Brewer falls late to Muscle Shoals

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Brewer's Patriots battled the Muscle Shoals Trojans toe-to-toe for over three quarters before turning the ball over on a fumble and allowing the visitors to score the winning touchdown in a 21-14 Class 5A Region 8 battle at James R. Tucker Stadium Friday night.
The Patriots (1-2, 0-2) fought back from a seven-point deficit at halftime to tie the score at 14-all late in the third quarter and had the ball in their possession with 3:03 left. The ball was knocked out of the hands of Tyler Parker in front of the Brewer bench after he had broken free and gained 17 yards on a running play.
The Trojans (2-1, 1-1) took advantage of the turnover by marching 40 yards in four plays to score the go-ahead touchdown. Avery Jackson punched the ball in from 8 yards out and Taylor McClanahan booted the extra point to make the score 21-14.
The Patriots got the ball back with 1:32 left and had a first down at midfield when Ryan Lyle picked off an errant Brewer pass and ended the comeback effort.
"We made two costly turnovers in the game and they took advantage of them," said fourth year head coach Billy Coleman. "But this may be the best game we've played since I've been here. "I'm really proud of these guys. They played with a lot of intensity and controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game.
"I want to give credit to Muscle Shoals, however. They are well coached and have a lot of talented players."
Later, in the Patriots' field house, Coleman praised his players for their effort and encouraged them to hold their heads high and continue to work to improve.
"I hurt like you hurt," he said. "But I want you to know that we competed. We challenged them and we dominated them at times. I am encouraged and I want you to feel good about what you're doing to help this team."
The Trojans opened the game by marching 88 yards on five plays and scoring on a 67-yard run by Jackson with 9:48 left in the first period. McClanahan converted the extra point to make the score 7-0.
The Patriots responded with a 71-yard, nine-play touchdown drive. Chris Dickerson scored on a 1-yard run with 5:55 left in the first period and Wes Brasher booted the extra point to tie the score at 7-all.
The touchdown was set up by a 13-yard pass that was touched by the hands of a defender and two receivers before it was completed. Quarterback Tony Dickerson threw the ball to Zack Graham who lost control after he was hit by a defender. The ball popped into the air and landed in the hands of Matt Pinkerton who was knocked out of bounds a yard shy of the end zone. Another big play in the drive was a 24-yard run by Dylan Whisenant.
Muscle Shoals led 14-7 at halftime after scoring on a 7-yard run by quarterback Collin Bradford with 4:01 left in the second period. McClanahan booted the extra point to make the score 14-7. Bradford's run capped a 30-yard drive in eight plays.
The Patriots threatened on their final possession of the first half by marching from their own 26-yard line to the Muscle Shoals 21. They were forced to give up the ball on downs after Tony Dickerson was sacked for a 6-yard loss with 33 seconds left in the half. Fullback Miles Cloer kept the 14-play drive alive by rushing for 37 years on five carries.
The Patriots tied the score for the second time in the game on a 7-yard pass from Tony Dickerson to Chase Oden with 58 seconds left in the third period. Brasher kicked the extra point to make the score 14-14.
The interception of a pass by Vinny Muggeo gave the Patriots possession on Muscle Shoals' 38-yard line. Chris Dickerson pulled off a 31-yard run to set up the touchdown.
The winning touchdown was scored by the Trojans' Jackson on a 8-yard run with 1:34 left in the game. McClanahan added the extra point to make the score 21-14.
Cloer paced the Brewer running attack with 104 yards rushing on 22 carries. Whisenant had 56 yards on 11 carries and Chris Dickerson carried the ball 11 times for 40 yards. Tony Dickerson completed 7-of-16 passes for 92 yards.
Jackson paced the Trojans' offense with 121 yards rushing on 10 carries. Rodney Hardin had 40 yards on six carries.