Despite a late rally that nearly erased a 21-point deficit, the Goddard Rockets football team fell to the Roswell Coyotes 42-35 on Friday night at the Wool Bowl.
Trailing 42-21 with four minutes remaining, Goddard scored two touchdowns and recovered an onside kick.
Goddard head coach Art Bolaños said he was proud of his team’s resilience.
“I’m just super proud of these guys,” Bolaños said. “These guys have fought to the nail every single game.”
The Rockets struck first behind running back Isaiah Montoya, who scored on a 13-yard run with 7:06 remaining in the opening quarter to give Goddard a 7-0 advantage. Roswell responded with a scoring surge led by quarterback Andruw Fuentez, who threw three touchdown passes.
Fuentez connected with tight end Arath Nevarez for a 19-yard touchdown before finding wide receiver Danny Castro for scoring passes of 20 and 29 yards. The three touchdowns gave Roswell a 21-7 lead.
But the Rockets were not ready to fold. Montoya punched in his second touchdown on a 3-yard run shortly before halftime, trimming Roswell’s lead to 21-14.
The Coyotes extended their advantage early in the second half when running back Luis Rodriguez broke free for a 71-yard touchdown run, making it 28-14.
Goddard answered with a scoring drive of its own. Quarterback Nate Vazquez connected with receiver Bryant O’Mera on a 5-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 28-21.
Roswell relied on Fuenetz’s passing and Rodriguez’s running to maintain its advantage. The Coyotes eventually built a 42-21 lead before Goddard’s late push. The Rockets’ rally showcased the determination they have displayed throughout the season, but Roswell held on for the victory.
For Bolaños, the result was secondary to the effort his players showed until the final whistle.
“We did a good job at making good plays and staying poised,” Bolaños said. “Roswell’s a good football team and I just can’t explain how proud I am of our boys with how they competed.”
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.
