PREVIEW: Central Bobcats Can Pull to .500 Against Belton

Any thoughts of a quarterback controversy around town might finally be put to bed after an outstanding performance by junior Micah Smith. The young quarterback put up 279 yards through the air and three touchdowns in the win. He only went 50% on the evening on 14-of-28 passing, but most of those incompletions were due to deep shots he took while trying to get the 'Cats back into the game. Smith had 10 yards per attempt, which shows he was trying to push the ball vertically down the field. His average yards per completion settled on 19.9 on the night.

Central's receiving corps was the key to success last Friday. Backup quarterback and star wide receiver Colton Hill hauled in six catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns against the Cougars. The young man continues to make plays wherever he is placed on the roster and is an integral piece to this offense. One of the Bobcats not talked about as much so far this season had himself a huge game alongside Hill against Cooper. Gabriel Garcia collected four catches for 76 yards, including the 'Cats' first touchdown last weekend.

Smith needs another night like he had against Cooper on Friday in Belton. After finishing 2-9 a season ago, the Tigers already look better under a revamped offense. They switched from a traditional run offense in the offseason to the spread. That change produced immediate results, as the Tigers have already matched their total wins from last season. They're led by quarterback Will Sheppard, who has already accumulated 735 yards and five TDgames. He has also thrown three picks, something Central can try to take advantage of Friday.

Central is 2-1 against the Tigers over the last three seasons, with the 'Cats' most recent victory coming last year when the Bobcats flattened Belton 33-8. Don't expect the game to be nearly as simple this time around.

Defensively, Central has to keep everything in front of them. Explosive plays continue to kill the 'Cats in games where the defense has played much, much better this season. Linebacker Mason Van Sickle continues to be the driving factor behind this defensive unit. Last week, he led the team with 10 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. However, a nice addition has been Colton Kent. The young man was a force against the Cougars, adding three tackles for loss and three sacks.

Belton wants to throw the ball and will hit passes and gain yardage. Central needs to ensure these drives extend to 10-11 plays and not give up a 50-plus yard touchdown two plays into a drive. Along with the offense, which seems to be figuring things out, the 'Cats have a chance to move to 2-2.

Chadwick's Pick

The Bobcats looked like a complete team for the first time this season in the win last Friday. It'll be tough to deal with Belton's spread offense, but this defense is much improved from a year ago, and I think they are up to the task. I do expect a lot of points in this ball game, but I think Central has the athletes to make enough plays when it counts. The Bobcats claim their second win in a row this week, 42-28.