Brewer falls to Guntersville in Elite Eight

The Patriots, who set a school-record for wins this year with 24, fell to Guntersville 63-54 in the Class 5A Northwest Regional championship, coming up a game short of the school’s first ever trip to the Final Four.

“That was a tough game,” said Brewer head coach Matthew Crowe. “Several times we cut it to five (points) and we just could never get that additional stop we needed. We missed a couple chances to convert at the rim that were pretty costly.”

The missed shots at the rim were the difference: The shots simply weren’t falling for the Patriots on Monday.

“Guntersville is extremely athletic, and they did a good job defending us around the goal,” Crowe said. “That being said, if just one or two shots go different, I think it changes the game.”

Jackson Dunn led Brewer in scoring with 18 points, while Cam Ballinger added 11.

While a disappointing end for the Patriots, it doesn’t overshadow what the team has accomplished. In the last two seasons, Brewer won two Morgan County Championships, including its first in 15 years, advanced to its first regional tournament in 15 years and reached the Elite Eight for the first time in 52 years.

“We came into this year with a lot of seniors, and our goal was to make it as far as we could,” said Dunn, a senior. “I wish we could have made it over the hump to the Final Four, but we made it further than a lot of teams.”

“When I took this job we were coming off a 3-24 season. My first year, when our seniors were sophomores, we went 12-16,” Crowe said. “Everything we’ve accomplished since then, I think it shows that hard work and overcoming adversity pay off. It’s something I believe these guys will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”