SAN ANGELO, TX—The Central Bobcats advanced to the Area Round of the Texas High School Playoffs with a 35-20 win over El Paso Pebble Hills on Friday night.
The result wasn't always a certainty for the Bobcats, however, against a Pebble Hills team in just their second year of varsity competition.
"I knew it was going to be like this," Central Head Coach Brent Davis said of the contest. "[Pebble Hills] was 8-2. They run a heck of a good [defensive] scheme that puts you in a bind on offense, kind of like ours. I didn't expect anything else."
WATCH: Coach Brent Davis on his Central team's win on Nov. 17, 2017:
[[{"fid":"35165","view_mode":"wysiwyg","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"San Angelo Central Head Coach Brent Davis on 35-20 Win over El Paso Pebble Hills on Nov. 17, 2017","height":"562","width":"750","class":"media-element file-wysiwyg"}}]]
The Bobcats got the scoring started in the first quarter when quarterback Maverick McIvor would find Jaden Coates in the end zone from 13 yards out. An Ezekiel Del Rio extra-point would make it 7-0 Central with just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter.
Central would cap off the first quarter scoring with a 40-yard touchdown pass from McIvor to Jesse Scott to make it 14-0 with 5:13 left in the first period.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Bobcats would give the ball to Pebble Hills after the Spartans blocked a 31-yard field goal try by Gage Smith.
Pebble Hills would make it a one-score game, on the ensuing drive, when quarterback Orlando Puig found Kevin Averette for a 14-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-7.
The Bobcats would answer on their very next drive when senior receiver Henry Teeter notched his first and only touchdown of the night on a 13-yard pass from McIvor to push the score to 21-7.
Listen to Sam Fowler discuss the game and San Angelo Central's prospects into the next rounds of the playoffs:
Teeter would finish the night with 14 catches for 147 yards along with his score.
"Anytime you get the ball moving in the playoffs, you're going to have success," Coach Davis said of the offensive performance. "Playoffs are tough, man. It's win or go home."
"It's definitely awesome that we were able to put up such great numbers against such an incredible defense," Teeter said. "You can't give enough credit to the offensive line for giving Maverick enough time in the pocket and decide where the ball needs to go."
WATCH Central WR Henry Teeter on the win:
[[{"fid":"35166","view_mode":"wysiwyg","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"San Angelo Central WR Henry Teeter on win on Nov. 17, 2017","height":"562","width":"750","class":"media-element file-wysiwyg"}}]]
The two teams would trade possessions via turnovers on the next three drives.
Following a Central punt, Pebble Hills would find the end zone at the stroke of halftime with a six-yard touchdown pass from Puig to Haredt Gonzalez to make it 21-14 going in to the break.
Out of the break, Central and Pebble Hills would trade punts on four consecutive drives.
On their third drive of the half, Central's De'Marcus Cobb would sprint 60 yards to pay dirt in the third quarter to make it 28-14.
Central would finish their scoring in the fourth quarter on a 13-play drive capped off with another touchdown pass from McIvor to Coates, this time from 12 yards out to extend Central's lead 35-14.
Pebble Hills wasn't done just yet, despite time being against them, as Puig found Gonzalez in the end zone again with 35 seconds left. The Spartan's two-point conversion try failed and the ensuing onside kick recovered by the Bobcats.
Central would finish the night with 457 yards of total offense and two takeaways on defense.
Central (11-0) will now face the Mansfield Tigers (10-1) next Friday at 7 pm at Newsom Stadium in Mansfield.
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: