Jordan Miller is the new head coach for the Patriots and he's just weeks away from leading his team into their first game of the 2025 season.
Miller may be in his first year as head coach, but he already has grand plans. One of his biggest goals is for more people to start taking notice of Brewer football.
"We love the opportunity to get out and break away from the thoughts of this being a rural, country school that nobody pays attention to when they drive down (Alabama) 67," Miller said.
If Miller wants to get everyone's attention this fall, he might have just the players to do it.
At any level of football, whether it's pro, college or high school, nothing gets fans more excited than a good quarterback throwing touchdown passes to talented receivers. This year the Patriots have that.
Sophomore Cole Drinkard is back this season after taking over as a starter late last season as a freshman due to injuries. Drinkard finished the season throwing for 897 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions and Miller said he's already taken the next step this fall.
"Having Cole back after starting some games last year, going into his sophomore year is huge. He threw for over 230 yards and three touchdowns in every game he started," Miller said. "It's important to have experience at any position, but the quarterback is the leader of the offense, he reads the coverages and directs who's getting the ball."
Drinkard will have talented receivers to throw to as well. Senior Hunter Knighten is back after catching 42 balls for 716 yards and 8 touchdowns, while junior Cam Ballinger is also back after catching 39 passes for 708 yards and seven touchdowns.
The receivers said the connection between them and Drinkard was explosive in the handful of games they played last year and this season it has a chance to be even better.
"We played the last four games together and it just felt really good," Ballinger said. "We've just been building on that this offseason, we've played some 7-on-7's, and that connection feels great. We're excited to showcase it this season."
Brewer averaged just 21 points per game last season as the Patriots finished the year 2-8. In the last four games, however, they averaged 28 points, including 35 in a 35-0 season finale win over West Point.
It's been a rough time for Brewer football lately as the Patriots have just one winning season and two playoff appearances since 2000. If they want to break through and have more success, they'll need more of what the offense produced in the last four games last season.
"I feel like our offense is going to be explosive and we're going to score a lot of points this year," Drinkard said. "We have a good receiving corps and if I can get them the ball, they're going to do great things."