On Nov. 30, the Roswell Coyotes’ football team became state champions.
The Coyotes were the number-one team in the 5A class in the regular season after finishing 8-1. This would grant them the number one seed in the playoffs, where they would then beat both their opponents, Highland and Gadsden, to qualify for the championship. Their opponents would be the Artesia Bulldogs, a team that bested the Coyotes a year before in the 2023 championship.
While the Bulldogs tried to keep up for the first half of the game, the Coyotes would slowly pull away and completely take over the second half to win 41-22. Major contributors to the win were quarterback Jacob Palomino, who rushed for three touchdowns and had a passing touchdown. Running back Abey Toscano had a throwing and a rushing touchdown, and Mason Greathouse had two receiving touchdowns and an interception.
This was the third championship in the Jeff Lynn area. Lynn commented on the resilience of this team. “Going through this year’s challenges, like the flood, and stuff in previous years, like COVID-19 and losing one of their teammates, is tough, but they went out and won a championship. “Lynn could not have been more proud of his team.