NATCHEZ — Heavy rain couldn’t keep the Trinity Saints from marching their way onto the practice field Friday morning.

Head football coach Zach Rogel sprinted from Trinity’s clubhouse, down the hill and onto the field where his team was stretching for their second day of practice. Ten seconds later, his clothes were drenched from the pouring rain. Rogel threw his soaking hat to the sidelines and clapped his hands together, looking at his team. Not cancelling practice was a direct message to his team.

“None of the players asked me if practice was cancelled this morning,” Rogel said. “We’re all bought in. We’re all ready to put in the work.”

It didn’t take long for the pads to start popping.

“Let’s go,” Rogel said. “Give me a circle and give me Cade (Wells) and ‘Tez (Cortez Adams).”

With the Saints creating a circle around both players, Adams and Wells fired off from a three-point stance at the sound of the whistle, driving their feet on a slippery, muddy surface.

“Drive your feet!” Rogel shouted to his team. “Keep your feet moving. Next two!”

After each player faced off in a one-on-one drill that taught players to keep low and to continue churning their feet, Rogel called his quarterback Kevontaye Caston to the center and told him to call someone out.

“Come on Cade,” said Caston as he looked in the direction of his teammate he’s grown familiar with.

For the better part of July, Wells and Caston competed for the starting quarterback job, which Rogel decided to award Caston. Rogel likes Caston’s arm, and he’s excited about utilizing Wells in multiple situations at running back and at wide receiver. In other words, Wells will be the workhorse of the team. Knowing this, his teammates and coaches challenged him at practice.

“Who do you want?” Rogel asked. “Call them out.”

More than often, “Cade” would be the response among the experienced Saints.

Back-to-back-to-back, Wells competed in this drill of attrition, facing bigger teammates Joseph Harris and Ernest Chatman Jr. Wells didn’t complain. He bit down on his mouthpiece and continued to fire off the ball.

“They just expect the best out of me,” Wells said. “They’re trying to push me because they know my potential.”

Wells will not only play running back and wide receiver for the Saints, but he’ll also be playing safety and some linebacker on defense, as well as kicking, punting and returning kicks.

After the practice, Rogel found out that he was not supposed to practice in full pads until after the third practice day. Rogel immediately emailed Mississippi Association of Independent Schools director of activities Les Triplett to inform him of his misunderstanding.

“It’s on me,” Rogel said. “I was unaware, but you live and you learn.”

Following the drill, Rogel broke up the team into two groups — skill players and linemen. The skill players went through a walkthrough, running plays and lining up in different formations, while the linemen pushed the sled and ran the hill.

Rogel set out to improve his Saints in poor conditions Friday morning, and it was a mission the first-year head coach believes he accomplished.

“I’m proud of the way these boys are working,” Rogel said. “We’re just counting down the days ‘til kickoff.”