Bobcats Drop a Heartbreaker in Overtime

2nd Quarter

The ‘Cats followed up the explosive touchdown from Odessa High with a methodical drive. Central marched 58 yards on eight plays to score another touchdown. In a scary moment, Christian English took a hard hit on a carry and had to be helped off the field by the athletic training staff. Colton Hill came in at quarterback for a play and ripped off a 16-yard run down to Odessa High’s 2-yard line. English, who seemed okay, returned to action and scored on a 2-yard scamper to tie the game at 14-14.

Central’s defense shut down the Bronchos on the next possession. Two negative running plays and an incomplete pass gave the Bobcats the ball back at the San Angelo 26-yard line. English continued his human highlight reel when he broke through the defense and sprinted 74 yards for another touchdown to give the ‘Cats the lead.

Odessa High battled back across the board and would score 13 unanswered. Twice, the Bobcats had the Bronchos in 3rd and forever but couldn’t get off the field. One bright spot was that after Odessa High took the lead with just under five minutes to play in the half, the ‘Cats stopped a 2-point conversion attempt. This left the door open for the Bobcats to retake the lead before the half.

Tyree Brawlee and Jayvion Robinson were the stars on the Bocbats’ final drive of the first half. Hardnosed running from Brawlee and several broken tackles from Robinson helped push the ‘Cats steadily down the field. Hill caught a pass inside the Bronchos’ 25-yard line to set up a 3-yard touchdown pass from English to Brawlee. After the score, Central’s defense kept Odessa High out of the end zone and headed to the locker room at the half with the lead, 28-27.

Watch the full game highlights below:

3rd Quarter

The Bobcats received the 2nd half kickoff and picked up exactly where they left off in the first half. Central began the first drive at the 35-yard line. The ‘Cats moved the ball with their running backs. Brawlee caught several passes, and Robinson drove the football and the ground. English scored another touchdown from 21 yards out to give the ‘Cats an 8-point lead.

Special teams continued to be the deciding factor in this game as on the next two ensuing drives, Odessa High fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the ‘Cats quickly turned the turnover into points. Robinson carried the rock down the field and finished the drive with a 2-yard score. A cleverly placed pooch kick gave the ‘Cats the opportunity to recover the next kickoff. The offense rewarded the hustle play with another touchdown. Hill caught the ball in the flat and sprinted 20 yards to Odessa High’s 2-yard line. English capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown.

Odessa High finally woke up at the end of the third to keep the score reasonable entering the 4th quarter. The Bobcats led after three, 49-34.

4th Quarter

Odessa High took advantage of two factors in the 4th quarter. Central’s penalties and one mistake on special teams. All led to touchdowns. The ‘Cats received the kickoff following a missed field goal by Central and another touchdown and 2-point conversion by Odessa High. The ‘Cats had an excellent return but fumbled the football on the tackle. After a long conference by the referees, they determined that the Bobcats fumbled, and Odessa High took over and quickly scored again to tie the game at 49-49.

Both teams continued to trade touchdowns until the ‘Cats had one final drive with just over four minutes to play. Central continued to move the ball well on the ground and churn the clock. English connected with Hill on a crucial 3rd down to extend the drive with less than a minute to play. The ‘Cats attempted a field goal with four seconds left on the clock but missed wide, and the contest went to overtime tied 63-63.

OVERTIME

The Bobcats began the 1st overtime period on offense. Tyree Brawlee carried the rock four times in a row to score a touchdown for the ‘Cats. Central struck first in overtime to lead 70-63.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty forced Odessa High to start at the 40-yard line on their offensive possession. It didn’t matter because, on the first play, the Bronchos snapped the ball over the quarterback’s head. Everyone on the Bobcats’ defense reacted to the fumble, and several receivers ran behind the defense. It was an easy pitch and catch after that, and Odessa High scored a touchdown.

The Bronchos then decided to end the game one way or another. After both coaches called timeouts in a chess match of formations, Odessa High went for two. The ‘Cats couldn’t stop the ensuing run and the Bronchos claimed victory in overtime, 71-70.

The San Angelo Central Bobcats host the Midland Legacy Rebels in San Angelo next week. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.