Clay-Chalkville Football Preview: Loaded with experience, Cougars ready for big season
The stage is set for yet another stellar season for the Clay-Chalkville High School football program.
Nearly every key skill player returns on an offense that averaged over 35 points per game last fall. Several contributors are back for a defense that held opponents to just 14 points a contest in 2020.
“Believe it or not, we’re kind of an experienced team,” said head coach Drew Gilmer, who enters his fifth season at the helm of the Cougars.
Gilmer knows none of that guarantees success in 2021, but there’s certainly reason to believe Clay-Chalkville can put together a fifth consecutive double-digit win season.
“You’ve still got to start from scratch every year,” he said.
Offense
After serving as co-offensive coordinator last fall, Joey Bennett takes the full reins of the Clay-Chalkville offense this season. Not much will change, given how much returning production there is on that side of the ball.
“It will look very similar,” Gilmer said. “There will be some differences, like there is every year. We’ve got to adapt to our personnel and our personnel this year is going to be different than what it was last year.”
It all starts with Khalib Johnson, the dynamic senior quarterback. He is a true dual threat quarterback who committed to Louisville in June. He has also established himself as a true leader of the team.
“Having a guy like that, the kind of kid he is and a great character kid that you don’t have to worry about, that trickles down into all our other guys,” Gilmer said.
Edward Osley is back as the Cougars’ top running back, after rushing for 1,328 yards and 15 touchdowns a season ago. He is joined in the backfield by Cam’ron Williams, another back with plenty of ability.
Out wide, the Cougars have a big-time threat in Marquarius “Squirrel” White. White was a first-team All-South Metro player last fall, finishing with nearly 900 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on the year.
But White is not the only threat to make plays in the passing game. Johnson will have a bevy of options to distribute the ball to, with Nate Owens, Jaylen Mbakwe, Mario Craver and even both running backs contributing heavily in the passing game.
“We’re going to have more dynamic playmakers than we’ve had in the past,” Gilmer said.
Along the offensive line, Kyrell Wiggins and Corey Calvin were mainstays up front last year and will be again this fall. The Cougars are looking for some other linemen to step into new roles, with guys like Paul Lee, Brandon Phillips, Brady Phillips and Darrien Griggs among those with the opportunity to claim a starting role.
Defense
Clay-Chalkville maintained its entire defensive coaching staff over the offseason, with Matt Glover leading the Cougars defense as the coordinator. There isn’t as much experience back as on the offensive side of the ball, but there are still several players opponents are familiar with.
“Even though we did have some changes, those guys still have experience,” Gilmer said.
The back end of the Clay-Chalkville defense possesses the most experience, with Jayden Sweeney and LaMar Croskey both back in the secondary.
The Cougars bring back several defensive linemen that have experience. Gilmer said the team will rotate plenty of them in and out throughout games. Kaleb Simon, Ja’mon Smith, Devin Finley, Rondarius Sykes and Kevin Hurley are all players that should see time up front.
There is the most to replace in the middle of the defense, especially with losing a star linebacker like Jonathon Harris. The Cougars will look to players like defensive back Ormond Wallace, linebacker DJ Barber and nickel Matthew Yafondo to help fill some of that production and leadership.
“We’re going to be a little bit different,” Gilmer said of the defense. “We’ve got a lot of speed, a lot of length, that kind of thing.”
Special teams
It’s a new day at Clay-Chalkville on the special teams unit. The steadying force that was Jaren Van Winkle has finally graduated. Van Winkle started for the Cougars for four years and last year made all 54 of his extra points and all eight of his field goal attempts. He also averaged 38 yards a punt and kicked off, so the Cougars have big shoes to fill in that department.
Schedule
Pinson Valley and Oxford have stolen the thunder in Class 6A, Region 6 in recent years, but the Cougars will take aim at its first region title since 2015 this fall. Their region slate will include home games against Jasper, Minor, Jackson-Olin and Mortimer Jordan, with road dates against Gardendale and Pinson Valley.
Clay-Chalkville bookends the schedule with non-region foes, playing Shades Valley and Hueytown to start the season and finishing the year with Huffman and Oak Mountain.
“It’s a tough schedule that’s going to prepare you, and that’s what you want,” Gilmer said. “You want those Friday nights to be fun and competitive, and we want to play the best teams you can.”