The Marble Falls Mustangs will visit Llano Stadium for the first time in about two decades on Friday, Sept. 13, for the Yellow Jackets' home opener.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Llano beat Marble Falls 41-10 in 2006 and 26-14 in 2007.
Even before those games were played in the early 2000s, Llano was in the same district as Burnet and Marble Falls.
And the three teams had some memorable contests. One was played in 1991 during a time when the University Interscholastic League allowed only two teams to advance to the playoffs.
To fully understand what was at stake, let's rewind back one season to set the chain of events.
In 1990 Burnet won the district title after being Marble Falls 20-19 and Llano 21-16.
Marble Falls, thanks to beating Llano 21-20, finished as the runner-up and advanced to the playoffs. Llano was 5-4-1 and got ready for next season.
So when two-a-days started in August 1991, each program was crystal clear of what it wanted.
Burnet and Marble Falls wanted to have longer playoff stays and Llano wanted in.
All three teams were having phenomenal seasons. The Yellow Jackets' only blemish as district play began was a 12-9 loss to San Saba in the season opener.
Once again the Bulldogs beat the Mustangs 27-13 and Yellow Jackets 28-14 to go undefeated in the regular season.
And those losses were the only district blemishes for Marble Falls and Llano as the Mustangs boarded buses to head to Llano for the final game of the regular season in a one-game, winner-take-all contest.
In the end, the Mustangs prevailed 21-14 and were even more convinced they would fulfill what former head coach David Denney told them after losing to Burnet in the regular season.
Keep winning and you'll get another chance at them.
It came in the state quarterfinals at Bible Stadium in Leander.
Even in the rematch, the outcome was the same. Burnet won and in the most painful way.
Regulation ended with the two playing to a 14-14 tie. Back then statistics decided which team advanced. In this case, officials went to penetrations, which means they counted the number of times the offenses reached the opponents' 20-yard line.
The Bulldogs prevailed 3-2 and set a state record for the most advances in the playoffs by statistics until they lost in the state title game to Groesbeck 7-0. After beating Comanche and Reagan County, Burnet faced Marble Falls thanks to edging Vernon in first downs 17-15. After playing to Southlake Carroll to a 7-7 tie at the end of regulation, the Bulldogs advanced to the state championship on penetrations 3-1.
Since then the University Interscholastic League has adopted overtime rules, thus eliminating postseason contests being decided on statistics.
Burnet County residents refer to that state quarterfinal contest as The Game of the Century.
But what many in Burnet County may not realize is that if Llano beats Marble Falls, there's a great chance that the Yellow Jackets are in Bible Stadium playing in the regional quarterfinals.
And history, as we know it today, is rewritten with in a lot of orange and black.
