SAN ANGELO, TX — With the Central Bobcats in the midst of their longest losing streak in 15 years, a casual observer might think new head coach Mark Smith is in for a whale of a rebuilding job.
When Smith went digging through the remnants of last year, however, that wasn't his conclusion.
He saw a team that left multiple wins on the field while eight consecutive losses piled up. He saw the potential of an offense that averaged 34 points per game.
Smith said he sees a Central team that isn't just built for a better future. It's built to win now.
"We were better than 1-9, and this is not a broken program," Smith said. "I do believe we had a couple wins last season that were left out there, because we didn't play great complementary football a year ago.
"(This program) just needed some readjustments and some retooling and some freshness to steer the plane in the right direction. We've got it coming down the runway now, and Aug. 5 we're going to get it off the ground."
Bobcats After a Touchdown
(San Angelo LIVE! Photo/Ryan Chadwick)
Aug. 5 is the opening day of high school football workouts, starting the countdown to Central's season opener Aug. 30 at home against Abilene High.
Smith is an Abilene native who graduated from Cooper High School. He arrives in San Angelo after spending most of his coaching career at the college level, most recently as a defensive analyst for the University of Oklahoma.
He replaces Kevin Crane, who had been a part of Central's program since 2009, first as an offensive coordinator and then as the head coach from 2021-23.
Crane helped Central snap a school-record 21-game losing streak in 2009, and he oversaw numerous high-scoring offenses as the Bobcats won five district titles during the decade of the 2010s.
Crane's departure marked the end of one of the best eras of Bobcats football.
For all the success, however, Central hasn't had a winning season since 2019, and the Bobcats have lost 13 of their last 14 games.
Central Bobcats Christian English and Alex Lindsey
(San Angelo LIVE! Photo/Ryan Chadwick)
Smith said he doesn't feel the weight of a losing streak hanging over this team.
"In my mind, we're starting 0-0 next season and we haven't lost eight games in a row, because this team is new and everything is different from the year before," Smith said.
One thing Central fans could count on last year was the exciting play of quarterback Christian English.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound English threw for 2,569 yards and 18 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions while completing over 60% of his passes. He also added 1,047 rushing yards and 17 TDS, averaging over 10 yards per carry.
All told, he produced over 3,600 yards of offense and 35 TDs in only 10 games.
"He's a dynamic football player," Smith said. "Anytime you're talking about a quarterback, I look at three things — accuracy, decision making and athleticism.
"My challenge to Christian has been I've seen flashes of all three of those areas. ... But can he consistently put together top performances in all three of those areas. He can be an exceptional player. He's already proving himself to be a good player, and I'm pushing him to be a great player."
San Angelo Central quarterback Christian English tries to evade a defender in a game against Midland High in 2023.
English also returns his top wide receiver from last year, Colton Hill, who had 57 catches for 854 yards and 4 TDs.
Smith said some other receivers are poised to step up this fall.
"Jimmy Edwards is someone who has caught my eye over the course of the spring and this summer," Smith said. "And then we've got a really good slew of three or four younger players who have a chance to be impactful guys this season."
The running back position is perhaps the biggest wild card for the Bobcats, who relied on English for much of their production on the ground.
Outside of English, there are no returners who rushed for over 100 yards last season.
Smith said he believes the Bobcats have some quality running backs on the roster, but he views it as more of a committee situation with two or three players contributing in different roles.
Central returns two offensive linemen who received honorable mention on the all-district team, seniors Chase Cole (6-1, 270) and Tu'uta Kalamafoni (6-2, 270).
"I want to create an atmosphere within this program that physical football wins," Smith said. "I'm talking physical run blocking, physical pass blocking, just a bunch of guys that enjoy mauling people. I call it bully ball, and that's what I want to play here. And they've been an extremely willing group. They've been very receptive to that attitude shift.
"Teams that can run the football and dominate people on the ground, it opens up everything in the passing game, and it allows you to put games away when you have game control. And that's how I envision this team being."
San Angelo Central High School Bobcat Football 2023
The most glaring issue from last season is a defense that allowed an average of 46 points per game.
Central has a new defensive coordinator, Destry Cope, but last year's DC, Jacob Martin, has remained on the staff.
"I'm grateful that (Martin) chose to stay on our staff. ... He will be a coordinator again very soon. He has a really, really good football IQ, but he wasn't allowed to really thrive in that position a year ago," Smith said.
Central returns nine starters from last year's young defense, led by junior linebacker Mason Van Sickle, who had 101 tackles — including 68 solos — along with 3 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions.
"Brayan Sandoval is a nose tackle who has really caught me eye. I think he's going to be a really good player for us. And Jaekob Jackson at inside linebacker is a young player who has a tremendous skill set and ability," Smith said.
"And then we've got a group of defensive backs that are a really solid group of guys. Who actually comes in and grabs that mantle of authority back there is still yet to be determined."
Central's new offensive coordinator, Wes Cope, is the brother of the Bobcats defensive coordinator, Destry.
"What I love about brothers coordinating against one another is kind of the natural friction that that creates, the competition that's there," Smith said. "But there's also a complementary nature that it creates."
Central faces a serious challenge to kick off the season against an Abilene High team ranked No. 8 in the state in Class 5A Division I. Then the Bobcats have to drive 300 miles north to take on an Amarillo High team that hasn't posted a losing season in 17 years.
Central will play at Abilene Cooper before hosting Belton and Waco to close out nondistrict play.
The Bobcats are in District 2-6A with their traditional rivals from Midland and Odessa, along with a Wolfforth Frenship team they've played eight times since their first meeting in 2014.
Central went winless in district play last year, but the Bobcats had close losses to Odessa High (71-70 in overtime) and Frenship (41-34).
Other narrow defeats last year included Killeen Shoemaker (34-27), Abilene Cooper (53-45), Belton (41-38) and Abilene Wylie (37-27).
San Angelo Central Bobcats
2024 schedule
Aug. 3 Abilene High
Sept. 6 at Amarillo High
Sept. 13 at Abilene Cooper
Sept. 20 Belton
Sept. 27 Waco
Oct. 4 Open
Oct. 11 at Midland Legacy*
Oct. 18 Odessa Permian*
Oct. 25 at Midland High*
Nov. 1 Odessa High*
Nov. 8 at Wolfforth Frenship*
*District 2-6A game
2023 results
Killeen Shoemaker L 27-34
El Paso Montwood W 35-33
Abilene Cooper L 45-53
Belton L 38-41
Abilene Wylie L 27-37
Midland High L 27-45
Odessa High L 70-71 (OT)
Midland Legacy L 24-66
Odessa Permian L 14-42
Wolfforth Frenship L 34-41
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