Brewer quarterback Ryder Goodwin surveys the line of scrimmage before a play during a football game Friday night at Brunswick High School. Eli Canfield/The Times Record
BRUNSWICK — The Brunswick football team wanted a bounce-back performance Friday night, after a drubbing to Windham in Week 1.
And the Dragons accomplished just that in their home opener.
Four different players scored touchdowns, including Declan Lay, who returned an interception for a touchdown, as the Dragons rolled past Brewer 28-12 in a Pine Tree Conference Class B game.
“We worked hard this week, it all paid off here tonight (Friday),” said Brunswick coach Dan Cooper.
Lay’s interception return proved pivotal, as it gave Brunswick a 21-6 lead late in the first half.
“I saw the quarterback throwing the screen, I guess I jumped it,” he said. “The boys were getting hyped, that play was a big momentum changer for us.”
Wes Cooper, Colby Nadeau and Jacob Musica rushed touchdowns for the Dragons, who attempted just one pass.
“The run game was working for us so we just rode it while we could,” said Wes Cooper, who rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries, including a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
A former quarterback, Cooper switched to running back in the preseason.
“Oh, I love it, I get the ball a whole lot more,” he said with a smile. “I’ve been working hard to memorize all the plays and the blocking assignments. I’ve just been going through it with the team.”
The Witches fell to 0-2.
“We did a lot of things well tonight, particularly on defense,” said Brewer head coach Scott Flagg. “I was proud of the physical effort, we played with a lot of passion and emotion, especially in the second half.”
Brewer held Brunswick to seven points and just 58 yards of total offense in the second half.
“We tackled a lot better which was key in that second-half surge on defense,” Flagg said. “The defense is starting to read plays at the line of scrimmage and is starting to realize where to be at the right moment, we’ve improved on that end.”
Brunswick utilized a balanced running attack of Cooper and fellow senior Nadeau, who for 66 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown, on 12 carries.
The defense kept the strong Brewer rushing game intact, but that didn’t stop junior running back Cameron Hughes from rushing for 109 yards on 24 carries.
“That kid loves to play the game of football, he lives and breathes it,” said Flagg of Hughes. “He works hard and he’s one of our leaders. The performance he had tonight was outstanding.”
He had touchdown runs of 12 in the first and 10 in the fourth. Brewer starting quarterback Ryder Goodwin attempted just two passes, completing both of them for three total yards.
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