Staff Reports

Hartselle Enquirer

The Brewer Patriots and Decatur Red Raiders both started their seasons with big wins last week and both looked to continue their momentum when they squared off in Decatur.

The Patriots came out hot and scored six unanswered points. The Red Raiders stayed one step behind Brewer as they continued to swap points for the period. Brewer ended the period up 12-9, with Junior Forward Preston Bryant scoring seven of the Patriot’s first twelve.

Brewer came out hot again, opening the second period with a 9-0 run in the first 3 minutes to put them in control 21-9. The Red Raiders ended the Patriots hot streak and the two teams went back and forth. The Raiders ended the half with a big push to bring the Patriots lead to only 4 points at 30-26.

The Red Raiders came out after half playing much more aggressive basketball. They scored first to make it 30-28, but the Patriots were not going to let them back in it that easy, as they came right back down the court to score and make it a 4 point game again, at 32-28. After a couple of big turnovers in the Raiders favor, Noah Burroughs tied the game at 32. The Patriots still would not let the Raiders take control of the game, they came right back and made a basket, got a turnover, and took it right back for another basket to put them back up by 4 again, at 36-32. The third period finished with Decatur and Brewer swapping baskets back and forth, ending with Brewer on top, 41-39.

The Red Raiders came out in the fourth with 6 unanswered points and a great showing of rebounding, giving them the lead 45-41. The teams swapped scores and then two big fouls gave the Patriots the chance to take a 2-point lead with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, at 49-47. A big turnover in the Raiders favor gave them the ball with 13 seconds remaining, still down by two. With the clock running down Noah Burroughs shot a three, missed and then got the rebound himself. A Brewer defender then bumped into him just enough for a foul to be called. With one second on the clock, Noah Burroughs inbounded the ball high and under the basket to Caleb Napier, who tipped it in perfectly to tie the game and make the home crowd in Decatur’s gymnasium go crazy.

As overtime started both teams went back and forth down the court with nothing to show for it in their first two possessions. Brewer went up by 53-51 with 1:30 left, John Graves put up a shot to take the lead but was charged with an offensive foul, so the basket didn’t count. A few seconds later Brewer fouled Tyler Cohn for the Raiders sending him to the line with an opportunity to tie the game. He made one but missed the second. Brewer held the lead 53-52 with 19 seconds remaining. John Graves was fouled on the inbound pass and he proceeded to make both of his free throws ending the overtime thriller with a Brewer Patriots win at 55-52.

The player of the game goes to the Senior Center John Graves of the Brewer Patriots. He ended the game with 19 points. 10 of those points coming from the charity line, including the last three points that sealed Brewer’s win.