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By STEPHEN DAWKINS | Special to the Reporter

TUSCALOOSA ­– Cornerstone Christian School suffered its first defeat of the season, 52-48 at North River Christian Academy on Friday, but lessons learned in the loss may serve the Chargers well in the second half of the regular season and beyond.

CCS Coach James Lee said his young team started slow, perhaps still riding the high of a momentous win over Springwood last week.

The Chargers were down 38-8 at halftime to North River but fought back to give themselves a chance to win it in the end—until an onside kick attempt was recovered by the hosts.

“We just didn’t play football in the first half,” Lee said. “I’m proud of them for never quitting. If we figure out how to put two halves together, we’re going to be a deadly team.”

After falling behind by 30 points, Cornerstone outscored North River in the second half, 40-14, but it wasn’t enough.

Quarterback Zeke Adams was a highlight for the Chargers, churning out yardage with his legs on option keepers.

And Caleb Boackle made plays on the ground and in air, totaling more than 150 yards rushing and receiving combined. Boackle ran it in for the touchdown with about a minute remaining in the game that cut the deficit to 4 points.

Lee said he hopes the disappointing result serves as a wake-up call that sharpens the Chargers’ focus for the rest of the year.
“We have to have the mindset to come out and be able to take care of business from the start,” Lee said.