ABILENE, TX — The San Angelo Central Bobcats traveled up to Abilene at Abilene Christian University’s Anthony Field on Thursday night, Dec. 17, to take on the V.R. Eaton Eagles in the second round of the 6A Division 2 UIL state football playoffs. With the adversity of starting quarterback Malachi Brown out of the lineup with a medical emergency the night previous, the Bobcats had their work cut out for them to take on a talented squad from the DFW Metroplex. Although the Bobcats fought hard all night, Brown’s absence, along with the talent on the other side of the ball, proved to be too much for the ‘Cats. The Bobcats ended their season tonight with a loss, 40-16.
Beginning the game on defense, the Bobcats came out strong. Allowing only 3 yards in as many plays, the ‘Cats forced their first punt of the night. A partial block on 4th down gave the offense good field position at the Central 34-yard line.
With sophomore quarterback Tyler Hill debuting as a starter under center, the ‘Cats wasted no time marching the ball down the field. A penalty on third down forced the Bobcats into a 3rd and long, and the offense could not convert. A solid punt on 4th down flipped the field, and Eaton took over at their 20-yard line.
The Eagles’ offense found success on the ground this time and pushed the ball into Bobcat territory. The Eagles threatened to score behind some tough running from QB Brayden St. Ama and RB Laithe Shelly. However, a sack from Ceasar Saldana took the eagles out of field goal range. The Bobcat defense forced another punt, and the offense took over at the Central 13-yard line.
Tyler Hill and the rest of the offense felt the absence of Malachi Brown as they did not manage any sort of production. A bad snap on 4th down led to a blocked punt. The ball carried out of the end zone, and the Eagles’ defense put up the night’s first points with a safety, score 2-0.
Starting with the ball at midfield following the safety, Eaton continued having success on the ground. Taking nine plays to move the ball 50 yards, the Bobcats had their backs against the wall at the goal line. Behind his big boys on the O-line, St. Ama drove the ball in from a yard out. The Eagles extended their lead to 9-0.
Tyler Hill and the rest of the offense came out of the break at the half swinging. Tyler Hill took the ball 27-yards down the field on a 3rd and long. Three plays and three short gains left the Bobcats with a decision on 4th down. The Bobcats went for it and did not convert. The Central defense had their work cut out for them again as Eaton took over at the Eagle 41-yard line. It took only two plays to score when Shelley took off for 45-yards and another Eagle touchdown. The successful extra point made the score 30-7.
Another quick possession from the Bobcat offense went nowhere, and soon V.R. Eaton had the ball again. A booming punt from the ‘Cats backed up the Eagles at the 3-yard line. The sorry field position allowed the Bobcats to make a stop, and the defense delivered. A low snap that went out of the endzone gave Central a safety and new life. Bobcats scored off the safety but still trailed 30-9.
Desperate to get back into the game, the Bobcats’ offense felt the pressure of the entire game on their next drive. Pass interference called against the defense moved the ‘Cats into Eagle territory. A 12-yard run by Hill put the ball inside the 25-yard line. Following a sack on first down, Hill made up for the damage himself on back to back 10-yard scrambles. With the ball at the 10-yard line, Hill once again kept it himself and scored the Bobcat touchdown. The ‘Cats clawed a little bit closer, 30-16.
The Bobcats had another opportunity to stop the Eagles on their next drive. Another broken coverage on 3rd and six led to a 40 plus yard pitch and catch. After that, the Eagles kept the ball on the ground and pounded away at the goal line. Central forced the Eagles to run multiple plays inside the 10, but in the end, a 3-yard fade to the back of the end zone increased Eaton’s lead to 37-16.
As the 4th quarter began, the Bobcats’ offense duplicated the success on the previous drive. They moved the ball into Eagle territory with relative ease with a 9-yard run from Jalen Leifeste and a nice 15-yard grab from Cayden Box. The passing game that remained relatively silent for much of the game came alive as the Bobcats pushed into the red zone. The Eagles put a stop to the possession when Hill had his pass intercepted at the goal line.
An exhausted Bobcat defense came back out onto the field, looking for yet another stop. Starting at the 2-yard line, the V.R. Eaton offense kept the ball on the ground. The Bobcats had no answer for the read-option, and St. Ama ran the ball all over the defense. Offensive pass interference saved a possible touchdown, and the resulting penalty yardage gave the ‘Cats another opportunity to get a stop. Even still, senior kicker Colby Sessums nailed a 46-yard field goal and increased Eaton’s lead 40-16.
With the game practically out of reach, the ‘Cats offense took the field again to attempt to score. Hill connected with Leifeste, Levesque, and his older brother Weston on the way to an incredible looking drive. The offense ultimately stalled at the 9-yard line and turned the ball over on downs. V.R. Eaton took over on offense and kneeled out the remainder of the clock.
The Central Bobcats played their hearts out tonight, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. Central lost 40-16.
Analysis
The Bobcats struggled in a one-dimensional fashion all night tonight. To their credit, losing the starting quarterback the day of the game is almost impossible to overcome, even more so because the absent QB1 made the offense dynamic. Coach Davis spoke briefly on Brown’s condition.
“He is doing ok now, and he will be fine,” Davis said.
Sophomore QB Tyler Hill stepped up in a significant way tonight and did what he could to give his team a chance to win. Davis also spoke briefly on Hill’s performance.
“He did all he could do. He didn’t even know he was playing quarterback tonight until this morning. To come out and play the way he did with no preparation...I think he played great,” Coach Davis said.
After a season that started with a three-game losing streak, the Bobcats’ offense cannot be ashamed of how they played this season. They are a team that is capable of hanging 50 points on any opponent they face.
Defensively, the ‘Cats simply did not have an answer for the running game. Whether the ball came up the middle or if the quarterback kept it himself, the defense could not stop it.
“We knew (St. Ama) was really good. We knew he was a great runner. We had to slow him down, and we didn’t do a good enough job of that. I have a lot of respect for that program. It’s brand new, and they are on the up,” Davis said.
Turnovers by the offense did the defense no favors, and as the game went on, the defense could no longer keep up. The defensive line played a great overall game, recording multiple sacks and tackles for loss. All in all, it was not a bad defensive effort.
Our hates are off to the entire Bobcat squad for having a successful season while dealing with everything that came with the COVID-19 and adversity. Coach Davis said his coaching staff and the multitude of players on this team who will return next year can reload and continue to build off of the success from the 2020 football season.
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