If a big rivalry win and possession of the Cotton Cup trophy weren’t incentive enough, the stakes were raised for last Friday’s matchup between Coosa Valley Academy and Cornerstone Christian School as the game involved playoff implications for both teams.

The Chargers won the lopsided contest, 31-0, improving to a No. 3 seed in the AISA playoffs and ending the Rebels’ season by handing them their fourth Class A, Region II loss.

&uot;We’re excited. It’s been an exciting three or four days,&uot; said Cornerstone coach Tim Smith. &uot;We are just trying to get our players’ feet back on the ground to get ready for the playoffs.&uot;

The Chargers will compete in the playoffs for the first time in school history.

&uot;We’re usually playing basketball this time of year,&uot; Smith said.

Cornerstone relied heavily on the running game, picking up 315 of their 368 total yards on the ground, including all five of their touchdowns.

The only pass completed on the night by the Chargers was a 53-yarder from Jamal Prentice to Ty Youngblood.

Jeremy Walden accounted for most of the Charger offense, carrying 26 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns, including a 48-yard score in the final minutes of the game.

Prentice also played a big role for the offense, carrying the ball 13 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He was also 1-1 passing with 53 yards.

Tyler &uot;Snickers&uot; Enders, a Cornerstone lineman, scored his first touchdown of the season on a fumble recovery in the endzone.

Coosa Valley managed only 116 yards of total offense, led by Cooper Johnson.

The Rebel quarterback rushed for 41 yards and passed for 46 yards.

Johnson also led the Coosa Valley defense along with John Kress, accounting for most of the Rebels tackles.

Coosa Valley Academy (5-5) ended their season with the loss, while the Chargers will travel to Eufala to face Lakeside in the first round of the AISA playoffs