BREWER – Two years after winning the Class B state championship, the Brewer High School football program is now one of the smaller combatants in Eastern Maine Class A.

Reclassification has elevated the Witches up to the state’s large-school class in the sport for the first time since 1998, when Brewer completed a two-year cycle in Class A without a win.

This time, with a much stronger feeder program preparing younger players for their high school futures, the Witches hope to maintain a strong competitive level.

“Football is football,” said Brewer coach Don Farnham. “We’re going to play on Friday nights, and this year we’re playing Class A teams.

“There was a lot of anxiety among parents and players in February, but as we get closer to the season, the kids just want to play.”

The Witches, 3-5 in the Pine Tree Conference Class B ranks in 2006, got their re-introduction to Class A football during a preseason scrimmage at Edward Little of Auburn.

“We went down to Edward Little, and the first five plays the kids were kind of feeling their way instead of hitting their way,” said Farnham. “By the end of the scrimmage we were hitting and banging just like they were.”

“Playing that Class A team gave us a little more confidence because we didn’t do too bad against them,” added Mike Campbell, a senior linebacker and offensive lineman. “We played pretty hard and hit a lot. It doesn’t matter who’s big or who’s small, it’s just who’s got the most heart and wants to play.”

The Witches will be young, with just 11 seniors among nearly 50 players on the roster, but Farnham returns a number of juniors who gained a full measure of varsity experience last fall.

“Again we’re young at some positions,” he said. “But now we have some experienced juniors who played as sophomores last year, so we feel pretty comfortable with the kids that we have.”

Brewer will run a spread offense to capitalize on its team quickness.

Junior Coby Hutchins steps in as the starting quarterback after playing tailback as a sophomore.

“I really like the spread offense,” said Hutchins, who played quarterback throughout his career until last season. “I’m enjoying it a lot, actually. You can put more athletes on the field.”

Junior Dell Ray Meeker is the top returning running back, while sophomores Tyler Kingsbury and Nick Risser also could play key roles.

Sean Murphy is the fullback, while Campbell and senior Ralph Cammack will anchor the offensive line.

Cammack and defensive ends Tom Jackson and Dylan Fitzpatrick – also a second-team all-conference punter in 2006 – will play important roles along the defensive front.

Campbell and Murphy are the top linebackers, while Meeker and Caleb Smith will be key players in the secondary.

“We don’t have a lot of size,” said Jackson. “But we’ve got a lot of speed and a lot of kids who want to hit.”

Brewer will open its season with road games at Skowhegan and Oxford Hills of South Paris before playing its first home contest against Mt. Blue of Farmington in Week 3.

“It’s been a smooth preseason,” Farnham said. “The attitude’s been great, the kids have been great. Now we just need to get into the season and see where we’re at.

“Like I told the kids, we’re going to outhustle and outhit everybody we play. I don’t know if we’re going to win or lose, but the hustle and determination are going to be there no matter what happens or what the score is.

“The wins and losses will come as a program, and they’ll come in the season, also.”

BREWER WITCHES

2006 results: 3-5 in PTC Class B

Head coach: Don Farnham, second year

Key players: Coby Hutchins, Jr., QB; Caleb Smith, Sr. QB-DB; Dell Ray Meeker, Jr., RB-CB; Tyler Kingsbury, So., RB; Nick Risser, So., RB; Sean Murphy, Jr., FB-LB; Ralph Cammack, Sr., OL-DT; Mike Campbell, Sr., OL-LB; Dylan Fitzpatrick, Jr., TE-DE-PK-P; Jamie Nickerson, Sr., WB-LB

Outlook: The Witches are back in Class A for the first time in a decade, with a young team that will rely more on athleticism and determination than sheer size. The switch to a spread offense will seek to capitalize on that athleticism, particularly that of Hutchins, whose father Randy was an all-state performer at Lawrence High School of Fairfield who went on to play at the University of Maine.