Brewer varsity girls soccer team members, from left, are (front) Kat Nethery, Trinity Delzell, Ashley Watwood, Taylor Fowler, Laurel Hatfield, Natalie Hatfield, Savannah Gore, Monica Gonzalez, (back) manager Lane Adcock, Jessica Dews, Carlee Landers, Sarah Clark, Jessie Privett, Aleena Kennedy, Jessica Margotta, Makayla Graham, Molly Greene, Casey Stewart and coach Cassie Roberts. Not pictured are Cadie Elmore and Victoria Roberts.

The Brewer High School girls soccer team has a new coach who is excited about this season.

The lone senior is Jessica Dews, a five-year starter for the Lady Patriots. Head coach Cassie Roberts says they also have a lot of young talent returning.

Roberts started coaching school soccer for the fist time this year after watching her daughter play for the Lady Patriots for several years and coaching recreation leagues for many seasons. She was excited to take over when she found out the position was open.

“I’ve always been around soccer, and I really love it,” Roberts said. “When I’m here coaching, I get to give them my full attention. I’m blessed to have such a great group of girls and a wonderful school sponsor like Christy Clark who keeps everything organized for me. I miss playing soccer, and this is a great opportunity for me.”

Roberts is hoping to build off their mediocre season last year.

“We didn’t have a super successful season last year, and we are hoping to turn that around,” Roberts said. “Last year was rough without a JV team and weather-wise. We had Fort Payne and Southside in our area, so traveling the sometimes two hours there was hard. Sometimes we only had two parents that were able to make the really long trips, and spectators are important and we hate to lose them.”

Brewer will now face Cullman and Lee-Huntsville in their area. Roberts called the realignment a “double-edged sword,” saying they didn’t have to drive so far for competitors that were nearly out of their league, but they will now battle closely with tough local teams. Roberts is embracing the challenges that await the Lady Patriots.

“I like that what’s in store for us this season will be unknown,” Roberts said. “We need to go into each game with a winning attitude and with our heads up. This team works well together, and they’re excited about this year.”

Several of the players have started doing their own off-season conditioning before they were able to practice together Jan. 19. Others play different sports or train in the gym during free periods to stay in shape.

Roberts has set a few personal goals for the team.

“My first goal was getting them to practice every day even when we have to be inside because of weather,” Roberts said. “We are also working on having a plan for every situation, so we will no exactly what to do for goal kicks, corner kicks and throw ins. Before they started, I had each person fill out a questionnaire so I could get to know them and what they wanted to see from the team. They were able to give me insight to where we needed improvement.”

Roberts said they have been working on fine-tuning their skills and having an overall successful attitude.

“They were really down after their season last year,” Roberts said. “I think I took the job because I wanted to help them find a way to turn it around. I can already tell that they can see things looking up.”