As we enter District 2-6A Week 2, Permian will host San Angelo Central in the Mojo district home opener at Ratliff Stadium on October 17. The Panthers have defeated the Bobcats in the last five district meetings. This week, we Burn the Angry Orange!
The Panthers (5-1, 1-0) are riding a five-game win streak including last week’s 49-7 win over Odessa High. Meanwhile, the Bobcats (3-3, 0-1) lost 58-42 in their homecoming district opener against Midland Legacy.
In the 2024 season, San Angelo Central finished with a 1-4 district record (4-6 overall) which included a 31-29 loss to Permian. The last time the Bobcats defeated the Panthers was in 2017, by a score of 31-20. In head-to-head competition, Mojo currently holds a 38-15-1 all-time record over the Angry Orange.
THE COMPARISON:
Six games into the 2025 season, Permian has been averaging 32 points a game while San Angelo Central has maintained an 37 point average. The Panthers have been able to spread the scoring across all four quarters, with a slight uptick in the second and fourth quarters.
The Bobcats score predominately early in the game, and their chances of crossing the goal line fades as the game progresses. They average 14 points in the first quarter, 10 in the second, 7 in the third, and 6 points in the final quarter. The Black Cat defense has limited their opponents to 19 points a game, while the Concho Cats gives up 34 points an outing.
Offensive production between the two teams (yardage wise) has been fairly close, with Mojo owning a slight advantage. Permian averages 412 yards of total offense a game (248 passing yards / 164 rushing yards). Central averages 372 yards of total offense (203 passing yards / 169 rushing yards).
OFFENSIVE ASSETS:
The Bobcats are under the command of junior quarterback Micah Smith (6-0, 180). In his first year on varsity, he has been averaging 202 passing yards a game. He has completed 93 of his 174 passes (53.4%). Smith has already thrown for 1,300 yards in his debut season, which includes 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He also has three rushing TDs. Smith can sling the long ball with a fair amount of accuracy. If all receivers are covered, he’s not afraid to tuck the ball and run.
Smith’s main targets are seniors Colton Hill (6-2, 175) and Jimmy Edwards (5-11, 170). Hill has 50 receptions for 832 yards (16.4 yards a catch) and averages 89 yards a game. He has QB experience, so don’t exclude a flanker pass being pulled out of the Bobcat bag of tricks. Edwards has 33 receptions for 441 yards (13.4 yards a catch) and averages 71 yards a game. Mojo will need to turn loose the MWM (Cameron Mattingly – Noel Washington – Izeyah McCoy) on these receivers.
San Angelo Central has a full complement of three running backs. Sophomore RB Zeyvion Johnson (5-11, 210) leads the committee in the backfield. Johnson has rushed for 378 yards from 66 carries, including nine touchdowns. He averages 76 yards a game.
Elijah Allen (5-11, 175) and Darius Huitt (5-9, 175) will also see their fair share of snaps. Allen has 262 rushing yards from 50 carries with a pair of TDs. He will sometimes leak out of the backfield for an occasional reception. Huitt has collected 233 yards on 52 rushes. Allen and Huitt average 42 rushing yards a game.
DEFENSIVE ASSETS:
The Bobcats defense has been suspect all year, giving up an average of 34 points a game. On the line of scrimmage, they rely on junior Riley Oines (6-2, 275) and senior Colton Kent (6-0, 225).
The linebacking corp consists of Jaekob Jackson (5-11, 190), Cabo De La Garza (5-11, 205), and Mason Van Sickle (6-0, 190). Jackson has the ability to disrupt the inside passing lanes. Central has two solid defensive backs in juniors Blaine Belcher and Troy Ceballos.
Caleb Holbert is responsible for the Bobcat kicking and punting duties, while receiver Jimmy Edwards handles kick and punt returns.
CONCLUSION:
With quarterbacks like Central’s Smith and Permian’s Jakob Garcia bringing high-powered energy to Friday night, which defensive unit will be able to answer the call? San Angelo Central will most likely attempt to pull the Panthers into an offensive shootout in the first half. That has been the strength of the Concho Cats this year.
A generous offering of Black Cat ground-and-pound with long sustained scoring drives would counter nicely. In the interim, the Panthers will need to unleash a healthy dose of ‘Mojo Defense’. Uncorking the Permian aerial assault in the second half will likely be too much for a worn down Central defense, sending the Bobcats home with another district loss.
Let the Cat Fight begin!
We’ve invited State Representative Brooks Landgraf to make his prediction on Friday’s Mojo district home opener at Ratliff Stadium. Here’s his take on the game – “Permian continues to roll, especially in front of the home crowd! Panthers will tame the Bobcats 38-24.“
THE MEDIA PICKS:
> Matt Stepp (Texas Football) – Permian by 13
> Randy Rosetta (Hub City Preps) – Mojo 47, SAC 28
> Christopher Hadorn (MRT) – Permian 42, SA Central 34
> Ethan Becker (KWES9) – Permian 41, SA Central 23
> Cory McIntyre (KWES9) – Permian 38, SA Central 24
> Trey Francis (KMID2) – Permian 38, SA Central 35
> Dalton Arredondo (KMID2) – Permian 35, SA Central 21
> Jakob Brandenburg (KOSA7) – Permian 42, San Angelo 20
> Jensen Young (KOSA7) – Permian 42, SA Central 31
> Wyatt Nun (KOSA7) – Permian 42, SA Central 34
> Terry Alan (MojoLand) – Permian 34, SA Central 23
DISTRICT 2-6A WEEK 2 (10/17/25):
San Angelo Central (3-3, 0-1) @ Permian (5-1, 1-0)
~Midland Legacy (2-4, 1-0) @ Frenship (3-3, 1-0)
Odessa High (0-6, 0-1) @ Midland High (1-5, 0-1)
*All Games 7:30 p.m. Kickoff
