A standing ovation for six coaches who won state championships at Natchez schools set the stage for team entrances by Adams County Christian School and Trinity Episcopal Day School Thursday night for a jamboree contest.

Two teams that will undoubtedly vie for a state championship in their respective divisions were about to challenge one another in a friendly exhibition that quite frankly had a lot of pride on the line.

But before the Rebels and Saints tested one another’s will, ACCS head coach David King started walking onto the field as Trinity head coach Zach Rogel raced toward him. The two coaches embraced, as King’s protégé, Rogel, was getting ready to challenge the coach who taught him everything football related, and then some.

“I was jogging across the field, and I was smiling like a kid on Christmas,” said Rogel, who played under King at Trinity in the mid 2000s. “This was 10 years in the making. Outside of my parents, he’s probably the biggest influence in my life. He’s somebody who knows how to lead kids and win football games.”

Rogel, whose Trinity Saints fell to University Academy in the semifinals of the playoffs a season ago, watched on as King was honored with South Natchez’s Ed Reed, ACCS’ Bobby Marks, Trinity’s Jack Benson and Josh Loy and Cathedral’s Ron Rushing for winning state championships. With most of his team returning from last year’s 9-4 squad, Rogel couldn’t help but think about the future.

“I want to be in that group,” Rogel said. “They’ve done something. I got to be part of (a state championship) with Coach King before (as a player). He has impacted a lot of kids through the years, whether they won state or not. He’s had some great teams.”

But ahead of Rogel was King’s ACCS squad, which boasts one of the best defenses in the area, if not the best. Undoubtedly, Kevontaye Caston and his brother Jakarius Caston will light up defenses this season for the Saints. However, pressure caused by ACCS’ defensive line — Marshall Edmonds stayed in Trinity’s backfield — and an athletic Rebel secondary thwarted any explosive plays for the Saints.

As the two teams traded blow for blow, King found himself somewhat distracted.

“To be honest with you, I was watching (Zach) instead of watching my team at times,” King said. “It’s kind of emotional. I know it’s kind of corny, but I’m proud of him.”

The game between ACCS and Trinity reminded everyone of one thing — size matters. The MAIS AAA Rebels rolled up their sleeves and moved the MAIS AA Saints off the football in its second possession on offense, following the lead blocks of JO Adams and Chris Sikes on the right side of the offensive line.

Adams was thoroughly impressive in the contest. On Carlos Woods’ 61-yard touchdown strike to Sam Butler, Adams took on Joseph Harris’ bull rush, showing off great athleticism and balance to provide Woods ample amount of time to sit in the pocket and find a wide-open Butler, giving ACCS a 13-0 lead.

And while ACCS ultimately won 27-6, Trinity had plenty of positives to take away from the scrimmage. The brightest spot was the return of Cade Wells, who suffered from Gullain-Barre syndrome (rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves) this summer. Wells led the team in tackles last season, and against ACCS, he was all over the field defensively, making one tackle after another.

Another important takeaway was the team’s refusal to give in. After ACCS took a 13-0 lead right before the half, it looked as though the Rebels were about to bust it wide open after Chisum Mardis plowed ahead for a first down. However, a couple of nice tackles by Harris, Wells and Jakarius Caston proved otherwise, as the Saints forced a punt before the half.

After the contest, King was glowing. He was proud for two reasons — his team looked dominant defensively against a talented offense and his former player stood across from him leading a group of young men in Saint uniforms.

A storybook ending for Rogel and King’s relationship would be state championships at the end of the season. With the talent both teams possess, that possibility is a real one.