By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
CLAY — The Cougars picked up right where they left off in 2021, extending the state’s longest current winning streak to 16 games and absolutely wrecking a team with an FBS-level quarterback, shutting out Briarwood 48-0.
Clay-Chalkville bursts onto the field ahead of their 48-0 victory over Briarwood on Friday, August 19, 2022. (Photo by Ron Burkett)
The scary part is that it could have been worse — much worse — for Briarwood. The Lions muffed a punt in the second quarter that could have been blocked had Clay-Chalkville not been set up for a return, and then came Clay-Chalkville’s backbreaking 16-play drive from their own three-yard line into Briarwood’s red zone.
If the Cougars score on either one of those opportunities, the score changes to 60-0. That’s why Clay-Chalkville is The Tribune’s Argo Hardware Team of the Week for Week 0.
There were some mixups, some things that will undoubtedly need fixing — “Some things we have to clean up,” head coach Drew Gilmer said after the win on Friday — but the Cougars came out and made a statement with this win. Briarwood put up three touchdowns on the Cougars in the second round of the 2021 playoffs before ultimately falling 56-21.
This time, a shutout.
New starting quarterback Kamari McClellan wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t have to be. McClellan finished 8-of-15 passing for 144 yards, with one touchdown pass. That one came on the first play of Clay-Chalkville’s first possession, when Jaylen Mbakwe took a swing pass 75 yards for a score. McClellan even punted twice, with a 36.5-yard average.
Mbakwe had 94 yards receiving and the one touchdown, averaging more than 23 yards per catch.
Zac McCray busted up the interior of the Briarwood defense for 53 yards for Clay-Chalkville’s second score. McCray, a senior who said he didn’t expect to get the ball quite as much as he did — 11 carries, 157 yards, one TD — made the most of his touches. Most of the Cougars’ running was done by committee, though. Allan Cotton got the ball eight times and ran for 43 yards, while Bravis Cave had seven carries for 40 yards. Both Cotton and Cave scored for the Cougars.
Aaron Osley even got into the act for Clay-Chalkville, scoring a pair of two-point conversions for the Cougars. Osley is, of course, the younger brother of 2021 6A MVP Ed Osley, who is now playing for UT-Martin.
The blowout wouldn’t have been possible without the defense throwing up that goose egg, though. Matthew Yafondo led all tacklers with six solo stops, while Randall Cole had 5.5 tackles, including four solo tackles, three assists, a half QB sack — shared with Jamon Smith — and 1.5 tackles for loss. D.J. Barber had five tackles, including four solo, two assists and one tackle for loss. Arshaun Davis had a huge game, with four tackles — three of those for a loss — and a sack. Devin Finley added 2.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback sack as well.
Clay-Chalkville’s next opponent, Hueytown, is a rematch of the 2021 6A title game. The Cougars will be on the road against a Golden Gophers team looking to rebound from a 41-28 loss to 5A Ramsay in Week 0.
