ABILENE, TX — Two non-offensive touchdowns and one explosive play soured opening night for the Central Bobcats. The 'Cats fell behind early, but fought back against a tough, ranked team in the Abilene High Eagles. Central fell to one of their old rivals on Friday night, 42-21.
Hear from Head Coach Mark Smith after the game below:
The 'Cats played their 2025 debut matchup on the road at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene against the 9th-ranked team in 5A.
On offense, Sophomore running back, Zay Johnson proved to be a force early with several big runs, icluding a 45-run in the 1st quarter. That run set up a 4-yard rushing touchdown by new starting quarterback Micah Smith that put Central up 7-0 early.
Abilene High tied the game a couple of series later when a mass of Eagle defenders swarmed and then stripped Johnson on a carry in Abilene territory. The Eagles scooped up the fumble and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown.
Later, Abilene High turned a punt return into a 49-yard touchdown after an excellent defensive series by the Bobcats. Initial success in the run game forced Abilene High to stack the box and make Central's new quarterback beat the Eagles through the air. That was a tough task for the 'Cats' new quarterback, who threw two interceptions in this contest. However, Smith never gave up and finally saw success in the passing game in the second half.
Abilene High added two more touchdowns before the break, including an explosive 50+ yard touchdown run by the Eagles quarterback as time expired in the 1st half.
The Bobcats came out in the second Half and played much better in the final two quarters. Abilene High hit one more big play, a 42-yard touchdown, but other than that, Central’s defense locked Abilene High down.
Abilene High scored two touchdowns, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth quarter, bringing their final tally to 42 points.
On offense, Central seemed to correct several of the mistakes they made in the first half. Notably, Micah Smith looked like a completely different quarterback in the 3rd and 4th quarters. In addition to hitting several open receivers and making several more good throws that were not hauled in, he added a 49-yard sprint for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to pull Central closer.
A final drive with two minutes remaining resulted in a one-yard touchdown for Zay Johnson. On that drive, Smith hit Jimmy Edwards, Colton Hill, and Casner Stribling on passes that pushed the ‘Cats towards the goal line.
San Angelo Central Bobcats at Abilene in Shotwell Stadium on Aug. 29, 2025.
The final score ended at 42-21—a result no one in San Angelo wants. However, two non-offensive touchdowns and a touchdown as time expired in the first half ended up being the difference. This team is still very green and will need more work to put everything together. Everyone wants the ‘Cats to win, but these non-district games exist for a reason. Central has time to improve and needs to improve quickly before the start of District 2-6A play.
Central's veteran defense was the biggest bright spot of the evening. Not only did the Bobcats force several punts, but they also forced several turnovers on downs and a takeaway in the first half. The Cats held down an explosive offense all evening, and that's an accomplishment to build on.
The Bobcats return to action on Friday, September 5, for their home opener at San Angelo Stadium against Amarillo High. Kickoff in that matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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