Football wasn’t always on the agenda for Adams County Christian School senior Lester Wells.

As a young boy, Wells was small, and like most football mothers, his mother was worried about her son.

“She wanted me to play baseball,” Wells said. “I had played baseball my whole life. I was a little thing, and she wanted me to stay with baseball and not get hurt.”

But keeping Lester off the field proved harder than imagined, and once he suited up, it was a perfect match.

“I started playing with the Natchez Falcons,” Wells said. “My brother, he’s bigger than me, but younger. I used to always go to his practice and watch. Then, one day I thought ‘hey I want to be out there, too.’ The year after that, I got the chance to play.”

Now, Wells stars for ACCS and can be found doing just about anything on the field for the Rebels.

“It’s been great,” said Wells of his high school experience. “I’ve been on a lot of teams, and we’ve won some and lost some.”

This season, Wells’ team is leaning more toward the “won some” side, and he is a big reason why.

“Lester is a true football player,” ACCS defensive coordinator Richie Spears said. “He is going to do everything right. He is coachable and does everything you ask him to do. He is one of the few that have been here, isn’t late and comes to practice everyday and gives everything he’s got.”

Despite being one of the best players on the team, Wells is still forced to compete for touches with the abundance of talent on the Rebel’s roster.

“You only get the ball a certain amount of times, but once you get it, you’ve got to go to work with it. You’ve got to do something.”

Wells also recognized that it will be an even steeper challenge in college.

“In college, you’ve got a bunch of people that are just as good as you at the same position, and here, you’ve maybe got four,” he said.

But sharing the load hasn’t taken away from Wells’ success this season because he has another spot to shine as well — defense, which he said he prefers.

“I like to hit people,” he said. “I would rather catch an interception because you have the opportunity to get the interception and score a touchdown.”

Wells’ play on the field has been a big help to his role as a leader, admitting that he isn’t much of a talker.

“I don’t talk that much, I just do stuff, and people do what I do,” Wells said. “I knew somebody had to step up after the seniors graduated last year. Why not me?”

The coaching staff has also seen Wells take on being a leader.

“You’ve got people that look up to him, and he is a true leader,” Spears said. “He’ll pick people up all the time. He’s awesome, and I know he’s got kids that look up to him.”

With his senior season beginning to wind down, Wells has had thoughts of college football come across his mind.

“I’m trying to get to Ole Miss,” he said.

But the journey there hasn’t been easy, with Wells not getting any looks from collegiate programs just yet.

“It pushes me,” he said. “I’m from this little town and this little AA private school. Nobody knows us that much.”

But even so, Spears is certain that Wells will be able to reach his goal.

“There is no question,” Spears said. “I tell him all the time he can do whatever he wants to do, and he can. I have no doubt he is going to play there. It might not be right out of high school, but he will play. I just know that.”

As for the rest of his senior season, Wells has his eyes on the prize for himself and the Rebels (7-1).

“I want to win the state championship for my team,” Wells said. “It would be everything I’ve been working for my whole career.”