<b>By Tommy Wells</b><br><a href="mailto:sports@mineralwellsindex.com">sports@mineralwellsindex.com</a>
Jake Glover may be the second-best passer in District 6-4A, but you certainly couldn't prove it by the Mineral Wells High School Rams.
Glover threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another Friday and helped the Brewer Bears keep their playoff hopes alive with a stunning 41-9 win at Rams Stadium.
With the win, Brewer improved to 2-3 in 6-4A play, and into a tie for the fourth and final playoff berth with two weeks left in the regular season. Mineral Wells, despite a gutsy defensive effort that held the Bears to just 56 yards rushing, fell to 1-4.
The Rams had their chances against the Bears. Mineral Wells drove inside the Brewer 35 five times in the contest, but came away with just one scoring effort.
The Rams put the Bears on their heels early. After TaMarkus Carter had returned the opening kickoff to the Bears' 46, sophomore quarterback Hunter McCoy hit Dillon Wilkins with a 25-yard strike to the Brewer 21.
The Rams moved even closer from there. Back-to-back runs by Gunner Pederson and A.J. Poole moved the ball to the Brewer 1.
Unfortunately for the Rams, the Brewer defense held on two plays at the goal line, including a fourth-down try.
Brewer posted the only score of the first quarter on the period's final play. The Bears marched 92 yards on eight plays before C.J. Washington managed to plunge into the end zone from two yards out.
The wheels came off the MWHS wagon in the second. The Bears reeled off 13 unanswered points to start the second and built a 20-0 cushion.
Zachary Durst and Phillip Hayes gave the Rams a lift following the Bears' second TD. Hayes managed to barge in and block Daniel Sterret's extra-point attempt. Durst scooped up the ball and raced 79 yards to the BHS end zone.
Durst's return pulled the Rams to within 20-2.
Brewer answered back on its ensuing drive, however. The Bears scored with 2:22 left in the half and stretched their advantage to 27-2 at the half.
Brewer, 3-5 overall, posted touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters and ballooned its lead to 41-2 before Mineral Wells managed to gets its offense untracked.
Sparked by a long kick-off return by Austin Hayes to the Brewer 44, The Rams punished the Brewer defensive front, reeling off eight straight runnings plays. The final play was a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back A.J. Poole.
The touchdown was Poole's 10th this season.
As a team, the Rams rushed for 147 yards.
Brewer, led by Glover's 335 passing yards, finished the contest with 394 total yards – well below their season average.
Mineral Wells, 3-5 overall, travels to Aledo to face the district-leading Bearcats on Friday.
