Mike Easterling

Special to the Enquirer

There are still some goals left for the Brewer High School football team.

The Patriots’ hopes of reaching the state playoffs are a memory following a 39-14 homecoming loss to Fort Payne at home Friday night.

The loss left Brewer with a 3-4 overall record and 0-4 mark in Class 6A, Region 7.

What’s left for the Patriots? With two or three wins in their last three games, they can avoid the program’s first losing season in 18 years. Brewer hasn’t won at least five games or had a winning record since going 7-4 in 1999.

“Our ultimate goal is to bond with each other,’’ Patriots senior Noah Steffen said.

Despite the setback Friday, Steffen said he and his teammates are accomplishing that goal and that was the message after the loss.

“It was praise the Lord and getting closer to being like family,’’ he said. “I’m definitely closer to the team.’’

Brewer coach Geoff Walters, however, said he saw certain signs during the loss that he didn’t like. At times, he said, the Patriots weren’t standing as one as Fort Payne pulled away from a 17-7 halftime lead..

“I was more upset of our team turning on each other,’’ he said. “We’re nothing without unity. If you don’t have unity you better be superior athletically and we’re not.’’

Brewer started the scoring when senior quarterback Zach Self hit streaking senior D.J. Hyatt down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown. Junior Caleb Gullion’s extra point made it 7-0 with 5:18 left in the first quarter.

Fort Payne (4-2 overall, 2-1 in the region) cut its deficit to 7-6 on a 2-yard run by bruising back John Groat. The Wildcats failed to get place-kicker Evan McPherson on the field and an extra point run attempt failed with 9:08 left in the first half.

The Wildcats took the lead for good at the 4:05 mark of the second quarter on a 44-yard run by Matthew Shaddix and a two-point pass completion that made it 14-7.

As the first half came to a close McPherson, who has committed to Mississippi State and has made a 54-yard field goal earlier this season, drilled a 60-yarder with room to spare to make it 17-7.

McPherson is one of the top-rated place-kickers in the nation.

The second half started poorly for Brewer when its second possession resulted in a safety following a high punt snap.

Two personal fouls on Fort Payne’s ensuing drive set up a touchdown, the Patriots punted soon after and a 2-yard touchdown burst by Groat put the game out of reach at 31-7 with 3:24 left in the third quarter.

The WIldcats kept Self, the Patriots leading rusher who was playing with a high ankle sprain, bottled up all night.

“They had his number,’’ Walters said.

Brewer added a 10-yard TD pass from Self to Patrick Johnson.

The Patriots visit Southside-Gadsden and Cullman the next two weeks to close out their region schedule and conclude the season against Grissom at home.