SAN ANGELO, TX — The strides the San Angelo Central football team has made this season are apparent.

The Bobcats are coming off back-to-back losses to Midland Legacy and Odessa Permian by a combined eight points.

Last year, those two teams beat Central by a combined 70 points.

While the immense progress is encouraging, the Bobcats are still 0-2 in District 2-6A play, and they’re running out of time to be a factor in the playoff race.

Central (3-4 overall) will look to get its first district win at 7 p.m. Friday against Midland High (5-2, 1-1) at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland.

It’s yet another significant challenge for Central. The Bulldogs’ offense is averaging 47 points per game, and they have a UTEP commit at running back, Elijah McCoy, who has rushed for 1,289 yards and 20 touchdowns.

“They’re definitely going to make you fit the run. That’s what this team is built for that we’re playing,” Central head coach Mark Smith said. “This isn’t a slow-the-pace-of-the-game-down, ball control-type team. They get up there and run and create explosive plays in the run game.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us defensively, but offensively it’ll be a challenge as well. If they score a little bit, we’re going to have to match those.”

Midland High has attempted only 27 passes this season, so to say the Bulldogs are run heavy would be an understatement.

Quarterback Stroman Bridges has rushed for 840 yards and 10 TDs.

Jojo Lievens leads Midland High's defense with four interceptions, while Blade Brandon has three INTs. Tahj Harris has five sacks and 14 quarterback hurries.

Coming off a 1-9 season last year, Central was picked to finish last in the district again by Texas Football magazine.

The fact that the Bobcats have closed the gap on their district rivals so quickly is impressive.

Smith acknowledged as much during his weekly press conference, but he said his team isn’t satisfied with close losses.

“This team knows how good we’re capable of being, but they also know we’ve got to turn it up just a little bit more in certain situations to be able to see the outcome in our favor,” Smith said.

The top four teams in the district will advance to the playoffs. If Central loses to Midland High, the Bobcats would be in a difficult — but not impossible — position to make the postseason.

Central has currently lost 10 district games in a row dating to 2022. Five of those losses were by nine points or less.