BREWER — The Brewer High School football team had a pair of 100-yard rushers Friday night in Trey Wood and Garrett Ireland.

But they likely would be the first to admit that their success stems in great part from their blockers along the line of scrimmage, a group that was dominant during a 33-2 Class B North victory over Mt. Blue of Farmington at Doyle Field.

Wood had 157 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries while Ireland gained 106 yards on 14 rushes as coach Nick Arthers’ club generated 320 of its 347 total yards on the ground behind the line play of seniors Austin Lufkin, Cam Green and Lucas McLaughlin and juniors Tyler Bean and Garrett Graham.

“We’ve got an older line and we’re all close and we have a good bond,” said Lufkin. “We all work together and communicate out on the field and I think that really helps with our blocking schemes and moving the ball effectively.”

The athleticism of that group wasn’t limited to the offensive front. Bean kicked a school-record 43-yard field goal in the first quarter as Brewer took an 11-0 lead, and Lufkin capped off the scoring by running down Mt. Blue halfback Noah Carleton in the end zone for a fourth-quarter safety.

“We went into this game with the mentality that we don’t lose on our home field,” said Lufkin. “We just really wanted to put it to them tonight, we wanted to make a statement and I think we did just that.”

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Brewer also got several big plays from senior end Tyler Hafford, including a 34-yard punt return that preceded the Witches’ first touchdown, a 35-yard interception return that set up Bean’s field goal and a 27-yard touchdown reception from junior quarterback Cody Wood.

Brewer’s defense, meanwhile, limited a rebuilding Mt. Blue team — 20 of its 22 starters from a year ago graduated in June — to 139 yards of total offense.

“Obviously it’s about attacking the ball,” said Lufkin, “but we knew they were going to run a lot of counter, a lot of traps, so we prepared for that and I think our defense had a great game.”

Hafford’s punt return set up the Witches for their first offensive possession at the Mt. Blue 41, and Wood capped off a six-play drive by powering in from 8 yards out and adding the two-point conversion rush to give Brewer an 8-0 lead five minutes into the game.

Hafford then intercepted Mt. Blue quarterback Cole Dorman’s first pass of the night and returned it to the Cougars’ 15. A sack of Cody Wood by Nate Everett stalled the ensuing threat before Bean lined his field-goal attempt squarely between the uprights with plenty of distance left over to make it 11-0 and break the former school record of 40 yards set by current Witches’ assistant football coach Dana Corey.

A 54-yard interception return by Mt. Blue’s Quinn Guistra late in the first period created the field position that led to the Cougars’ only points when Guistra later sacked Cody Wood in the endzone for a safety with 9:29 left in the first half.

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Brewer answered on its next possession, with Cody Wood scrambling for 11 yards to the Mt. Blue 33 on third-and-8 and capping off the 80-yard drive two plays later by lofting a 27-yard touchdown pass to Hafford in the left side of the endzone.

Zac Duncan’s two-point conversion rush made it 19-2 with 4:03 left until intermission.

Brewer (2-0) put the game away at the outset of the second half, taking the kickoff and marching 59 yards on 10 consecutive rushes with Trey Wood scoring from the 9 with 6:35 left in the third period.

After Brewer’s defense forced a three-and-out, Ireland rushed four times for 36 yards before Trey Wood finished off the march with a 25-yard touchdown jaunt to make it 31-2 with 2:21 left in the third.

Mt. Blue falls to 0-2.


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