Mountain Brook coach Chris Yeager with, from left, Rickey Whitworth, Harrison Dukes, Jack King, and Webb Walker.By Rubin E. Grant
Mountain Brook capped off its third consecutive 12-win season by reaching the 2022 Class 6A state championship game and finishing as runners-up to Saraland.
But head coach Chris Yeager is not thinking about winning it all in 2023.
“This is not going to be an ‘unfinished business tour,’” Yeager said. “We learned a lot of lessons from that (loss) that were valuable.
“Our focus is something higher than a state championship. I try my best to focus on taking a bunch of guys and forming a team and focus on the pulse of the team and to see where that takes us.”
For the Spartans to become a cohesive unit, Yeager said, players have to take leadership roles.
“We’ve got to get better at being a player-led team,” he said. “That’s been a big challenge.”
What hasn’t been a challenge is getting players who want to play.
“Out of 450 boys in the school, 120 are playing football,” Yeager said. “That’s the sign of a healthy football program.
“We’ve had a good spring and summer. We had 90% showing up with perfect attendance. Sometimes it’s easy to take those things for granted, but it’s of great importance.”
Mountain Brook returns six starters on offense and four on defense. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the 2023 Spartans:
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
The Spartans will turn to senior John Cooper to replace John Colvin, who had started the past two seasons and is now a preferred walk-on at Auburn.
Yeager likes Cooper’s makeup.
“He’s a heck of a football player,” Yeager said. “He’s a dual threat, which is more of what we had in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He can throw it and he can also run it.”
Freshman Ryan Pugh, one of the top junior golfers in the state, will serve as Cooper’s backup.
“He’s got this high-powered processor and is an incredible decision maker,” Yeager said. “If you watch him play golf, it’s easy to see why he’s so cool under pressure. He’s going to be one great football player.”
Running Back
Cole Gamble, the 2022 All-OTM Offensive Player, returns for his senior season. He rushed for 2,180 yards, averaging 8.2 yards per carry and 39 touchdowns last year while amassing 2,388 all-purpose yards.
“He runs hard and he’s got great speed,” Yeager said. “He’s a good receiver, and we’ve got to do a better job of throwing the ball to him because he’s a dual threat.”
Senior Jack King and sophomore Stuart Andrews will also get their share of carries.
“Jack is a pretty good runner,” Yeager said “We call him ‘Seabiscuit’ because he runs with all he has. Stuart is not very big, but he’s talented.”
Receivers
Yeager believes the Spartans’ receiving corps has a chance to be special.
“Last year we had Jackson Beatty, but this group is one of the better ones we’ve had in a long time,” he said.
It starts with senior Clark Sanderson, who had 53 receptions for 955 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Senior Hudson Young and a trio of sophomores – Trey Vinson, Gabe Smith and Sam Smith – round out the group.
Senior J.C. Adams will play tight end with juniors Jack Walthall and Alex Leonard also in the mix.
Offensive Line
Seniors William Courtenay (left guard), Watts Alexander (right tackle) and Carter Colvin (guard); sophomore Rocco Gray (center); and junior Daniel Ellis (guard) are the frontrunners to start.
“They are a very athletic group,” Yeager said.
Depth pieces are junior Kevin Hughes; seniors Ben Burkhart, Charlie Smith and Richard Kinsaul; and sophomore Henry Gimenez.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
“We’re rebuilding up front,” Yeager said. “We’ve got six guys battling for three spots. It’s a competition.”
Senior Rickey Whitworth and junior Parker Redden are on the edge along with junior Frank Lee and senior Wil Lucas. Senior James Hard and junior Beckett Smith are battling for the nose guard position.
Linebackers
Senior William Grier McDuffie will play middle linebacker with junior Miller Brooks serving as his backup.
Sophomore Boyd Cooper, junior Billy Flowers and seniors Pelham Comer, Drew Widener, Joseph Green and Benjamin Payne are competing for the outside spots.
Secondary
The Spartans have plenty of depth and experience in the secondary.
“We’ve got more starters back in the secondary than any other position,” Yeager said.
Juniors Hampton King and Henry Bell and seniors Tucker Crawford and Jack Currie will rotate at cornerback.
Senior Clyde Beavers and juniors Harris Crumpton, Reed Smith and Bo Currie are the safeties.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior Harrison Fell will handle the kicking duties with the departure of standout kicker Reed Harradine, who is now at the University of Alabama.
Senior J.B. Cook will be a three-year starter as long snapper.
“I feel good about our special teams,” Yeager said.
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