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Cornerstone Christian’s Hampton Etheredge and Seth Dillard will play college football together as both signed to play at Huntingdon College. (Reporter Photos/Andrew Simonson)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

COLUMBIANA – After the Cornerstone Christian Chargers’ historic 2024 season, two of their key stars are not just heading to play college football, but they will do so together.

Hampton Etheredge and Seth Dillard officially signed to join Huntingdon College’s football program on Wednesday, March 19.

The pair put pen to paper on their written offers of athletic aid in a special signing day ceremony that took place at Cornerstone Christian School’s sanctuary in front of their family, coaches and many of their classmates.

“It feels good,” Dillard said of signing. “It feels like I can go to the next level, show my talent. I know this school is just a family.”

That familial feeling was echoed by Etheredge. As a newer member of the Cornerstone family, he feels grateful that his teammates and coaches welcomed him in as one of their own so quickly.

“It means a lot just to have the ability to go to the next level and take my talent to play in college,” Etheredge said. “I transferred in. They showed me love here. It felt like home, so I wouldn’t be in this place without my coaches and my teammates. So, it means a lot.”

Etheredge credited the tight familial bond of the team for helping them win their second-straight AISA 8-Man state championship while making history as the first team in school history to finish the season undefeated.

Now that he’ll have a member of that family with him at the next level, he hopes to replicate that success at the collegiate level.

“One of the big keys to our success is we were so close, and me and Seth are pretty close,” Etheredge said. “He’s one of my best friends, so it means a lot to be able to go play at the next level with him.”

“It’s such a good thing to be somewhere with somewhere close and be able to stay together for the next four years,” Dillard said. “It feels good.”

Both Dillard and Etheredge were All-County 8-Man Team selections in 2024 thanks to their contributions to Cornerstone’s championship season.

Dillard was primarily a blocking tight end for the Chargers run game, and in addition to his All-County selection, he was named an AISA All-Star as well as a Gatlinburg All-American.

Etheredge did not play down the stretch because of an injury eight games into the season, but he still made an impact on both sides of the ball.

As a defensive lineman, he racked up 68 tackles on the year with 56 of them being solo tackles, five coming as tackles for loss and two counting as sacks.

He also played receiver for Cornerstone and linked up with quarterback Zeke Adams for 266 receiving yards and touchdowns on four of his eight receptions on the season.

Both Dillard and Etheredge thanked their family, teammates, coaches and teachers for helping them get to this point.

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