Last week’s results: Etowah 21, Fort Payne 10; Brewer 26, Boaz 20
2012 result: Etowah 48, Brewer 8
Series record: Etowah 1, Brewer 0
By Gene Stanley/Sports Correspondent
Etowah High may be 2-0 on the football field, but coach Drew Noles isn’t yet happy with his Blue Devils.
“There are a lot of things we still need to improve on. We’re still making a lot of mistakes, but we’re improving. If we continue to improve each week, we’ll be okay.
“Most of the mistakes are little things that the average fan doesn’t notice, but we see them on film.
“I’ve seen glimpses of a really good team, and if we can keep improving, we can be that really good team.”
Last week, Brewer defeated Class 5A, Region 7 rival Boaz – a feat that most would’ve thought impossible after last year’s 56-19 thrashing by the Pirates.
“(Brewer) is a lot better,” Noles said. “We’re expecting a full-fledged battle. They’ve got a good coach (Dan Styles, in his second year) out of Hartselle and they’re really playing a heck of a lot better.”
The Patriots haven’t had a winning season or a playoff berth since 1999 – a year that ended with a 7-4 mark.
Last week against Fort Payne, Paul Ruiz rushed for 62 yards on six carries, while Devin Horton ran seven times for 60 yards.
Kordell Rudolph completed 6-of 4 passes for 102 yards.