The Roswell Coyotes football team will host the Gadsden Panthers at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at the Wool Bowl.
The last time the two teams met was in last season’s Class 5A state playoff semifinal, when Roswell earned a 35-17 home victory.
The Coyotes (5-1, 3-0 District 2-5A) enter the matchup after rolling past the Chaparral Lobos (3-3, 0-3) 50-0 on Sept. 25. Gadsden (5-1, 2-1) comes in after defeating the Goddard Rockets (2-4, 1-2) 34-20 at Sal Gonzalez Stadium in Anthony.
For Roswell head coach Jeff Lynn, the formula for Friday is straightforward: preparation, physicality and execution.
“We just need to have a good week of preparation,” Lynn said. “We played Gadsden in the semifinals last year, so we know what they are. We need to come ready to play and we’ve got to play well on both sides of the ball.”
That preparation already paid dividends for a Roswell defense that improved after a slow start to the season.
Against Chaparral, the Coyotes surrendered just one first down in a shutout performance. Lynn said this was their best defensive outing of the season.
“The defensive effort against Chaparral was the best of the season,” Lynn said. “We had a good week of preparation, which is good because now the players see what it can lead to.”
Roswell’s offense, meanwhile, is led by quarterback Andruw Fuenetz. Through six games, he completed 71.2% of his passes for 1,363 yards and 19 touchdowns with two interceptions.
Gadsden has plenty of firepower of its own. Quarterback Rosalio Gomez Jr. completed 65.3% of his passes for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns with two interceptions through the Panthers’ first five games.
Gadsden also found success on the ground. Running backs Armando Ramirez and Izakk Carreon rushed for six touchdowns each this season.
Through the air, the Panthers have weapons in wide receivers Anthony Palomares and Deion Torres. Palomares scored six touchdowns this season, while Torres added five.
With both teams off to strong starts in district play, Friday’s matchup provides an opportunity to build momentum with a win.
Marshall Mecham can be reached at (915) 232-1793 or on X @mecham_marshall. Mecham serves with the New Mexico Local News Fellowship, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across the state. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
