By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

They’re playoff bound.

The Lafayette Christian School Cougars headed into their final regular-season game with a chance to win the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association Region 1-A championship, but they lost to Hancock Academy 8-6.

That loss meant there was a three-way tie for first place in the region, forcing a mini-playoff on Monday in Macon to determine the region’s two state-playoff teams.

Lafayette Christian faced off with John Hancock with a state-playoff berth on the line, and the result was a different one three days later.

Both teams got one possession from the 25-yard line, and while John Hancock didn’t score, Lafayette Christian came through with a touchdown to get the 6-0 win.

Senior quarterback Landon Whitley scored on a 1-yard run, one play after he found Nathan Karvelas for a fourth-down completion.

Lafayette Christian finished as the region’s number two seed, and it will be in Woodstock for the opening round of the state playoffs.

Lafayette Christian’s opponent will be Cherokee Christian, the number one seed from Region 2-A.

If Lafayette Christian wins, it will advance to the state-championship game.

Lafayette Christian, which won the eight-man state title in 2015, is in its first season as an 11-man team.

UNITY PREP: After beating Griffin Christian 44-0 to win the GICAA Region 2-AA championship, Unity Prep will be at home on Friday in the first round of the state playoffs.

Unity Prep will host Holy Ground Baptist Academy, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.  in Hogansville.

If Unity Prep wins, it will play either Skipstone Academy or Lanier Christian Academy in the state-championship game on Nov. 16.