The Roswell Coyotes football team dominated the Chaparral Lobos in a 50-0 victory Friday, Sept. 25, at the Wool Bowl in their homecoming game.
The game ended with 11:51 remaining in regulation when Roswell (5-1, 3-0 District 2-5A) reached the 50-point threshold required to invoke the mercy rule.
The Coyotes’ defense suffocated the Lobos, while several Roswell players found the end zone for the first time this season. Among them were junior wide receiver Keanu Salas, sophomore quarterback Abimael Jimenez and sophomore running back Debrice Ashung.
With the game firmly in hand, Roswell also turned the second half into an opportunity for younger players to gain experience.
“I thought that group did a really good job for us,” Coyotes head coach Jeff Lynn said. “Jimenez did a good job leading the way toward the end and I’m just super happy for all those guys.”
Roswell wasted little time setting the tone as starting quarterback Andruw Fuentez connected with senior wide receiver Izaic Gonzales on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 11:33 left in the first quarter, giving the Coyotes a 7-0 lead.
The Roswell defense then forced a three-and-out, and the ensuing punt sailed into the end zone for a safety, stretching the Coyotes’ advantage to 9-0.
Roswell added three more touchdowns before the end of the opening quarter, turning a quick start into a 30-0 advantage.
The Lobos (3-3, 0-3) struggled to generate much offense in the second quarter. Chaparral went for it on fourth down deep in its territory early in the period, but the gamble failed, giving Roswell possession. Wide receiver Francisco Guzman then raced 20 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 37-0.
Another Roswell defensive stop gave the offense the ball back midway through the quarter. Guzman, who also serves as the Coyotes’ backup quarterback, found Salas for a 9-yard touchdown that made it 44-0.
The Roswell defense then forced another stop before halftime, capping a first half in which Chaparral failed to record a first down. Roswell got the ball back to close the half but took a knee, entering intermission with a 44-point cushion.
The Lobos picked up their only first down of the game to open the third quarter, but neither team found the end zone during the period.
The Coyotes needed only a few seconds of the fourth quarter to finish the job, as Jimenez connected on a 5-yard touchdown pass to secure the victory.
Lynn said he saw a sharper performance from his team against Chaparral than he did in the 48-12 rout over the Deming Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) on Sept. 18 at Memorial Stadium.
“We feel a lot better about this win than we did last week with Deming,” Lynn said. “We came out and handled business and were able to get some young kids in.”
Roswell will welcome the Gadsden Panthers (5-1, 1-1) to the Wool Bowl at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2.
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.
