By Josh Franklin
Roswell took down longtime rival Artesia 62-36 at the Bulldog Bowl on Oct. 16 in the Coyotes’ closest district game of the season — though calling it close would be more than an overstatement.
The last time the two powerhouses faced each other at the Bulldog Bowl, the Coyotes (7-1, 5-0 5A-2) left heartbroken, losing the 2025 5A state championship game 25-24. Roswell held a six-point lead with 25 seconds to go, but two seconds later, that lead was gone, and Artesia (4-4, 4-1) held on to win the title. This time, Jeff Lynn wasn’t letting his team surrender the lead.
Roswell opened the game with an interception after Artesia quarterback Lucas Atkins airmailed the ball to Zeke Barrientos. Atkins’ receiver broke inward while the quarterback wanted a sideline ball, and Barrientos was all over the miscommunication. A minute and 20 seconds later, train horns and cheers erupted from the away stands as Andruw Fuentez found Izaic Gonzales wide open in the back of the end zone.
The cashed-in turnover was the latest example of Roswell setting the tone early, and Lynn was happy to be on the front foot instead of letting Artesia get its crowd into the game.
“Artesia always takes the ball if they win the toss, and they feel like they can go down and score,” Lynn said postgame. “For us to get that pick and then go down and score to kind of flip the switch on it, that was a huge momentum swing in this game.”
By the time the clock hit quadruple zeros to signal the end of the first quarter, Roswell had scored its third touchdown for a 21-0 lead. Midway through the second quarter, Artesia checked into the scoring column with a three-yard rushing touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14. That was as close as the Bulldogs would get the rest of the way.
“We came out in the first quarter firing on all cylinders, and we challenged our kids to do that,” Lynn said. “We gave up some points in the second half, but I was real happy.”
Roswell captains Emmanuel Sanchez (55), Jake Amador (41), Izaic Gonzales (4) and Jonathan Ellis (3) walk to meet with the Artesia captains.Photo: Josh Franklin Photo © Roswell Daily Record
The Coyotes went scoreless in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was already insurmountable for the Bulldogs. Roswell needed just three quarters to pour on 62 points against what had been the district’s best defense heading into the game. The catalyst for the scoring barrage was none other than the big men up front.
“Those kids are the backbone of the team. Alan Renteria and Emmanuel Sanchez and Trey Burrola,” Lynn said. “They’re the heart and soul of our offense, and they did a great job (Oct. 16).”
While the win over an archrival gave the Coyotes plenty to celebrate — and rightfully so — Lynn has his sights set on dominating the rest of the regular season and returning to the high-stakes arena of New Mexico 5A playoff football.
“They’ve been working hard, and it’s fun to see our kids on the south side of Roswell successful,” Lynn said. “We’re going to enjoy this next couple days, and then we (have) got to get back to the grind. … This is not the biggest game we’re going to play all year, but it was fun.”
Oct. 16 wasn’t just a win for the players on the field. It was a win for everyone who puts on the red “R” every weekend.
“They’re great. I mean, the sea of red was awesome,” Lynn said about the Roswell faithful. “They did a good job for us. … Super proud of our entire community.”
Share this story and start a conversation
