There’s something of a Mutual Admiration Society, featuring Mountain Brook head football coach Chris Yeager and Parker head coach Frank Warren, that will be on display at Spartan Stadium on Friday. Those two coaches will be leading star-studded lineups into a Class 6A, Region 5 showdown starting at 7 p.m.

“Golly, they are unbelievable,” Yeager said of the No. 6 Thundering Herd. “I guarantee you one thing, college recruiters can save a lot on gas by stopping by Parker High School first. They have four, maybe five, players who are going to be Power 5 players.

“When we played over there last year, I got a good vibe from coach Warren. He’s got things going the right way. He’s got a great staff put together and I think the focus is on building a positive culture. My hat’s off to him.”

Parker brings a 5-1 overall record, with a 22-21 loss at Pleasant Grove two weeks ago the only blemish on its schedule. The Herd is 4-0 in region play with an offense that averages 41.1 points per game and allows 14.7.

“They are not going to change much,” Warren said of Yeager’s fifth-ranked Spartans. “They have the system in place. It’s the sign of a good program. They play hard, just like they always do, and they are a hard-nosed team. They do everything correctly and you have to do the right things to beat them.”

Only Class 7A No. 5 Vestavia Hills has beaten 5-1 Mountain Brook this year, 35-10 in the season-opener. The Spartans are 3-0 in league play. Mountain Brook scores 31.7 points a game and surrenders 12.

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“The biggest thing this year is we had to come in and replace 10 players on defense,” Yeager said of this season’s team that was coming off a state finals runner-up finish. “I knew we’d come around, but when were they coming around?

“One thing that’s exciting to see is week-in, week-out we’ve been getting better. The guys have developed and for a lot of them, it’s the first time for them to start at all. They didn’t start as seventh, eighth or ninth graders. It’s the ‘Mountain Brook Phenomenon.’ They hang around and get better every day and by the time they are seniors, they are good players. I’ve seen that happen on both sides of the ball in multiple places. It’s one of the most gratifying things about coaching.”

One standout new starter on that defense is middle linebacker William Greer McDuffie, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior who sat out last season to play lacrosse. McDuffie leads the team with 85 total tackles, 8 behind the line of scrimmage with a sack, 3 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

“He played for us as a sophomore at rover and was a really good player,” Yeager said. “Last year he decided to play lacrosse and he missed his teammates. A lot of guys, if they miss a year, it’s really difficult to come back. At the level we have to play, for a guy to step back in and not miss a beat is something.

“Skill level is what it is, but to see his leadership skills has been impressive. To see his leadership skills – he has the ability to bring together and elevate those around him – is exceptional.”

Yeager said McDuffie should have college opportunities in either sport next year.

Senior linebacker Drew Widener (50 tackles, 8 TFL, 1 interception), senior safety Clyde Beavers (40 stops, 2 interceptions) and junior safety Harris Crumpton (36 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 interceptions) are also atop the Mountain Brook tackle chart.

All-State running back Cole Gamble, who ran for 2,222 yards as a junior, has gained 844 this season on 115 carries with 12 touchdowns. Against Vestavia Hills, the 3-star prospect picked up 209 yards on 23 carries and in a 34-24 win over Hoover he gained 221 on 38 attempts with four TDs. Gamble ran just twice in a 49-0 win over Jackson-Olin for 31 yards and a score and he carried the ball four times for 130 yards and three scores in a 51-0 win over Woodlawn.

Senior Jack King has 180 yards on 28 carries and three TDs.

Senior quarterback John Cooper, who has a college offer from New Mexico State, has completed 54-of-94 passes for 810 yards and 7 touchdowns. He has been intercepted 5 times.

“I feel like at the beginning of the year, he was pressing,” Yeager said. “He felt like he had to make plays, had to try to score points. Things have happened and now he’s comfortable and in this mindset he’s now just working in the system and takes what he’s given. He’s talented, including a quick release, and he’s got a good mind for football.

“The thing that endears me to John is, if you look at football nowadays, the (rule of thumb) is if you’re a sophomore and you’re not the starter, you are looking for another place to start. He could have left Mountain Brook and gone a lot of places to start. He’s a Spartan first and a quarterback second. The kids would follow him off a cliff in a heartbeat.”

The Spartans playmakers are working behind an offensive front that includes returning starters Watts Alexander and William Courtenay.

Parker’s playmakers are spread out with a pair of quarterbacks – seniors Malik Muhammad (830 yards passing, 554 rushing, 11 total TDs) and Cameron Jennings (319 yards through the air for 2 touchdowns). “Malik can play receiver,” Warren said, “really anything on the offensive side. Cameron Jennings is another weapon for us. He can make all the throws.”

Senior Amari Brundidge has gained 710 yards on the ground, with four 100-yard games and 5 touchdowns. Senior Martavius Purnell has run for 441 yards with 7 TDs.

Jeremiah Jelks has caught 18 passes for 298 yards and is one of four receivers with a pair of touchdowns each. Sophomore Kentrell Davis has 10 catches for 183 yards and 5-star defensive back/receiver Na’eem Offord has 9 receptions for 179 yards.

The Parker defense is loaded with performers who have caught college recruiters’ eyes, led by Alabama commitment Jeremiah Beaman. The 6-4, 250-pound 4-star defensive end has 5 sacks. Linebacker Carlton Duncan leads the team with 43 total tackles and 11 sacks. Cornerback Offord, who has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Southern Cal and others, has 4 interceptions and 4 pass breakups. Four-star Jourdin Crawford (6-3, 285-pound defensive lineman) has offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Clemson, Michigan and others. Cornerback Timothy Merritt, another 4-star, has offers from Kentucky, Ole Miss, LSU, Clemson, Penn State and Texas.

“I think we are playing with a little more swagger,” Warren said, comparing this year’s squad to his first three teams that went 6-5, 11-2 and 7-5. “The kids are believing in themselves. We’re talented, but at the same time, we have a well-coached ball team. We’ve got some ballplayers, don’t get me wrong.

“Jeremiah Beaman and Crawford are anchoring our defensive line, but we go six deep up front. Some of them would probably be stars somewhere else. Beaman is very cerebral and how hard he works with the talent he has makes him a special kid.”

Warren also singled out Jeremiah Hall, Phillip Davison, Rudolph Roseman, Caleb Smith and Robert Taylor as well as linebackers Davion Lake and Duncan. “We have a senior linebacker group,” he said, “and those guys are smart football players. Everybody knows about our secondary with Tim Merritt being highly ranked and Joseph Holt. Those guys are long, each one is 6-foot and above.”

Free safety Eric Tarrant is the only senior starter in the Parker secondary.

“We’re still making mistakes, but I think they will be coming along,” Warren said. “Once everything is fixed, it’s going to be a scary sight.”