The Roswell Coyotes football team rolled past the Gadsden Panthers 49-14 on Friday, Oct. 2, at the Wool Bowl.
Roswell starting quarterback Andruw Fuentez orchestrated the offense, completing 13 of 18 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns with one interception while adding a rushing touchdown.
“Andruw doesn’t lack confidence,” Coyotes head coach Jeff Lynn said. “He’s never too high or too low and he’s super effective.”
That confidence was evident from the opening play. Just 13 seconds into the game, Fuentez connected with wide receiver Luis Chavez for an 80-yard touchdown. Roswell (6-1, 4-0 District 2-5A) added two more touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 21-0 lead.
Fuentez threw an interception to Gadsden defensive back Deion Torres to end the opening quarter but recovered quickly in the second quarter. Early in the quarter, Fuentez kept the ball and sprinted 20 yards for a touchdown, extending Roswell’s lead to 28-0.
Gadsden (5-2, 2-2), though, refused to fold. Running back Armando Ramirez scored rushing touchdowns on consecutive possessions, cutting the deficit to 28-14 and giving the Panthers a spark.
Roswell answered immediately. Running back Debrice Ashung fielded the ensuing kickoff and raced 97 yards to the end zone, giving the Coyotes a 35-14 lead.
Roswell’s defense forced another stop, giving the Coyotes an opportunity to add to their lead before halftime. Kicker Benjamin Vera’s 36-yard field-goal attempt fell short, but Roswell took a 21-point advantage into halftime.
The Coyotes opened the second half with another defensive stop, and Fuentez capitalized on the ensuing possession. He connected with receiver Danny Castro for a 15-yard touchdown to push the lead to 42-14.
Roswell defensive back Matthew Flores then intercepted a pass from Gadsden starting quarterback Rosalio Gomez Jr., setting up the Coyotes deep in Panthers territory.
Receiver Daniel Guevara finished the drive, racing 19 yards for a touchdown to make it 49-14 and cap the scoring.
For Lynn, the victory was a complete team effort.
“I thought we clicked on all three cylinders,” Lynn said. “We did great offensively, the defense came up clutch and special teams were lights out.”
The Coyotes will turn their attention to Artesia (4-3, 4-0) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, at the Bulldog Bowl.
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.
