By Matt Latham

For the Enquirer

Tough defense and a potent ground game were the story for Friday’s victory for the Brewer Patriots in their big region win against the Madison County Tigers.

The Patriot defense allowed 90 total yards for the night. Leading the way for the defense were linebacker Levi Rice, who had seven tackles and four assists, and Kris Bramlett, who was able to grab his third interception of the season.

Offensively the Patriots hammered out 283 yards on the ground and 118 yards through air for a total of 401 yards and 17 first downs. Patrick Johnson was able to account for a total of 248 yards by going 6 of 18 passing for 118 yards and one touchdown and rushing for 130 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. Brewer’s Johnathan Morgan was also able to increase his streak of 100-plus yards rushing to three in a row with 128 yards on 18 carries. Morgan now has 499 yards through four games this season.

After trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, Brewer managed to take its first lead of the game with the first play of the second quarter. Johnson scored on a one-yard touchdown run to cap off a 12-play, 80-yard drive with 11:54 left in the second quarter making the score 7-3. The Patriots wouldn’t stop there as they followed a short, 71 second three-and-out by Madison County with a seven-play 67-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Tanner Cobb with 7:29 left in the second quarter.

The first half would end with Brewer on top by a score of 14-3.

The Brewer defense started the second half by holding Madison County to another three-and-out and giving the Brewer offense a short field to start their first drive of the second half. Nine plays and 53 yards later, the Patriots’ Johnathan Morgan scored on a 20-yard pass from Johnson with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter, making the score 21-3.

Brewer’s next scoring drive would end early in the fourth quarter with a two-yard touchdown run by Tanner Cobb with 11:20 left in the game making the score 27-3 after a failed PAT.

The Patriots tacked on their last touchdown of the evening with 4:17 left in the game when a nine-play, 75 yard drive, ended when Brewer’s Johnathan Morgan recovered a Patriot fumble in the end zone for a touchdown leading to the final score 34-3.

Brewer improves to 3-1 on the season and 2-1 in region play. The Patriots will host the West Morgan Rebels this Friday in a non-region Morgan County match-up, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.