The Roswell Hornets rolled past the Alpharetta Raiders 39-13 on Friday, Oct. 9, in a Region 7-AAAAAA road game at Alpharetta High School.
The 26-point victory snapped a one-game skid for the Hornets. Roswell had suffered its worst loss under head coach Jonathan "JT" Thompson on Oct. 2, a 34-5 home defeat to Gainesville. The rebound produced the Hornets' second-largest margin of victory this season, trailing only the 52-17 win at Etowah on Sept. 4.
Roswell improved to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in region play, according to MaxPreps. Alpharetta dropped to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the region, per GPB Sports.
The Hornets are 3-0 on the road this season. Their three away wins have come by a combined 130-45.
Friday's game carried an extra storyline. Quarterback Matthew Schletty and three-star edge Jaxon Holly both transferred to Roswell from Alpharetta before this season. Schletty rushed for two touchdowns and Holly scored on a pick-six in the Hornets' season-opening 32-20 win over Walton on Aug. 13, as Appen Media reported. Individual stats from Friday's game were not available at publication.
Thompson has emphasized defense as a program identity since arriving in Roswell. After the Aug. 13 win over Walton, he credited his staff and players on that side of the ball.
"Even when we weren't able to punch it in offensively, defense just kept battling, and they put us in really good situations," Thompson said after the season opener.
The Hornets entered the week ranked No. 10 in ITG Next's Class 6A poll. MaxPreps ranked Roswell No. 17 statewide as of Saturday, Oct. 10. Through seven games, the Hornets have scored 219 points and allowed 162.
The region remains a three-team race at the top. Milton entered Friday at 2-0 in region play, followed by Gainesville at 2-0. Updated standings after the Oct. 9 slate had not been published as of Saturday.
Roswell returns home Friday, Oct. 16, to host Johns Creek at 7:30 p.m. in another region contest. The Hornets then host Riverwood on Friday, Oct. 23, before closing the regular season at Milton on Friday, Nov. 6.
