AUSTIN, Texas – After one of the most severe heat waves around these parts in history – 64 days over 100 degrees from June 1 to Aug. 24 – this was a welcome thunder, lightning and rain storm, albeit inconvenient.
Albeit fitting.
This had delayed the big Austin football showdown at Lake Travis High School between the Cavaliers and arch-rival Westlake.
When rods of lightning strike, football is put on hold.
Even in Texas.
Brewer (16) is on pace to shatter Garrett Gilbert's records.
Photo by Jim Redman
A bolt had figuratively struck around this campus the previous two seasons in the form of 6-foot-4, 218-pound quarterback Garrett Gilbert, MaxPreps’ 2008 National Player of the Year and 2008-09 Athlete of the Year overall. Gilbert, now Colt McCoy’s backup at the University of Texas, broke state single-season (4,851) and career passing yards (12,537) while leading the Cavaliers to back-to-back state 4A titles.
A peach of a kid and rock solid leader, Gilbert appeared to be an once-in-a-lifetime package, a gift from the football heavens, delivered to this growing and robust Texas community.
Now it appears lightning has struck twice.
Gilbert’s heir apparent Michael Brewer is on pace to shatter his mentor’s record and the Cavaliers seem well on their way to challenge for a third straight state crown.
In three lopsided wins, Brewer, a tighter, quicker package at 6-1½ and 180 pounds, has completed 64 of 93 passes for 1,167 yards and eight touchdowns (one interception). He’s also rushed 25 times (including sacks) for 117 yards and seven more scores.
At his current 389-yards-per-game average, Brewer would throw for 6,224 yards if Lake Travis made it to the state finals. At this pace he’d also throw for 43 touchdowns, down from Gilbert’s 55 of last year, but run for 37, up from Gilbert’s 23.
Certainly, no one is expecting Brewer to keep up this rate, but few are surprised he’s had success.
“It’s pretty amazing and rewarding to know we have another player like Gilbert who can lead us to a third straight title,” said offensive tackle Scott Morris, who also had to fill big shoes in All-American Paden Kelley, now also at Texas. “They definitely have different running styles – Gilbert was a big guy who would go between tackles and Michael is more of a slasher. But he’s got cannon for an arm.”
He showed it off numerous times against Westlake, completing 23 of 32 for 422 yards in a 42-21 victory that was delayed 90 minutes.
Many of his passes were dump-offs in the flat to a pair of talented and speedy receivers, Rice-bound Andy Erickson (six catches, 161 yards) and Conner Floyd (6-163, one touchdown). Floyd (6-3, 185) turned a quick out into a nifty 48-yard touchdown five plays into the second half to give the Cavs a 28-7 lead.
It was the only TD pass of the game for Brewer, who rushed 10 times for 60 yards and three touchdowns. Brewer said he was much less nervous than the season-opener against Westwood, a 55-31 victory when he threw for 379 yards and accounted for six touchdowns.
“I settled down a lot more in this game,” he said. “I sat back and let the players make plays for me.”
It’s exactly what Gilbert advised him to do earlier in the day. The two are extremely close and speak or text three to four times a week.
“He just tells me to never play above my head,” Brewer said.
With very quick feet, Brewer has already rushed for seven TDs.
Photo by Jim Redman
That’s precisely what coach Chad Morris told Brewer the day after Gilbert finished his illustrious career. “I told him on Dec. 20, you got to be Michael Brewer, you can’t be Garrett,” coach Morris said. “You can see he’s taken that to heart. You can see he’s maturing and growing and doing the things he’s good at.”
Which appears to be about everything. He seemed ultra calm and poised in Travis’ spread, no-huddle attack, which features giant flash cards from students in street clothes along the sideline.
Brewer has extremely quick feet, and a quick, rifle release. If he does seemed burden by the shadow of Gilbert, it sure doesn’t show.
“You know, I used to feel the weight on my shoulders,” he said. “Now I just don’t even think about it anymore. This is our team, we take it a week at a time and we have a good team.”
Said Erickson: “Michael Brewer is doing a great job. He has a lot of pressure on his back and he’s taken it well and playing well.”
Said Scott Morris: “He’s definitely getting into his own rhythm, doing his thing. … I think it was probably hard (replacing Gilbert) but at the same time it was a good thing because he learned from one of the greatest quarterbacks in Texas history.”
Indeed, Gilbert did mentor Brewer diligently and freely, especially when Gilbert was in a sling the spring of 2008, recovering from shoulder surgery.
But it’s not like Brewer hasn’t had good tutoring before. His dad Robert starred at UT (1981-82) as did his grandfather Charlie (mid-1950s) and his uncle Rob Moerschell (1983-84). All were quarterbacks.
In that regard, Brewer has much in common with Gilbert, whose dad starred at Cal and in the NFL.
“Our dads really helped both of us out in middle school and high school – it was nothing but good,” Brewer said.
It’s helped to have such a talented supporting cast.
Rice-bound Andy Erickson (13) makes Brewer's job easier.
Photo by Jim Redman
Erickson not only has 16 catches for 387 yards (24.19 average) and three touchdowns, but he’s the team’s leading rusher (27 carries, 268 yards and three TDs). Floyd has hauled in 20 catches for 400 yards, Griffin Gilbert (Garrett’s sophomore brother) has caught 10 for 108 yards and Tanner Gillette is averaging 23 yards per his eight receptions and two touchdowns.
“I feel like the coaching staff has put him a great situation to be successful and the offensive line has given him an incredible amount of time to throw,” coach Morris said. “When you can throw swing passes to Andy Erickson, that takes a lot of pressure off too.”
As strong a leader as Gilbert was, Erickson said Brewer hasn’t missed a beat.
“Both were great leaders and both say really calm under pressure,” Erickson said.
Brewer is calm under interview also. He was polite and well-spoken and easy to smile. The limelight doesn’t seem to bother him.
Asked what he needs to work on, he didn’t hesitate: “I need to put on some weight, work on my arm strength and get faster.”
Then he might throw for 8,000 yards his senior year.
More shadows: At 6-5 and 180 pounds, Griffin Gilbert can literally rise above Garrett’s shadow. He’s a unique possession receiver with excellent hands and leaping ability.
He had five catches for 37 yards against Westlake, and also snatched up a late onside kick.
“He’s going to be amazing,” Brewer said. “He’s a huge target and really good around the goal line. He can go up and make plays.”
Cross-country chatter: Cedar Hill’s 23-14 win at Trinity (Euless) in a battle of the two top-ranked Texas 5A schools Friday was impressive on many counts: 1. Trinity hadn’t lost at home in three seasons; 2. Trinity's regular-season loss was only the third in five seasons; 3. Cedar Hill played without one of the state’s top running backs Ben Melena (sprained ankle). … The night before De La Salle mustered only 54 yards in a 30-6 loss to stout Don Bosco Prep, former Spartans’ quarterback Nick Montana threw for four touchdowns in the first 28 minutes of Oaks Christian’s 51-0 win over Muir (Pasadena, Calif.). … The entire star-studded Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) trio got into the act Friday as Montana, son of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, completed 11 of 17 for 157 yards, his backup Trevor Gretzky, son of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, completed 5 of 8 for 83 yards and two scores and Trey Smith, son of actor Will Smith, had two catches for 15 yards. … Oaks Christian will play what some believe is the biggest game in school history when it travels to Sammamish, Wash., on Friday to play Skyline. Not only is this a premier matchup of highly-touted quarterbacks in Washington-commit Montana against BYU-bound Jake Heaps, but Oaks Christian is No. 10 nationally in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and Skyline is No. 12. Oaks Christian has been knocked constantly the last five years for not scheduling tougher opponents. This should answer that.
