San Angelo Central high school football wins first bi-district championship since 2020
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The San Angelo Central football team won its first playoff game since 2020, taking down El Paso Pebble Hills 24-14 for the bi-district championship Thursday at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa.
Two years after the Bobcats (8-3) finished with a regular season record of 1-9, coach Mark Smith flipped the script and earned his first playoff win leading the program.
The first half was a defensive struggle between the two teams, but an interception on a screen pass by Bobcats defensive lineman Brayan Sandoval turned the tide. A 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Micah Smith to Jimmy Edwards to open the second quarter gave Central a 7-0 lead.
The Bobcats had another opportunity to put points on the board at the end of the first half after converting two fourth-down attempts. But, Caleb Holbert’s 36-yard attempt missed wide right, and Central took a 7-0 lead into the half.
Another Pebble Hills (7-4) turnover led to a Bobcats score as Holbert redeemed his earlier miss with a 36-yard field goal, leading to a 10-0 advantage.
The Spartans found success after Central’s score, answering with a touchdown of their own, cutting into the Bobcats’ lead 10-7.
Central responded with an off-schedule explosive play from Micah Smith, who scrambled to the right and found Jimmy Edwards for a 73-yard touchdown pass.
The Bobcats’ defense continued to thwart the Spartans’ offense, nearly forcing a safety after sacking quarterback Joe Fernandez. The ensuing Pebble Hills punt led to the final scoring drive for Central as running back Zeyvion Johnson took a fourth-down carry 20 yards for a touchdown to take a 24-7 lead.
Pebble Hills scored again late in the fourth quarter, but Smith was able to kneel out the clock and secure the 24-14 win.
It was a run-heavy night for the Bobcats as they racked up 45 carries for 187 yards rushing and one touchdown. Elijah Allen was the leading rusher with nine carries for 81 yards. Smith finished the game completing 7 of 9 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Edwards was the biggest benefactor in the pass game, hauling in five catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
With the win, the Bobcats take on No. 1 Southlake Carroll in the area round of the playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Art Briles Stadium in Stephenville.
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X @Paul_Witwer, Instagram and TikTok at pwitwer_sast.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Central football wins bi-district title for first time since 2020
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