The Roswell Coyotes football team defeated the Hobbs Eagles 64-60 in their season opener Friday, Aug. 21, at the Wool Bowl.
The high-scoring affair was highlighted by the quarterbacks. Coyotes quarterback Andruw Fuentez completed 25 of 29 passes for 437 yards and seven touchdowns. Eagles quarterback Junior Medrano completed 14 of 18 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns.
Roswell head coach Jeff Lynn said the game was both great and fun.
“I thought Fuentez threw the ball really well, and the whole offense was just clicking,” Lynn said. “I thought our rushing attack, offensive lineman and special teams were also good. Defensively, we’ve got to get a lot better. We missed a bunch of tackles and lost some assignments, and that’s on me. We’ll get better.”
Hobbs head coach Ken Stevens said the Eagles showed their big-play potential but need greater consistency.
“Offensively, we need to get more consistent on our drives,” Stevens said. “We showed the ability to make big plays, but we need to execute more consistently. Defensively, we need to learn to play in space.”
Hobbs (0-1) opened the scoring after Medrano guided the Eagles down the field and defensive back Jesse Nelson finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Roswell (1-0) answered with back-to-back touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.
Then the Eagles’ offense caught fire.
Medrano threw two touchdown passes totaling 81 yards, and Nelson broke loose for an 85-yard touchdown run as Hobbs surged in front.
Roswell finally answered late in the quarter when Fuentez connected with wide receiver Danny Castro on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Hobbs missed a two-point conversion, but the Eagles carried a 27-21 lead into halftime.
A second-half shootout
Neither defense could find an answer in the second half, while their offenses kept trading punches.
Roswell started with the ball, but Hobbs maintained its advantage through the third quarter. Both teams scored twice, sending the game to the fourth with the Eagles ahead 40-36.
The third quarter also featured a failed two-point conversion by Hobbs and a successful two-point run by Fuentez.
The fourth quarter was the highest scoring, with Roswell striking first on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Fuentez to wide receiver Izaic Gonzales.
The teams traded scores over the final 12 minutes, but Eagles kicker Brandon Almanza missed his final extra-point attempt, leaving Hobbs with a 60-57 lead with four minutes remaining.
The Coyotes then marched down the field, and Fuentez finished the drive with a 12-yard rushing touchdown to give Roswell the lead with 30 seconds remaining. Kicker Benjamin Vera then drilled the extra point to complete a perfect night for the kicker.
The Eagles had one last chance to reclaim the lead, but the Coyotes’ special teams came through, forcing a Hobbs fumble. Roswell recovered the ball to seal the victory.
What’s next?
The Coyotes return to action at 7 p.m. CDT Friday, Aug. 28, against Randall High School in Amarillo, Texas.
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.
