The 2025 season is shaping up to be a promising one for the Llano Yellowjackets, and Secondary Coach Dwayne Friday is ready to get to work.
“We’re excited for the season,” Friday said. “We’ll go back to work on Tuesdays as a staff and get after it. We have the potential to be pretty good this year. A lot of guys are coming back. We were a fourth-round team last year and have a lot of starters returning, so it looks like it could be a fun year.”
A Special Senior Class
For Friday, this year will be even more memorable—his own son is a senior leader on defense.
“It’s going to be a fun year for me as a coach and a dad,” he said. “We’ve got quite a few seniors coming back. Safety Gavin Hayes is a big part of our defense, Austin Humphries is a huge piece as a defensive back, and we have a lot of guys who played significant minutes last year and are back as starters.”
Strength in Passion
While talent is key, Friday believes the real strength of the Yellowjackets lies in their drive.
“I think the passion we have to be better than we were is our greatest strength,” he explained. “We have great kids in our program from junior high up. The coaching staff is passionate about what we do, and it bleeds down to the kids. The community is just as excited as we are, and we’re looking forward to showing who we are.”
Rapid Fire with Coach Friday
Before wrapping up, Friday shared a few personal insights:
Superpower of choice: “Probably to be invisible.”
Dream career outside coaching: “I’m retired military, so this is my second career, but if I could do anything, I’d be a fighter pilot.”
Fun fact:“I’ve been to lots of countries around the world and mentored people not just in America, but globally.”
Favorite country visited: “Probably Africa. We did a lot off the grid—it was fun.”
With a roster full of returners, a passionate coaching staff, and a community rallying behind them, Friday and the Yellowjackets are eager to make the 2025 season one to remember.
