Denair High (1-6) picked up its first win of the 2012 season as they took down the Redskins of Gustine High (1-6) 18-12 Friday night.

With the 100 year anniversary of Denair High and the school’s Homecoming falling on the same night, the stage was set for the Coyotes to complete the evening with their first win of the season.

Denair was off to a solid start, scoring in their first drive on just three plays. The Coyotes resorted to some old fashion trickery, executing the reverse for the first touchdown of the game. Wide receiver Trey Howze was the last to touch the ball on the reverse as he hit the sideline and turned it up field 57 yards for the score.

After a blocked extra point attempt and an unsuccessful onside kick, Gustine took over possession at mid-field and was quick to return the favor with a 36 yard touchdown run by Redskin running back Alex Serrano on the subsequent drive.

Denair did, however, match Gustine’s blocked extra point with a block of their own to keep the score locked up at 6-6.

The two teams continued to trade scores into the second quarter, but it was the Coyotes that struck last with a nine play drive that covered 88 yards. After a 25 yard Alex Valle kick return, the fired up sophomore quarterback, Dominyc Silva, completed two passes, 26 and seven yards respectively, to put Denair within reach for Valle to pick up the third Coyote touchdown of the night. Silva’s pass attempt on the two point conversion was batted down, but still the lead increased to 18-12, which would go on to be the final score of the game.

Tension was at an all-time high with 1:45 left in the first half with four penalty flags in a row thrown for unsportsmanlike conduct, before the clock expired. The first two were against Gustine with a roughing the passer call, and a late hit after an incomplete pass at the back of the end zone. It was clear that the Coyotes were not happy with the Redskins’ foul play as they answered back with a late hit and some unnecessary roughness of their own before heading to the locker room.

With just over two minutes left in the game, the Coyotes were flirting with their fourth touchdown of the night when Silva’s pass was intercepted in the end zone and Gustine took over on their own 20 yard line with 1:55 showing on the clock.

The Coyote defensive line of Luis Mendoza, Sean Anderson, Kris Waldon, and Zack Johnson proved to be too much for Redskin quarterback Isaiah Figueroa giving him no time to throw and forcing him to continually scramble out of the pocket as they eventually turned the ball over on downs where the Coyotes took a knee in victory formation while the last few seconds ran off the clock.

“It was a nice win,” Denair head coach Rich Goodwin said. “As we progress, there is going to be some good things happening for Denair in the next couple of years.”

The Coyotes will look to chalk up another one in the win column next week as they go on the road to play Turlock Christian High at Hilmar High School.