Coach Yeager Gets Spartans Ready For Playoffs

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL — Mountain Brook's football team finished the 2021 regular season with a 9-1 record and a regional title, not to mention a no. 3 ranking in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll. Now, the Spartans look to make a run in the playoffs that kick off Friday night.

Mountain Brook hosts Southside-Gadsden Friday at Spartan Stadium, with their eyes on a state championship.

The team's defense has been the most touted unit of this season, but head coach Chris Yeager said all three phases of the Spartans' game this season have contributed to the success of the team.

"All three phases, offense, defense and kicking have played complimentary football this season, Yeager said. "First our defense has played exceptional as a group with many standouts this season. Not only have they had five shutouts, they have also allowed our offense to play with the -38 yard line as the average starting position for each drive."

Yeager added, "Second because of the great job by our kicking game, opposing offenses have had to use a long field to score. 72 percent of our kickoffs have been touchbacks. On the average opponents have had to start on the 24.2 yard line. The more times opposing offenses have to snap the football the greater the chance for error. Third, the offense has averaged 8.5 possessions a game with only 3.2 of those possessions a game resulting in a non-scoring 3 and out drive which has allowed the defense to stay fresh and rested."

Yeager said the biggest challenge the team faces moving forward is "avoiding an outcome, results-driven mindset and focus on winning the particular play we are in at the moment."

"A play can be a meeting we are in, drill we are performing in practice or a play we are running in a game," Yeager said. "Long term goals are very important but the team that wins the most plays day in and day out will be the state champion."

The Spartans lost a significant amount of senior leadership to graduation off last season's state semifinal team, but has been able to replace the leaders that graduated with players eager to step up and lead the team, Yeager said.

"Leadership is the service and influence of others. In a leadership culture members have to have the mindset that everyone on the team has a role to play and can positively impact the group and teammates through service and sacrifice," Yeager said. "On every elite team there are selfless players and coaches that do the thankless, behind scenes work that most of the time goes unnoticed by the outside observer but has great influence on the team. People will always follow those that put the good of the team above self interest and personal agendas. When leadership is properly defined and believed in and you have a culture of leadership young leaders should be constantly emerging."

Mountain Brook kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday night, with the winner of the game playing the winner of the Jackson-Olin/Cullman game.