White Settlement Brewer wins first football playoff game in 37 years
A 37-year playoff win drought was on the line.
White Settlement Brewer held a 3-point lead at the half over rival Azle. But the Bears thoroughly dominated the second half en route to a 31-7 victory in the Class 5A Division I bi-district round Thursday at Brewer Bear Stadium. It was the Bears’ first football playoff win since 1989.
“I’m proud of our team,” Brewer head coach Marte Amrine Jr. said while covered in Gatorade. “I’m proud of our coaches. Thirty-seven years is a long time, and you feel that. People talk about it in our face. People tell us all the time. ... [The playoff win] is 37 years of work, man. It’s awesome. I’ve never been more proud of a group of kids in my life.”
Brewer (10-1) will play Amarillo Tascosa (7-4) in the area round at a time and place that is to be determined.
“Now we get to go on and play the next one,” said Amrine, who is in his second year leading the Bears. “And I’m excited for our guys, excited for our community, and everybody that’s involved. An awesome night, for sure.”
A second-half, 21-0 run was sparked when running back Kameron Coleman powered through a facemask for a remarkable 39-yard gain. Coleman had two big runs that helped propel him to 176 yards on 26 carries and two scores in the contest.
“It just felt great to be a part of something,” Coleman said. “To make history. And break a curse that’s always been around Brewer. Nobody believed in us, but we did it. I believe in our coaching staff, our players, and we just executed. It’s honestly just a blessing.”
Coleman’s 39-yard dash set up a 20-yard touchdown for freshman quarterback Isaiah Foster, who ran right and found room down the sideline. That was the first of Brewer’s three second-half touchdowns.
Foster added 86 yards on the ground on 20 totes and added 75 yards passing, completing 7 of 10 attempts.
Brewer’s defense kept Azle at bay, and Coleman extended the lead at the start of the fourth quarter, breaking free for a 68-yard TD. The Bear offense kept piling on points, as Jake Brannon hauled in a 21-yard TD reception to give Brewer a commanding 24-point lead.
Amrine credited the teams’ relentless play for tiring out Azle, which he said was a reason for the surge.
Brewer’s defense was stellar allowing 182 total yards and just 57 on the ground on 26 attempts. Azle quarterback Auston Morgan had 125 passing yards, but completed just 2 of 15 passes in the second half.
At the start of the contest, it looked as if Brewer could be in store for a long night, as Azle embarked on an eight-play, 72-yard drive that was capped with a 4-yard TD strike from Morgan to wide receiver Brayden Combs in just over two minutes.
“I just told them to calm down, relax, and do what we do,” Amrine said. “Do your job. Don’t panic. And they didn’t. And that was the change. Don’t try to do too much. Don’t overthink it. Just line up, and let’s go.”
Azle never scored again, and Brewer’s Joshua Matthews soon got the team back on track with an interception in Azle territory that set up a 38-yard field goal from kicker Santiago Aguilar. It was the start of a stunning 31-0 run.
The Bears took a 10-7 lead with a 3-yard TD from Coleman before the break and controlled the game from that point on, quickly pulling away.
The win was the peak of a phenomenal season for Brewer, a team that shared the District 3-5A Division I title with Fort Worth Arlington Heights and Fort Worth Wyatt. The Bears took the one-seed in Week 11, toppling previously unbeaten Heights 27-8.
Azle (6-5), in head coach Wilson Rigg’s first year at the helm, was aiming for its first playoff win since 2020. The Hornets took a big leap this season, improving on a two-win campaign in 2025. But ultimately, Brewer proved to be too tall a task.
As Brewer looks to the second round, Coleman said the Bears will continue to focus on an all-around team effort.
“It’s going to take all of us together,” Coleman said. “Just always putting everything into it. Giving it our everything.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2026 at 9:34 PM with the headline "White Settlement Brewer wins first football playoff game in 37 years."
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