Central Bobcats Claim First Victory After Tight Race with Abilene Cooper

"The guys made plays," Smith said after the game. "They stuck to the plan, they were resilient all the way through—against a quality opponent, right there. The guys made enough plays to win the game. I am proud of them."

The contest truly was a back-and-forth affair for almost the entire game. It wasn't until early in the fourth quarter that the momentum completely shifted in Central's favor. The 'Cats' defense, which played well throughout despite giving up some big plays, took advantage of a bad snap on an Abilene Cooper punt to force a safety. Central went on to score two more unanswered touchdowns and seal their first win in 2025.

After trading a few punts early on, Abilene Cooper struck first. Set up by a long pass play over the middle, the Cougars found themselves inside the 'Cats' 20-yard line for the first time in the contest. Central's defense held tough and even held Abilene Cooper to a 4th and goal from the 5-yard line, but the Cougars rolled the dice and scored. Cooper led 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

Central responded as time wound down in the period. After a few runs, quarterback Micah Smith hit Gabriel Garcia on a shallow post over the middle. The young man showed his speed as he outran the defenders for a 60-yard touchdown catch. The Bobcats tied it at 7-7, with just seconds remaining in the 1st quarter.

Central's defense continued to play tough in the second quarter, even gifting their offense with a takeaway on a fumble near the Cats' 40-yard line. Unfortunately, Central could not capitalize on the gift and punted the ball away. Cooper marched down the field on the ensuing drive. A few solid runs led to a 25-yard touchdown catch on a go route from one of Cooper's speedy receivers.
Down 14-7, the 'Cats had to respond. A tough drive led to a goal-to-go opportunity for Central, but a bobbled snap had the 'Cats' settling for a 27-yard field goal.

Central's defense sacked Cooper twice on the following possession to give Central one more opportunity to score before the half. The Bocbats lined up for a 48-yard field goal that unfortunately hit the uprights. Both teams headed to the locker room with Cooper holding a 14-10 advantage.

In the second half, Abilene Cooper would extend their lead to 11 points after a successful fake punt set up an outside run that went for 50+ yards and a score.

However, the Bobcats responded. Colton Hill had himself a heck of a second half with two huge touchdowns. Down 21-10, Hill snagged a short pass at Central's 40-yard line before making a house call for 69 yards. Later in the quarter, down 28-17, Hill would catch a 50-yard bomb right when the Bobcats needed it most. Central trailed 28-24 in the 4th quarter, but that's when everything changed. The snap over the punter's head that resulted in a safety for the Bobcats propelled Central into two more unanswered touchdowns.

First, Zey Johnson, who missed last week due to an injury, did his best Marshawn Lynch impersonation on his way to a long touchdown run. However, he was not done there. After the defense gave the ball to Central's offense, Johnson stiff-armed two defenders and broke another three tackles on his way to a 26-yard touchdown. Central led 40-28 with seven minutes to play.

Credit should be given to Abilene Cooper for their fight. Despite falling apart for half of the 4th quarter, the Cougars fought back until the very end. A touchdown with three minutes left put the pressure on the 'Cats to close out the game. An unsuccessful onside kick set Central up at midfield, but the Cougars' defence delivered. Coupled with a few timeouts and the two-minute warning, Abilene had one final opportunity to score.

Enter Central's Troy Ceballos. The young man undercut a throw from Cooper's quarterback to seal the game. He caught the interception near the 20-yard line and returned the ball to midfield before running out of bounds. Then the celebration began. Central knelt out the clock and claimed their first victory in four games, 40-35.

The Bobcats hit the road next week when Central travels to Belton to take on the Tigers. Kickoff in that matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m.