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BREWER – They are not three of a kind, but in Ricky Porter, Zach Wilson and Ben Caldwell, the Brewer Witches have three offensive weapons with a like-minded capability for making game-breaking plays.
Porter is the quarterback, with option speed around the corner of the line that puts immediate pressure on opposing defenses every time he tucks the ball under his arm.
Caldwell is the fullback, a bullish blocker who, once he escapes initial contact at the line of scrimmage, can overpower would-be tacklers in the secondary.
And Wilson is the tailback, blending strength, speed and agility to provide the perfect complement to his backfield mates. Those three seniors will play pivotal roles this fall as Brewer seeks to return to the playoffs after reaching the Eastern Maine Class B title game in 2004.
“We’ve got a very skilled offensive unit in the backfield, as good as we’ve had at Brewer High School since I’ve been here,” said third-year Brewer head coach Ed Ortego, who has been part of the program since 1995. “Caldwell is a truck, Zach Wilson is a truck with moves, and Ricky Porter is just explosive, and gives us the ability to attack in a number of different places.”
Porter rushed for 572 yards – with an average of 10.4 yards per carry – and 10 touchdowns while passing for 220 yards and three more scores during the 2004 regular season, earning first-team All Pine Tree Conference Class B accolades as a utility player.
Wilson averaged 10 yards per carry, with his 637 rushing yards leading the Witches and ranking fifth in the conference. Wilson was named a second-team All-PTC Class B running back.
Caldwell backed up the graduated Matt Littlefield at fullback last fall, but showed considerable potential in limited duty while helping Brewer roll up more than 2,300 rushing yards during the regular season.
That trio will work behind a revamped line led by seniors Jamie Ecker and Zach Sherry and junior Matt Wilson, with senior Caleb Roberts and junior Ryan Babin working at tight end.
“We’re bigger, and we’ve got the potential to be just as good, but we had a special chemistry there last year,” said Ortego.
Porter, Zach Wilson and Caldwell also will play prominent defensive roles. Porter shared the conference lead with four regular-season interceptions, and was named a first-team All-PTC Class B choice at safety. Wilson and Caldwell ranked 2-3 on the team in tackles last fall, with Wilson also returning an interception for a touchdown and earning second-team all-conference recognition at defensive end.
And while Porter, Wilson and Caldwell are three of just five returning starters on the Brewer roster – along with Ecker and Matt Wilson – Ortego is confident in the players who will be ascending to the varsity level after successful stints at the junior varsity level.
“Our JV team was very good last year,” he said. “We work them hard at the JV level, and the kids coming up have had lots of game experience.”
Just as important to Brewer’s quest to return to the playoffs are the expectations within the program. While the Witches earned their first playoff victory in 34 years when they knocked off Leavitt of Turner Center in the 2004 PTC Class B semifinals, the team is on a four-year run of trips to postseason play.
“We have high standards of execution that we demand of ourselves,” said Ortego.
Brewer won the PTC regular-season title a year ago, but that challenge will be more difficult this year because of the addition of three new teams to the division – including Gardiner and Waterville, both down from the Class A ranks. As a result, the Witches’ season begins with an air of mystery. After opening at home against Morse of Bath, the Witches face back-to-back road games in Weeks 2 and 3 at Waterville and Gardiner.
“You’ve got the new teams [including Maranacook of Readfield], and Morse has a new coach and Hampden has a new coach, so there are about four teams we don’t know that much about yet,” said Ortego.
BREWER WITCHES
2004 results: 9-2 (Eastern Maine Class B runnerup)
Head coach: Ed Ortego, third year
Key players: Ricky Porter, QB-S, Sr.; Zach Wilson, RB-LB, Sr., Ben Caldwell, FB-LB, Sr.; Jamie Ecker, OT-DT, Sr.; Zach Sherry, C, Sr.; Matt Wilson, OT-DT, Jr.
Outlook: The combination of Porter, Zach Wilson and Caldwell in the backfield gives the Witches an explosive combination, while Caldwell and Wilson should anchor the defense from their inside linebacker slots. The Witches must rebuild on the line, but Matt Wilson and Ecker provide a pair of strong building blocks. The Witches should contend for a playoff spot in a PTC B field made deeper by the addition of Gardiner – a playoff team last year – and Waterville from the Class A ranks.
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