98-yard return is somewhat important, but what you had in the Llano-Glen Rose game included: a ground ball that wasn't an onside kick, but it turned into a dandy imitation; a definite onside attempt that rolled all of five yards -- 10 yards is required; and a fair catch on a kickoff that was one of the most exciting moments of the contest.

A fair catch is usually about as exciting as one of those 22-second halftime interviews on TV with a coach.

All of the above helped construct the plot as the Jackets downed the Tigers, 33-21, in the bidistrict round of the Class 3A, Division Two playoffs. Copperas Cove Stadium was the scene, but Soldier Field in Chicago couldn't have offered such wicked wind.

Bridgeport, 10-0, is next for Llano; Saturday, 6:00 pm, at Tarleton State in Stephenville. A look at how bad the Bulls have treated a number of matadors is on page 11.

"Our kids knew we had to play at a higher level against Glen Rose," head coach David Yeager said. "They did just that, and I'm real proud of them."

Llano took over at its own 21-yard line with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. Almost six and a half minutes later, Clayton Maples raced and Dustin Reid falls on the ball at the 50.

This drive would remove another four minutes from the Tigers' offense, which had a high-powered spread attack, not helped by the wind but damaged more by the fact Llano would not share the football. Aviles made a superb run of 21 yards to the Glen Rose 14, and Jordan Ashabranner would score from the two. It was 13-0.

Quarterback Derek Thompson brought with him all sorts of touchdown stats, but the Jackets' secondary, led by Taylor Maddox's splendid show, held him down to mortal numbers.

Thompson would lead his team to the Llano 17, but he fumbled, and Travis Lawrence recovered. Here's the punchline I can't hold in any longer: in the final 15 minutes of the first half, Glen Rose took five snaps from center!

"When we have the ball, they can't score," linebacker and tight end, Walker Woolman, noted with succinct accuracy.

That OTHER qb, Trey Brooks, had three minutes, four seconds to be the tour guide of an 83-yard march, and he was, with all of one second to spare. From the 18, he hit Aviles, who made a sensational lunge to the goal line, and the Jackets took a 19-0 lead at intermission.

"In the locker room," Yeager advised, "I told them to go out and play like it was 0-0."

Kickoff Highlight Number Two: To open the third quarter, the Tigers' Tanner Tongate lofts a pooch kick to the right. It was a high pop-up, dancing around in the swift breeze. Woolman wisely called for a fair catch and remembered, "I thought the ball was over my head--it was crazy because of the wind." Fair catches are like minor surgery, minor for someone else, and they have to be caught on kickoffs, unlike punts. Walker, a fine receiver, made the grab, and Llano took over. "It was a great catch," Yeager observed.

Glen Rose got the ball back, and midway through the third, Thompson rushed in from three yards out. It was 19-6, but you got the feeling if Glen got one more TD, things wouldn't be so Rose-y.

The following Jackets' drive, though, also called into play an unusual development by the special teams. Llano lined up to punt on fourth and three from the Tigers' 44-yard line. The snap didn't reach Aviles, the punter; it went to Maples, a couple of yards behind center, and he bulled his way for four yards and a dagger-like first down.

Brooks' postgame report card: "Andrew Ratliff, Jase Ball, Kayden Gass, Forrest Hoerster, Reagan Friedrich and Lawrence all did a great job, as usual, blocking for our running backs," and they totaled 363 yards to push the season total to the doorstep of 4,000.

Trey and Estevan made significant runs on the 63-yard journey, and Brooks scored on a one-yard plunge. The big play came next as Aviles sprinted to the right corner of the end zone; he booked a short flight for the pylon, and he nailed it for a two-point conversion. 27-6, Jackets, early in the fourth quarter.

Thompson would score again with 8-18 to play, but the defense was batting about .642 for the night. "We had 71 pass plays to go over," secondary coach Brad McCasland pointed out. "We had to cover them as tight as possible, and our kids never stopped playing tough football. They're getting better every week."

Name Dropping for the Defense: Lawrence and Josh Gammill and Royce Haines up front. Linebackers Friedrich, Woolman, Aviles and Logan Davis. Ty Compton, Todd Tribble, Dustin Reid, Raven Herron, Maddox and Brooks in the secondary.

Kickoff Highlight Number Three. Glen Rose tries an onside kick that rolls five yards before a Tiger touches it. Llano ball at the opponent's 45-yard line.

Brooks' roll-out plays or bootlegs are making him look as good on the run as Fran Tarkenton (for those of you who think no quarterback ran much until Colt McCoy was a junior at Jim Ned.) Trey went left for the game-clinching TD, and he finally offered the ball to the referee after a 41-yard burst. Some teammate was called for holding, which Jacket coaches thought was about as good a call as one from a telemarketer at midnight.

"That actually worked well for us," Thomas advised, "because the drive continued, and we eventually scored and more time was..."--what else? "Gone with the Wind." Maples made it, 33-14, with a five-yard scamper.

Thompson finally fired a scoring pass, his 67th-- and last--of his excellent career. The onside kick went out of bounds--no surprise on this night.

Notes ... Yeager has now won five playoff games, most by any Llano head coach in history. His teams have made it to postseason four straight years--three coaches led the school to the postseason, 1994-1999. "Our kids played so hard," Yeager said. "You could see the effort and tenacity--they persevered, and it was a good win for the guys and the program."