Welcome to the 2007 - 2008 Central Bobcat's Football Team

Lackluster Performance

The Central High School football team is still headed to the playoffs, but without much momentum. With a 39-28 loss to Lubbock Monterey on Thursday night, the Bobcats closed out the regular season with their second consecutive loss, their first such losing streak of the season. It was also Central's first home loss of the season San Angelo Stadium will also be the site of Central's first-round playoff game next Friday, but the Bobcats will have to play much better than than they did Thursday to extend their season.

Four Central turnovers, coupled with Monterey's 358 total yards against a suddenly struggling Central defense, told the story of this game. "It's a pick-your-poison thing with them," Central head coach Stever Heryford said of Monterey's triple option threat coupled with its good receviers. "We had some stops but not nearly enough." After the final seconds ticked off, the Plainsmen (5-5, 3-2) celebrated clinching a playoff berth. Some Central players were too busy arguing with each other to notice.

"We need to refocus. We need to fight the other team instead of fighting each other," said Central cornerback Jacob Banks, who returned an interception 63 yards for a touchdown, but was also part of a Central secondary that allowed three touchdown passes from John Paul Floyd to Patrick McNamara. "We've got to get back to playing the way we were earlier in the season, because we were great."

Monterey was the team that looked great Thursday, rallying from a 14-0 defecit. "We're heading into the playoffs with a lot of confidence," McNamara said. "All the pieces are coming together." Central (5-5, 2-3), meanwhile, has seven days to turn things around before an El Paso team (likely 8-1 Montwood) arrives in San Angelo next Friday to begin the playoffs. When the Central coaches said they wanted to commit to the running game Thursday, they weren't kidding. The Bobcats' first 12 plays of the game were all runs and before that span was done Central had 14 points to speak of on touchdown runs of 53 and 1 yard by quarterback Tyler Jones. The second of the Jones' touchdown runs was set up by a 57-yard fumble return by Central's Sergio Aguillon. That 14-0 Bobcats lead was cut in half at the end of the first quarter on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Monterey's John Paul Floyd to Patrick McNamara. Central got those points back early in the second, when Banks intercepted a Tyler Mattson pass and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown. Despite the early flurry of points, Central's offense began to sputter late in the first half, but Monterey's didn't. A Trey CdeBaca 31-yard field goal and another Floyd to McNamara touchdown pass (this one a five-yarder) made the score 21-17 heading into the halftime locker room. Monterey had outgained Central 227 yards to 124 at that point. All of Central's first-half yards had come on the ground. Central's Jones had two interceptions and two incompletes to show for his four first-half pass attempts. Jones would finish the game with another interception, but the junior did have a game-high 138 yards rushing.

A muffed punt on Central's first possession of the second half led to the go-ahead Monterey touchdown. More special-teams problems followed for Central when a snap got past punter Austin Terry and he had to throw the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety. "Momentum really swung on special teams miscues and turnovers tonight," Heryford said. Monterey added to its lead in the fourth quarter with another Floyd to McNamara touchdown and a Ashton Cerka touchdown run. Central scored a final touchdown on a 18-yard pass from Jones to Taylor Patton, but it was too little too late. "We've got to come back as a united front," Central center Collin Donoghue said. "We've let division get in between us. ... We've got to bond somehow, come back and have a great week of practice. That's what has to happen for us to go on in the playoffs, or else we're going to lose in the first round."