SAN ANGELO, TX — The Central Bobcats football team put an end to its losing streak last week with a last-minute win on the road over Abilene Cooper.
Now the Bobcats have a chance to build on that win.
Central hosts Belton at 7 p.m. Friday in the first of back-to-back home games at San Angelo Stadium.
It’s an important moment for a program that finally has some positive momentum on its side again.
“That was only the second win here in the last 17 games,” first-year Central head coach Mark Smith said. “Now we get to learn how to respond after we have success. Losing has been normalized here in the recent past, and we want to normalize winning.
“What does it take to win? Well, there’s a cost involved in that, and the cost is in preparation. Now that we had a game we won, can we double down on our efforts? And that was my message to the team (Monday) morning.”
What was even more uplifting about last week’s win was the way the Bobcats did it.
Central overcame a fumble on the first play of the game that led to a quick 7-0 lead for Cooper.
The Bobcats didn’t allow another TD until the fourth quarter when they had built a 24-7 advantage.
Central quarterback Christian English scans the defense against Abilene High on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, at San Angelo Stadium.
After Cooper surged back into the game, taking a 27-24 lead with 3:41 left, Central responded with a 75-yard TD drive to win the game.
Quarterback Christian English picked up a critical third-and-10 with a 42-yard scramble, then found Mason Van Sickle for a 9-yard TD pass with 54 seconds remaining.
Defensive back Bryson Sanders then sealed the victory with an interception on Cooper's next play from scrimmage, setting off a celebration more than a year in the making.
“It was wonderful,” Smith said. “It was really nice just looking back and seeing the celebration of the fans, the cheerleaders, the drill team, the band, everybody. It was a very proud moment for me. And personally, being right there in Abilene in my hometown stadium where I grew up just a stone’s throw away from … it just made it all the sweeter.”
The game also included a 50-yard field goal by Central kicker Evan Vaughn on the last play of the first half to extend the Bobcats’ lead to 18-7 at halftime.
That kind of range could prove to be a game-changer for Central this season.
It was just a field goal that separated Central and Belton in last year’s meeting when Belton escaped San Angelo with a 41-38 win. English had a ridiculous performance with 586 yards of total offense that included 397 passing yards and 189 yards on the ground.
The Tigers, who are a Class 5A Division II school, went on to a 10-2 season last year. They’re off to an 0-3 start this season, however, after a big hit from graduation moved numerous sophomores into starting spots.
Belton has managed only 24 points in losses to Pflugerville Hendrickson (14-0), Georgetown (39-10) and Georgetown East View (48-14).
Smith said Belton will present some new looks for the Bobcats.
“For three weeks in a row, our offense has gone against an odd-front defense, and now we’ve got a new structure defensively that we’re going to see,” Smith said. “(Offensively) they play with a tight end, with a fullback, with a two-back system, so it’s kind of traditional football, if you will. … So we’ve got new things to learn offensively and defensively.”
Smith said Central’s main focus is on limiting costly mistakes and continuing to improve each week.
“If we control what we can control and not let the Bobcats beat the Bobcats, we’ll be OK,” Smith said. “We’ve got a good team. We’re still growing and still improving, and we’re trying to keep our focus on us and performing the best that we can.”
Central will host one of Belton’s district rivals, Waco, next week before a bye in Week 6. The Bobcats will then begin District 2-6A play Oct. 11 at Midland Legacy.
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