Coyotes roll in rout of Kerman
Benny Muñoz/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Jaden Gaeta races in the open field for a 36-yard catch-and-run for Madera’s first touchdown in Friday’s victory over Kerman.
If last week’s 35-0 performance against Selma wasn’t enough to convince skeptic, the Madera Coyotes’ 35-6 victory over the Kerman Lions showed the Coyotes are prepped for a shot at the County/Metro Athletic Conference title.
Behind 270 yards through the air and three touchdowns, Madera’s Beau Green continues to dazzle. His accuracy, combined with the ability to throw the ball to seemingly every part of the field while on the run, gives the Coyotes and head coach Kenny Paolinelli the ability to attack on any down.
With playmakers around Green in Logan Wattenbarger, who finished the game with five catches 96 yards and a touchdown, Aidan Owens, who scored a rushing touchdown, and the pair of Jaden Gaeta and Ramon Ruiz, who both caught a touchdown pass, the Coyote offense is rolling early on in the season.
The Coyotes’ 70 points in their first two games might grab the headlines, but the defense allowing a total of six points against two strong schools shows Madera isn’t all about offense.
On both sides of the ball, the Coyotes are winning at the point of attack.
Against Kerman, the Coyote defense recorded six tackles for loss and a 17 Coyotes registered a tackle during the game. Adam Landero led the way with eight solo tackles.
The Coyotes secondary feasted on the Kerman Lions as they worked in unison with the front seven. Madera intercepted Kerman’s Ashton Chalabian four times.
Wattenbarger picked off Chalabian twice, including a highlight-reel interception near the goal line, Oscar Velasquez and Julian Flores each had one as well. Flores returned his for a touchdown.
While the Coyotes ammassed 388 yards of total offense on just 46 plays (8.4 yards per play), Kerman gained 227 yards on 71 plays for an average of 3.2 yards per play.
Similar to week one, the Coyotes’ offense was off and running early.
An early handoff to Ruiz, followed by consecutive passes to Wattenbarger and Seth Pierson set up Green for Madera’s first score.
Green dropped back to pass, escaped the pressure and, while rolling to his left, tossed the ball to Gaeta in stride. Gaeta ran it in for a 36-yard score.
Green’s elusiveness in the pocket opened the passing lane for Gaeta before the Coyotes’ receiver sprinted down the field for the score.
Madera found its way back into the end zone in the second quarter through the elusive play of Green.
The Coyotes quarterback rolled to his left on as he sensed pressure from the Lions’ front seven.
Green had hit Pierson for a long gain to set Madera up on the Kerman side of the field.
Before he missed his last two passes, intended for Oscar Velasquez and Pierson, his third chance, Green hit Wattenbarger, who utilized his size and speed to reach the endzone on a 30-yard play down the field.
The Coyotes opened up 14-0 lead by halftime, but the Lions were still hanging around.
Kerman scored their lone touchdown in the third quarter to cut the deficit 14-6, but the Coyote defense tightened up and shut the door on Kerman. After the touchdown, the Coyote defense allowed just 44 yards on three possessions and all three ended in an interception.
The Coyotes scored 21 points in the fourth quarter behind their explosive offense and opportunistic defense.
Owens broke through the Lions’ front seven for a 10-yard touchdown to put the Coyotes up 21-6, before the Madera defense put the exclamation point on the night.
Flores read the eyes of Kerman’s quarterback before jumping the passing lane for an interception and took it 30 yards into the end zone.
Flores had only the quarterback to beat as he sprinted towards the end zone. Flores dragged Chalabian into the end zone before taking a victory lap through the Coyotes’ sideline, pumping up the crowd.
Richard Lozano stepped up and sent the point after through the uprights for the 28-6 score.
Green later closed the game with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Ruiz after Green faked the screen and launched a ball down the field.
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