Mike Easterling

Special to the Enquirer

The Brewer High School football team rode 205 yards rushing and five touchdowns from senior quarterback Zack Self to defeat Westminster and continued to build early-season momentum Friday, raising the program’s bar along the way.

The Patriots need all the Big ‘Mo they can get heading into this week’s Class 6A, Region 7 opener against Oxford.

Brewer defeated Class 4A Westminster 32-13 a week after knocking off 4A Randolph 24-18. The latter marked the first time the Patriots opened the season with a win since 2007 and the former gave them two wins to open a season since 1999.

The ‘99 season was also the last time Brewer logged a winning record.

“We try not to focus on 2-0 but on the next one,’’ Patriots coach Geoff Walters said. “The next one is big. It gets real for everybody starting region play. It just so happens we get the best team in our region.’’

Brewer (2-0) plays at home for the third straight week when the Yellow Jackets (2-0), ranked No. 4 in the state in last week’s poll, visit Friday.

Oxford has defeated 6A Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 21-0 and 7A Gadsden City 41-13.

“It’s big,’’ Self said. “We’ve got to come out and do the best we can. They’re good. We’ve got to play our best.’’

Self keyed the offensive output for the second week against Westminster. He rushed 17 times for 205 of the Patriots’ 275 yards while scoring five times on runs of 32, 15, 1, 19 and 68 yards. He completed 10-of-18 passes for 94 yards.

“He’s kind of out motor right now,’’ Walters said. “It couldn’t happen to a better kid. He’s done all this with great character and great leadership.’’

Westminster quarterback Ian Thies was under pressure all night from the sack-minded Brewer defense. The Wildcats managed to total just 14 yards on 18 rushes and had 101 passing yards on 9-of-21 completions.

“We can definitely get better,’’ Brewer senior defensive lineman Noah Steffen said. “We didn’t want to let them score but didn’t, but we’re shooting to be the best we can be.’’

The Patriots started fast against the Wildcats.

After forcing a three-and-out to start the game, Brewer took a short punt and scored three plays later when Self went 32 yards around left end. A two-point attempt failed.

The Patriots stretched their lead to 13-0 one possession later on a 15-yard run by Self and an extra point kick by Caleb Gullion.

Self struck again in the second quarter on a 1-yard keeper and Gullion kicked it to 20-0 with 4:55 left until halftime.

Westminster, without a first down to that point, drove 67 yards to 20-yard TD run by Theis. The extra point failed, leaving the score at 20-6 entering the second half.

Neith team scored again until Self went in from the 19-yard line to put the Patriots ahead 26-6 at the 2:38 mark of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter began with Theis throwing a 26-yard TD pass to Jeremiah Childs to make it 26-13, but the Patriots put it away on the next play from scrimmage when Self went 68 yards on a keeper for the final score with 10:44 remaining in the game.

“We’re not a mature team, and probably not supposed to be right now,’’ said Walters, who is in his third season. “We had success early and we’ve really not ever been in that position. We’ve got to learn to keep our foot on the pedal.’’