Brown Settles Down as Bobcats Roll to Impressive Home Win

SAN ANGELO, TX-- The Central Bobcats continued their home dominance with a 31-20 win over El Paso Pebble Hills on Friday at San Angelo Stadium. The win moved Central's regular season home winning streak to 25 games.

"It was a huge confidence booster," said senior offensive linemen Gunner Couch. "We needed that, you know. It wasn't the prettiest of wins...but we needed Malachi [Brown] to get his confidence up. He's a young kid. You saw what he did, he's a stud. He's going to ball out."

The Bobcat offense finally got its act together after last week’s growing process. Central posted 356 yards of total offense on Friday night. Sophomore quarterback Malachi Brown settled into his own grove, rushing for 215 yards, throwing for 129 yards on 13 completions and posting three total touchdowns. Central head coach Brent Davis said his sophomore showed quite a bit of poise in the win.

"[Brown] finally settled in and we're doing things that he's really good at offensively," Davis said. "I think it showed tonight. He threw the ball really well. He ran the ball exceptional. The team rallied around him. His teammates love him. He played great."

"I'm starting to get used to my receivers," Brown said. "They're much faster than I was used to at first, but we're starting to click now."

It was the first time a Bobcat rusher posted over 200 yards since Maverick McIvor hit the mark in week 4 of the 2017 season against Killeen Shoemaker.

"That's his strength," Davis said. "He's a dual-threat quarterback and he's a good one. He's gonna get better and better running our offense and we're gonna get better and better at knowing what he's good at...We've got 'em starting for real next week. We've gotta be ready."

Pebble Hills was held to 330 yards of total offense. Caleb Gerber rushed for 137 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Sebastian Ochoa was 18 of 35 passing for 159 yards and one touchdown.

Central's defense allowed very limited time for Gerber and Ochoa to operate in the win. Ochoa was sacked four times by the Bobcats. Defensive end Anthony Gonzalez tallied three of those sacks.

"It was huge," Davis said of his defense's performance. "Their whole team really, but the quarterback and running back are exceptional and they've been putting up 40 [points] on everybody they've played, so I thought our defense came in and played lights out."

For Brown, getting his first win as the Bobcats' starter "means a lot."

"They're all looking up to me," Brown added. "I want to pull through and do my best." 

The Bobcat offensive line also showed tremendous growth in their final nondistrict game. After a sudden move out of San Angelo by Rowdy Garza, the Bobcats had to find the right combination up front. They may have found that fit tonight.

"I feel like we made our mistakes, but we looked good," Couch said. "All in all, we got after it. That's the main thing. If we can get after it every week, one-hundred percent flyin' around and gettin' after folks, we'll do good no matter who's at what position"

Brown opened the scoring in this game with a 66-yard touchdown run to go up 7-0 in the first. The sophomore QB assisted on another rushing touchdown where he got to the goal line and fumbled. Tanner Dabbert scooped up the loose ball for Central and they went up 14-6 before half.

Listen: Halftime analysis with Sam Fowler and Joe Hyde

Pebble Hills came out swinging in the second half and scored 14 points thanks to two fumbled kickoffs by Central.

Brown and the Bobcats responded later with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Jackson Timme. Miles Houser’s extra point made it 21-20. Houser then tacked on a 27-yard field goal to go up 24-20 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Brown posted his third rushing touchdown of the game on a 19-yard run at the 10:40 mark in the fourth and Central extended their lead to 31-20.

The Bobcats were able to thwart multiple drives by the Spartans, including one stop that ended with Jashon Hall intercepting Ochoa and allowing the Bobcats to bleed more time off the clock.

WATCH: San Angelo Central Head Coach Brent Davis
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Central improves to 3-1 and opens District 3-6A on the road next Friday at Weatherford.

Listen: The end of game analysis with Sam Fowler and Joe Hyde