Cody McKee

Special to the Enquirer

After improving 2-8 in his first season at Brewer last season, Dan Styles and the Patriots wrapped up their spring practice for the 2013 season in jamboree fashion.

In two quarters of action, the Patriots tried their luck against a 2A playoff team from a year ago in North Sand Mountain. Only 16 seconds in the game, Patriot team had already put points on the board as rising junior Brendan Deberry scored from 70 yards on a screen pass from another rising junior, Hunter Griffin.

The success on offense transitioned to the defense as North Sand Mountain was denied any chance of scoring despite a promising drive that ended in Patriots territory.

After a Brewer three-and-out, the North Sand Mountain offense, led by quarterback Cody McBryer, caught a lucky break when Kolton Bramlet, a linebacker for the Patriots, was denied a big interception return because of a penalty.

McBryer then took the ball across the goal line to finish up a 57-yard drive that was set up by nice runs by Dex Walsh, who added 10 carries for 42 yards on the night.

Griffin and Deberry worked some magic as they tacked on another score as a late pitch on a option play netted 26 yards to the 2-yard line midway in the second. That set up a touchdown from the rising senior, where no one touched him on the play.

McBryer and the rest of the offense were not to be denied a score as a big 33-yard completion to Ean Miles set up the lone touchdown for running back Walsh on the night.

A nearly four-minute essentially game-winning drive for the Patriots was concluded with a four-yard run by rising freshman running back Greg Johnson, after nice runs by quarterback Griffin and tailback Morrow.

With subs in for both teams and the game on the line, backup field general for North Sand Mountain Eric George was leading a potential game-winning drive that was halted when Pete Sharp planted the No. 5 jersey to the grass to end the first half of action for the Patriots. Junior receiver Deberry was the highlight for the Patriots offense as he packed on the yards to have over 100 all-purpose yards in the first half and a touchdown.

To conclude the jamboree action, the defense took the moment away against the Elkmont Devils as Deshaun Walker took a deflected pass away that set up a 37-yard keeper by Griffin to make it an eventual 7-0 lead after a Cole Weaver extra point. Walker didn’t stop there as didn’t get tackled on his second pick of the night when he reached the end zone after running 64 yards and making it a 14-0 Patriots lead.

After forcing a three-and-out, Deberry took the liberty to be able to throw for a touchdown as he hooked up with soon-to- be senior receiver Louis Daughette that was set up when number three Deberry ran it 37 yards before ending the drive with the big throw. After big changes on personnel for the Patriots, they finished off the shutout after limiting the Devils offense to little if any movement across the midfield mark.

After the game, coach Dan Styles seemed excited about the performance but still thinks they have a long way to go.

“In the first half, they were nervous as a cat in a rocking chair. We missed a lot of tackles, offensively (we) had some athletes make some plays. In the second half defensively we settled in a little bit more and got more solid.”

A big increase in athletic ability has shown over the spring but Styles made mention that strength and confidence was showing on the field as well.

“We just have to open our eyes in make more tackles, but an added strength and you just got to build on it and get better.”

The summer expectations are just to get better and build on the success that the Patriots had during spring ball. They will kickoff the season against West Point at home where they are looking to counter a defeat to start off the season a year ago.