Friday

Unfortunately for Rogel, Friday night would provide the harshest lesson he’s learned as a new coach.

Rogel and the Saints were spirited to start. As the team made its way to midfield during pregame, a few Saint players introduced themselves to the Centreville kickoff team that was waiting on the Saints to lineup opposite of them.

The game quickly got out of hand. Rogel raced up and down the sidelines, constantly fidgeting and biting his nails trying to come up with a new solution to stop Centreville’s offense. His answer went unfound, as Centreville took a 44-12 lead to halftime.

Trinity’s Joseph Harris was shaken up on a big collision on special teams, and after being checked by doctors, Rogel kept him out of the game.

“I can’t risk you having a concussion,” Rogel told him.

Knowing the game was out of hand, Rogel asked the referees for a running clock to get out of the game without further injury.

A disappointed Rogel challenged his team at halftime.

“You can’t just put on a Trinity jersey and think we’re going to go and win,” Rogel said. “Y’all are riding the coattails of last year’s team, and it isn’t working. Come out in the second half and fight hard.”

Rogel and Centreville head coach Bill Hurst played their second units for the majority of the second half, but Rogel’s team didn’t quit, fighting until the end and slightly lessening the blow of the 51-24 loss for their head coach.

With his hopes crushed, Rogel looked within and looked at his team, acknowledging the greatest teacher of all — experience.

“We don’t know how to win yet,” Rogel said. “I don’t know how to win as a coach, and we don’t know how to win as a team.”

Rogel’s Saints fell to 0-2, falling to their two toughest opponents on the schedule to open the 2014 season.