Talley's tally wins it for Brewer

By Staff
Justin Schuver, Hartselle Enquirer
DECATUR – It has been a season of firsts for the Brewer boys soccer program – first county championship, first playoff berth. You can now add first playoff win to that list.
Jeremy Talley scored the game-winning goal with 3:02 remaining as Brewer defeated Decatur 2-1 at Ogle Stadium in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Talley received a long pass from Eric Vallejo and found himself one-on-one with Decatur's Phoenix Iverson. Talley made a little hesitation move and Iverson lost his footing, giving Talley enough room to beat Decatur goalkeeper Andrew Wentzler.
"Phoenix and I are longtime friends, and I knew if I got the ball he was going to try to cut me off," Talley said. "So I stopped and when I looked up he was down on all fours so I shot it. I knew as soon as I hit it that it was going in."
It was the second-straight win for Brewer over Decatur, with the Patriots also defeating the Red Raiders 4-2 in the finals of the Morgan County championship. In that game, Brewer got off to a 3-0 lead, but Tuesday the Patriots had to battle back from a 1-0 halftime deficit.
Decatur's Mason Hastie gave his team the early lead when he scored in the 25th minute, and Decatur dominated the first half offensively, holding Brewer without a shot on goal.
"Decatur came out and you could tell they really wanted the game badly," Brewer coach Michael Drinkard said. "But I told our guys at halftime just to keep playing your game and good things will happen. Just pick up the pace, pass the ball around and hold possession and we'll be able to get back into it."
The Patriots were able to get back into it, with Justin Reed scoring the equalizer in the 66th minute. Reed scored off an assist from Vallejo, who took the ball up the left sideline all the way to the corner before making a nifty little touch pass to Reed, who put it in from close range.
Decatur outshot Brewer 7-3, including 4-0 in the first half, requiring Patriot goalie Sawyer McLemore to come up with big saves to keep the game close.
"He goes out there and gives it his all," Drinkard said of McLemore. "If he gives up a goal, even if it's not his fault, that just motivates him to play even harder."
Brewer advances to face John Carroll (23-0-1) in the second round Saturday. The game will be at Brewer High School.
Fort Payne girls 4, Brewer girls 0
The Lady Patriots' season ended at 12-7-0 on the road against No. 2 Fort Payne. It was only the third time this season Brewer has been shut out.
Collinsville boys 5, Priceville boys 0
The Bulldogs' season ended at 8-13-0 with a loss at Collinsville in the first round of the Class 1A-4A playoffs Tuesday.
Guntersville girls 5, Priceville girls 0
The Lady Bulldogs (6-11-0) also fell on the road by shutout in the first round of the Class 1A-4A playoffs.