Preview: Can Roswell three-peat in Class 5A?
Before ascending to the summit of the Class 5A football mountain, Roswell first had to conquer Artesia Ridge. Once they did, the Coyotes haven’t looked back. Between 2004-2018, Roswell lost 15 straight regular season games to Artesia, and many of…
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Continue ReadingBefore ascending to the summit of the Class 5A football mountain, Roswell first had to conquer Artesia Ridge.
Once they did, the Coyotes haven’t looked back.
Between 2004-2018, Roswell lost 15 straight regular season games to Artesia, and many of those defeats were by 30 or more points.
Everything changed, though, on Nov. 23, 2018 when Roswell finally beat the Bulldogs, 48-42, in dramatic fashion in the semifinals of the Class 5A playoffs about a month after losing to Artesia by a single point (36-35) in the regular season.
Roswell QB Ethan Valenzuela connected with WR Dylan Tucker on a game-winning catch-and-run TD in the final seconds. A week later, the Coyotes trounced Los Lunas in the 5A championship game.
What’s important to know about that close, agonizing loss to Artesia two years ago is that district showdown marks the last time Roswell has fallen short on the scoreboard. Since then, the Coyotes have won 18 straight games, including a perfect 13-0 record in 2019 en route to a second consecutive Class 5A title.
Unquestionably, finally slaying the Artesia albatross after more than a decade of frustration jumpstarted Roswell’s recent surge.
“That 2018 team had to put some things to bed before they could win the state championship, such as beating Artesia, which we hadn’t done in a long time,” Roswell coach Jeff Lynn told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “That was the last big hurdle for our program before we could win a state championship.”
“A lot of it was psychological. Mentally, your kids have to believe and sometimes that’s more important than the physical part of the game. We’ve had good teams in the past that were capable of beating Artesia, but actually getting over the hump and doing it was a big deal.”
If Roswell is going to three-peat in the spring, they’ll have to rebuild an offense that saw most of last season’s major contributors graduate. The only returning starters are an offensive lineman and a running back. The Coyotes scored 48 or more points nine times in 2019 and averaged nearly 50 points per game.
“Last year’s team was a special group,” Lynn said. “Anytime you go undefeated and score the amount of points we scored, it was special. About three years ago we went to more of a spread offense. We still hang our hat on running the football, obviously, but we’re not as run-heavy as we used to be.”
Matching the production of last season’s prolific offense will be the goal for a new look offensive unit led by quarterback Zeke Gonzales and senior running back Joel Renteria, last season’s leading rusher. Senior RB Talon Sanders, who has attracted interest from multiple college programs, joins Renteria in the offensive backfield for a possible ‘running back by committee’ approach.
Senior wide receiver Alonzo Acosta should be the primary target in the passing game.
“The heart and soul of our offense is gone,” Lynn said. “But we still have pretty good skill players. We can match up with anybody in the state. Zeke throws the ball well and he’s a pretty good runner. Talon has the potential to be really good. The biggest question mark for us offensively will be up front.
“We have to replace some really good football players on the offensive line. But the kids are there, but they just don’t have varsity experience. Our JV team was undefeated last year. With the shortened season, we’re going to have to get those kids up to speed pretty quick.”
Defensively, Roswell returns nine starters. The group is led by senior middle linebacker Armando Silva Armando Silva 5'10" | LB Roswell | 2021 State NM , who started all 13 games and led the Coyotes in tackle a year ago. Defensive lineman Zack Buckmister creates havoc for opposing offensive lines. All four starting defensive backs return.
“We might be playing to our defense a little bit more this year because that’s the strength of our football team,” Lynn said. “If we can find a couple of defensive ends, we’ll be pretty salty.
“Overall, we have the right kids on the bus. We just have to get them into the right seats. If we do that, we’ll be in the hunt again.”
Winning the district, arguably the toughest in Class 5A, should prove a formidable challenge with crosstown rival Goddard, Artesia and Alamogordo all capable of making a run at the district title. In fact, all four teams advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals last November, with Roswell and Goddard reaching the semifinals.
Non-district games against Clovis, Mayfield, Los Lunas and Deming will prepare the Coyotes for the later district battles.
ROSWELL CAPSULE:
Head Coach: Jeff Lynn
Mascot: Coyotes
Twitter: @CoyotesRising, @JeffJefflynn1
Colors: Red and White
Enrollment: 1,311
2019 Record: 13-0 (Won Class 5A title)