Brewer expresses his appreciation for support from Canton community throughout his career

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Preston Brewer’s final words were heartfelt.

“Thank you, Canton,” he said.

That’s how the Canton boys basketball team’s senior all-state forward ended his final interview, which took place in the tunnel looking out into a then-mostly empty Mizzou Arena after Canton’s 72-61 loss to Eugene in Thursday’s Class 2 state championship game.

It was the first title game appearance in program history and capped a 25-6 season.

That gratitude came from a genuine place and a genuine person, whose humility stands out above his imposing 6-foot-8 stature or his status as Canton’s all-time leading scorer.

“I could have done more at times,” Brewer said of his four years in the Canton basketball program. “I probably yelled at guys when they didn’t need to be yelled at, but at the end of the day, I also know that made us better and got us to this point.”

Brewer provided one final glimpse of all he could do as well, scoring 30 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out three assists as the Tigers pushed the top-ranked team in Class 2 to the brink, even leading by four points heading to the fourth quarter.

In both his skills and the way he carried himself on the court, Brewer set an example for his younger brother, Bryson, to follow when he starts freshman year at Canton this fall while Preston continues his basketball career at Quincy University.

“Everybody tells (Bryson) he’s got big shoes to fill — literally and figuratively — but he’s got the confidence that personally I never had as an eighth grader,” Brewer said. “I wish him nothing but the best. I know he’s going to be great at everything he does. He’s not going to back down from anybody. I love him to death. I’ll do anything for him.”

That includes taking the brief moments he has away from school and basketball to watch Bryson play.

“I’ll try to get back as much as possible,” Brewer said.

As much as he will be there to support his brother, the motivation for those trips back home will be two-fold.

“I’ll have to try to make it to as many home games and games that are close to Quincy as possible to not only be there for my brother but be there for the community and show them the support that they showed me throughout my four years at Canton,” Brewer said.

Brewer and the Tigers took that community on a ride it won’t soon forget.