SAN ANGELO, TX — Last year, the Central Bobcats closed the gap on their district rivals.
This season, they’re looking to finish the job.
After improving its record from 1-9 to 4-6 — and turning blowouts in district into close losses — Central looks poised to take the next step as a program this fall.
The Bobcats return seven starters on each side of the ball, and second-year head coach Mark Smith said participation numbers are through the roof.
“We averaged about 240 players here a day during the summer, which was up from a year ago when we averaged about 160. And the summer before that, they averaged about 60,” Smith said. “So you can see that commitment level.”
Central will be led by a new quarterback, though it’s unclear just yet who will take the reins of the offense.
Senior Colton Hill and junior Micah Smith competed for the job throughout the spring, and that competition will continue when the Bobcats begin fall practices Monday, Aug. 11.
Hill was Central’s top wide receiver as a sophomore when he hauled in 57 catches for 854 yards and four touchdowns. He was lost for the season last year, however, with a leg injury in Week 2.
Smith was the starting QB for Central’s junior varsity team last year.
“Obviously for Micah, this has been his life for 17 years growing up as my son on the sideline and in my hip pocket. He eats, breathes and sleeps this game,” Smith said. “And Colton comes from a great family of football players here. He’s now going into his senior year and ready to showcase what he can do. Colton’s got the ability to help this team a lot of different ways, whether he’s playing wideout or in the backfield.”
Whoever is at QB will have a talented group of receivers, which includes Jimmy Edwards (49 catches, 825 yards, 10 TDs) and Gavin Johnson, who was named first-team all-district.
Smith said the team has a lot of depth with its receiving options, which include Jesse Smith, Gabriel Garcia and Greyson Patrick.
Casner Stribling, who was first-team all-district, and Judson Bright return at tight end and could be difference makers, Smith said.
“Each of them brings a skill set that they’re big enough and strong enough to be an in-line blocker on the line of scrimmage, but also athletic enough to split out and throw the ball to them and utilize mismatches when we can,” Smith said.
Central currently has three options at running back with returners Elijah Allen and Darius Huitt, along with intriguing sophomore Zeyvion Johnson, a 5–foot-11, 210-pounder that Smith called a “big, bruising back.”
The offensive line will be anchored by Ethan Boyd, a 6-foot-4, 290-pounder who started every game as a sophomore. Senior Israel Martinez also returns after starting the second half of last season. Junior Parker Havercroft, who started on JV last year, is slated to take over at center.
Smith said there will be some two-way players such as Riley Oines, Brayan Sandoval and Oscar Herrera playing on the offensive and defensive lines.
There will be a new offensive coordinator, Roy Garcia, who was promoted from offensive line coach. Garcia has spent 17 years as a coordinator during his career and was the head coach at El Paso Socorro.
There will also be a new defensive coordinator after Jacob Martin was promoted from linebackers coach. Martin previously served as the DC in 2023.
The Bobcats’ defense will be led by linebacker Mason Van Sickle, who had 132 tackles in 10 games last year.
“He kind of epitomizes everything you want as a player on a team. His experience and leadership are evident every day here,” Smith said.
Jaekob Jackson, who also earned first-team all-district honors at linebacker, joins Van Sickle in the middle of the field. Oines, Herrera and Sandoval will be on the defensive line in front of them.
“We’ve got five guys up the middle that are all returning starters from what we had a year ago,” Smith said. “And then out on the edge, we’ve got Tucker Beaty and Kash Jastrow. They’re big, strong, physical players who are athletic, and they’re going to be a problem for people on the edge.”
Smith said Central is extremely deep in the secondary with about 10 defensive backs that are “just good football players.”
Bryson Sanders, Jaxon Kennedy, Gabriel Rodriguez, Kasen Rodgers and Davis Darby are all returners. Troy Ceballos has emerged as a top cornerback, Smith said, along with Blaine Belcher, Isaac Lomas, Austin Luckey and Noah Rogers.
At kicker, Smith is excited about the potential of Caleb Holbert, who played on JV last year after transferring from TLCA.
“He was talented enough to kick on varsity a year ago, but because of his eligibility status he had to spend a year on JV,” Smith said.
Central made encouraging strides last year in Smith’s first season. The Bobcats won their first District 2-6A game since 2023 when they beat Odessa High 23-13, and they had numerous close losses, including 51-44 to district champion Frenship.
Two weeks later, Frenship lost 49-42 to Southlake Carroll in the area round of the playoffs.
“I said we made people nervous a year ago. Our goal now is to take the next step and finish those games off that we got really close in a year ago, and I think this team is poised to do that,” Smith said. “This league is challenging from top to bottom. A great example is we finished in fifth place last year, and we played the district champ in the final game, and they had to score with 17 seconds to go to beat us.
“That’s kind of what a snapshot of our season was like. We’re one score from being better than the district champs, but then we’re fifth place. So every week, you’ve got to play and you’ve got to play at a high level, and I like that as a competitor.”
San Angelo Central Bobcats
2025 schedule
Aug. 29 at Abilene High
Sept. 5 Amarillo High
Sept. 12 Abilene Cooper
Sept. 19 at Belton
Sept. 26 at Waco
Oct. 3 OPEN
Oct. 10 Midland Legacy*
Oct. 17 at Odessa Permian*
Oct. 24 Midland High*
Oct. 31 at Odessa High*
Nov. 6 Wolfforth Frenship*
*District 2-6A game
GRAPE CREEK, TX — Tanner Thiel believes this year's Grape Creek football team has the chance to make school history.
The ninth-year Eagles head coach oversaw the program's first share of a district title in 2021, and he led them to their fourth playoff appearance last year.
One accomplishment that has eluded Grape Creek since it opened its doors 27 years ago, however, is a playoff trophy.
With an exciting group of returning — including six starters back on offense and five on defense — Thiel thinks this could be the year that drought ends.
“We've been to the playoffs, but we haven't won that first one, and so that ultimately is our goal. We think we're good enough that we can get kind of the monkey off our back and get that first playoff win,” Thiel said.
Leading the Eagles' returners is running back Sire Garcia, who had 1,260 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Garcia was also a first-team all-district inside linebacker.
“Our kind of workhorse the last couple of years is Sire Garcia," Thiel said. "He's a two-way starter and he makes our offense go. A big playmaker on the defensive side of the ball.”
Braley Woods (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) will take over at quarterback after being named last year's district Utility Player of the Year.
“A really good arm, and a really big kid," Thiel said. "He’s actually our leading receiver coming back because he played tight end with us previously."
Thiel called outside linebacker Chris Duron "an animal" on defense and one of the team's leaders.
Tight end/safety Gabe Santillan and slot back/defensive back Randy Rodriguez are both two-way standouts.
“We really feel like they’re gonna be special players for us this season," Thiel said.
Grape Creek went 4-7 last year and finished in a three-way tie for second place in District 4-3A Division II. The Eagles' season ended with a 42-26 loss to Crane in the first round of the playoffs.
“We feel like this year, instead of losing those close games, we feel like we should be able to win those close games," Thiel said. "So we're to the point where we're not satisfied with keeping them close.”
“I think that this is the type of year that basically turns people's heads about Grape Creek. think our community, our school, our alumni, I feel like this is a year that we can really make them proud. This group of kids that we have coming out this year is some of the best that we've ever had. Talent-wise, top to bottom, it's by far the most talented group that I've had since I've been at Grape Creek.
“I think the main word that comes to mind when I think of our community and our school and our alumni is pride. I think they'll be able to take a lot of pride in the kids that we put out on the field this year.”
Grape Creek Eagles
2025 schedule
Aug. 29 San Saba
Sept. 5 at Reagan County
Sept. 12 at Bangs
Sept. 19 Colorado City
Sept. 26 Tahoka
Oct. 3 at San Angelo TLCA
Oct. 10 at Coahoma*
Oct. 17 Stanton*
Oct. 24 at Wall*
Oct. 31 Merkel*
Nov. 7 OPEN
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