SAN ANGELO, TX — With a strong group of returning starters, and a second year under head coach Mark Smith, there’s a lot of excitement about the potential of the Central Bobcats football team this fall.
Central faces a whale of a season-opening test, however, against an Abilene High team ranked No. 9 in the state in Class 5A Division I.
Central head coach Mark Smith said he’s excited about the challenge waiting for the Bobcats at 7 p.m. Friday at Shotwell Stadium.
“I like a banger of an opening game,” Smith said. “I wasn’t here to set the schedule, but it certainly has worked out well and it’ll certainly be a great challenge. It’s the 99th time San Angelo has played Abilene High School, and that’s two proud, storied programs that have played a lot of football games against one another, and that’s worth the price of admission alone.
“So it’s going to be a great atmosphere for sure in Abilene with two really good teams.”
Abilene High overwhelmed Central 60-36 last year at San Angelo Stadium, though the Bobcats were within 43-36 heading into the fourth quarter.
A year later, Smith believes his team is better prepared to go the distance.
Abilene High returns nine starters on defense, which will make for a difficult debut for Central junior quarterback Micah Smith.
He’ll have some exciting weapons around him with wide receivers Colton Hill, Jimmy Edwards and Gavin Johnson, along with exciting sophomore running back Zeyvion Johnson.
Central’s defense will also be tested against an Abilene High offense that returns six starters, including dynamic QB Brayden Henry, who has 4.4 speed.
“They’ve got a very talented squad,” Smith said. “They’re a veteran group as well. They’ve got a great quarterback and a fundamentally sound team.”
Central’s defense, led by linebacker Mason Van Sickle (132 tackles last year), looks like it will be significantly improved.
The Bobcats shined on defense in their intrasquad scrimmage and in a scrimmage against Del Rio, and Smith said he was encouraged by what he saw.
“I think when you play great defensive football, you always have a chance to win,” Smith said. “I think the formula for winning games has never changed in my mind. If you can run the football and play great defense, you’re going to have a really good chance to win and win championships.
“I thought we showed great promise in the two scrimmages we had. We have a really sound, veteran group of defensive players who understand the game and know their role whenever they’re in there, and it’s really paid off.”
Central is hoping for its first playoff appearance this year since 2022. After a one-win season in 2023, the Bobcats improved to 4-6 last year while closing the gap considerably in district play.
Central will make its home opener next week at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, against Amarillo High at San Angelo Stadium.
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