By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

HARPERSVILLE — Coosa Valley Academy senior Jarrod Mims knew what was coming when his coach Bobby Hughes expressed displeasure with the way the Rebels ended the regular season.

Mims and his teammates are all too familiar with Hughes’ “Army” days.

“We had a hard week of practice,” Mims said.

The intense regiment Hughes put the defending Alabama Independent Schools Association Class 1A champions through paid off. The Rebels responded from a loss in their final regular season game with a sweep of South Montgomery County Academy in a best-of-three series in the opening round of the AISA Class 1A playoffs April 28.

Coosa Valley earned an 11-1 win in the opener before clinching the series with a 13-1 victory in the nightcap.

“I think the playoffs really pumped us up,” Mims said.

Coosa Valley (37-6) scored a combined 24 runs on 24 hits in the doubleheader and ended each game in the fifth inning due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Hunter Roe, Ryan Batson, Daniel Kennedy and Nick Bates combined to allow only two unearned runs on seven hits in 10 innings in the doubleheader.

“Pitching gave us a chance to win,” Hughes said. “That was the difference.”

Mims, one of the Rebels’ front-line starters, was able to rest a sore arm during the first round. Mims said he’ll be ready for Coosa Valley’s best-of-three series with rival Cornerstone Christian School in the second round April 29-30.

Coosa Valley will host Cornerstone Christian in a doubleheader May 4 in Harpersville, with the first game scheduled for 5 p.m. The if-necessary game will be held May 5.

“I’ll be ready,” Mims said.

Saxon Grimes led the Rebels as he finished 2-for-2 at the plate and scored a run.

John Bullen, who drove in one run and scored two runs, went 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and added a stolen base. Preston Parker, who drove in two runs and scored one run, finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple and a double.

Roe finished 1-for-3 at the plate and drove in two runs. Mims, who drove in one run and scored two runs, went 1-for-2 at the plate and finished with two stolen bases. Myles Varner, who drove in one run and scored one run, went 1-for-3 at the plate. Garrett McMillan finished 1-for-1 at the plate and drove in one run.

Cody Wood finished 1-for-1 at the plate and scored one run. Ryan Batson and Cody Garrett scored one run each.

Roe earned the win after giving up only three hits with five strikeouts and a walk in four innings on the mound. Batson allowed just one unearned run on one hit with a strikeout in one inning in relief.

Coosa Valley jumped out to a 2-0 lead following the bottom of the first inning.

Bullen led off the inning with a double to left-center field and Mims reached base on a walk before Grimes plated both of them with his two-run single to left field.

The Rebels added eight runs in the bottom of the second inning to push their lead to 10-0.

Parker had an RBI double in the inning. Roe added a two-run single. Mims, Grimes, Varner, McMillan and Parker drove in one run each in the inning.

Coosa Valley capped its scoring with one run in the bottom of the fourth inning when McMillan reached after being hit by a pitch and Garrett, a pinch runner for McMillan, scored on an sacrifice fly RBI by Bullen.

Bullen led the Rebels at the plate as he finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a double. Bullen drove in two runs and scored three runs in the victory.

Roe, who drove in four runs and scored one run, went 2-for-3 at the plate. Mims, who drove in one run, finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a double. Stephen Cryer finished 2-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs.

Hunter Winslett, who drove in one run and scored two runs, went 1-for-2 at the plate. McMillan went 1-for-2 at the plate and drove in three runs. Parker finished 1-for-1 at the plate and scored two runs. Varner went 1-for-3 at the plate.

Wood scored two runs. Taylor Sims and Batson scored one run each in the victory.

Kennedy earned the win on the mound after giving up one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts in four innings.

Bates struck out all three batters he faced in the final inning.

The Rebels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Bullen led off the game with a double to right-center field and scored on a sacrifice fly RBI by Roe.

Coosa Valley scored five runs in the top of the second inning to push its lead to 6-0.

Cryer and Bullen each had an RBI single in the inning. Roe plated the final two runs in the inning with his single to right field.

The Rebels added six runs in the top of the third inning to take a 12-0 lead.

McMillan had a two-run single in the inning. Winslett, Bullen, Roe and Mims had an RBI single each.

Coosa Valley capped its scoring with one run in the top of the fifth inning when Roe reached on a walk and Sims, a pinch-runner for Roe, scored on a passed ball.

Hughes said he noticed a difference in his players in the first-round series.

“Our attitudes are different,” Hughes said.