When Mountain Brook visits Cougar Stadium on Friday to take on Clay-Chalkville in the second round of the Class 6A Alabama High School Athletic Association football state playoffs, it will be only the 12th meeting between the two schools that are about 20 miles apart in Jefferson County.

The Spartans hold an 8-3 advantage in the series, winning the first seven games. The past five meetings all have been in the playoffs. The Cougars have won three of the past four games.

Despite being unfamiliar foes on the football field, Mountain Brook coach Chris Yeager and Clay boss Drew Gilmer know plenty about what to expect.

“It’s always a busy week when you’re playing coach Yeager,” Gilmer said before Tuesday’s practice. “First off, he’s so smart. They are well coached, disciplined, they play hard and physical. His attention to detail is what stands out. He leaves no stone unturned. When you’re playing a team like that, if you don’t do the same, you get exposed and can get embarrassed real quick.”

Yeager, in between practice and planning sessions, said, “They have great players all over the place and they are very well coached. They play good, clean football and that’s a very good combination. Explosive players, clean football, great coaches – that’s championship caliber football.”

Clay-Chalkville is 10-0 and was ranked second in 6A every week since the preseason poll from the Alabama Sports Writers Association. The Cougars were 15-0 state champs in 2021, having beaten Mountain Brook 24-18 in the semifinals. Clay is one of four undefeated teams in 6A, along with defending champion Saraland, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and Muscle Shoals.

Last season, unranked Parker upset No. 2 Clay-Chalkville 7-6 at Cougar Stadium in the first round of the playoffs. The Cougars came into the game against the then 6-4 Thundering Herd at 8-1 and averaging 41.2 points a game.

The No. 8 Spartans bring an 8-3 mark into Friday’s 7 p.m. game. Yeager’s team was runner-up to Saraland in last season’s state title game and finished 12-3 with regular-season losses to 7A Hoover and Thompson.

“We’re a team that just keeps getting better each week,” Gilmer said. “I’m proud because we’ve come a long way from Game 1 to now. The biggest thing is we’ve been pretty dominant in the trenches. We’ve won the line of scrimmage battle every game, except for the Hueytown game (a 17-3 win in Week 2). That week was a struggle for us.”

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Gilmer’s offense is averaging 42.1 points a game behind the dazzling talents of 5-star Alabama commitment Jaylen Mbakwe at quarterback, 4-star wide receiver Mario Craver and running backs Taurus Chambers and Aaron Osley.

But, for those skilled athletes to make plays, Clay’s offensive line has to produce. Jac’Qawn McRoy is a 4-star recruit committed to Oregon. AJ Williams has offers from Marshall and Austin Peay and others.

“The MVP of our offensive line, in my opinion,” Gilmer said, “is Brady Phillips, our center. He’s done a phenomenal job. He’s gotten better and better each week. He makes all the calls for us. He’s physical. He’s nasty and plays through the whistle.

“Down the line, though, we’ve got a solid group up front. It goes to AJ Williams, McRoy, Adrian Spivey. If you win the line of scrimmage, you don’t limit guys’ chances to get the ball in their hands and make plays. It gives your quarterback time to get the ball to them. Also, you have to be able to run the ball so they don’t just drop eight and contain your line with three down linemen. It goes hand in hand.”

Mbakwe, who ran for five touchdowns in a 36-33 takedown of 7A superpower Thompson, can also beat you with his arm, Yeager said. “The last two games, he’s been putting the ball in places that are very tight,” he said. “He’s really progressed in that area. He doesn’t look like the same person throwing the ball.

“That’s the whole thing about high school football that is so awesome,” Yeager said. “The team you were in Week 1 is not the same team you are now. That young man has progressed so much in the passing game.”

Gilmer said his QB, pressed into service as a starter this season after starring in the secondary and catching the ball and returning kicks, has completed 89-of-139 passes for just over 1,300 yards with 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He has run for about 800 yards.

Clay-Chalkville also has superior athletes on defense, Yeager said. “There are a lot of teams that have athletes, but sometimes getting those athletes to play hard every down and to the end of the play is a challenge. (Clay) is very athletic, but they play very sound football. They play very fast and the telltale sign to me is they finish plays.”

The Cougars are allowing 8.5 points a game with three shutouts and seven games where their opponents scored 7 points or less.

“It starts with Randell Cole at nose in the middle,” Gilmer said. “He’s not huge (5-foot-9, 235 pounds), but he’s got a low center of gravity and plays well with his hands. He’s able to fight off double-teams when he gets them.”

Linebacker DJ Barber is a 4-star Auburn commitment, who had 9 tackles – 3 behind the line – all in the first half of Clay’s 49-7 win over Cullman last week. Defensive end Avion Pickett and linebacker Rod Ivy also bolster the Cougars’ front 7. Defensive back Tevis Metcalf is a 3-star Arkansas commitment and safety Deion Gunn has an offer from Marshall.

“Our defensive linemen are not traditional defensive linemen,” Gilmer said. “They are a little smaller, but they’ve got speed. They get off the ball and are physical at the point of attack.”

Mountain Brook has a reputation as a team with a strong offensive line that is physical and technically elite. The playoff version is likely still reaching to meet that standard due to injuries.

“We lost (senior) left guard William Courtenay the week we played Gardendale,” Yeager said. “We lost (senior) Carter Colvin at right guard in the first round of the playoffs.”

The Spartans also lost leading receiver senior Clark Sanderson in the final regular season game.

Yeager praised Courtenay, who started 39 games for Mountain Brook, for sharing his knowledge with his teammates. He spent five hours posting notes on Hudl the first night after the coaches set up an account for him to share info with his fellow linemen.

“Some years, you go and don’t have any injuries,” the coach said. “Last year, I think we had one significant injury and he was able to come back before the season was over.

“But, if you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, at 10 weeks a sophomore is no longer a sophomore. We have a lot of new faces in the lineup and I’m excited for the opportunity for them to show how they have progressed.”

Mountain Brook finished the final regular-season game against Baker with five sophomores on the field on the offense with two juniors, Yeager said. Sophomores starting on offense this week are Rocco Gray and Henry Gimenez on the line, running back Stuart Andrews and wide receiver Trey Vinson.

Workhorse running back Cole Gamble has averaged 7.8 yards a carry this season as he’s picked up 1,841 yards with 29 touchdowns. In the playoff-opening win over Buckhorn, Gamble had 178 yards on 22 carries for three TDs and he caught two passes for 93 yards and another score.

“Every coach at every level knows consistency is the key to having a good team,” Yeager said. “The reason we preach consistency is because it’s a rare thing. The whole thing is where are you today and what direction are you heading?

“The best team doesn’t always win. Your practice preparation has a lot to do with it, but you have to be performing well. We need to be able to control the football, hold on to the football and have methodical drives. That’s something nobody has been able to do so far against them. They are the kings of the three-and-out.”

Friday’s winner will meet the winner of the Muscle Shoals-Fort Payne game in the third round.