Prep football: Adna Pirates usher in 2025 season under the lights

ADNA – What seemed to be the end of the 75-minute opening practice for the Adna High School football team turned into a bonding moment.

The last two Pirates that completed a gauntlet of a cardio workout were pushed by their teammates for three minutes. It ended up being a race to the finish line.

“They’re very cohesive,” third-year head coach Aaron Cochran said. “They love each other. That’s been really fun to watch.”

Once the clock turned to 12 a.m. on Wednesday, the Pirates started their stretch line and commenced with their third straight midnight madness practice to begin the 2025-26 athletic year across Washington State.

Adna is coming off a trip to the Class 2B state quarterfinals and ended the year winning six consecutive games to finish as the C2BL West runner-up.

“These guys are amped up and they’re ready to do whatever it takes to win a game,” lineman Noah Hellam said.

Here were three takeaways from the Pirates’ practice.

Trevin Salme getting all QB reps

The junior has carved out a star role on the basketball court and after being  the backup quarterback, Salme is set to take the first snap when Adna travels to Toledo for Week 1.

Salme displayed plenty of arm talent in individual drills and some touch in team drills.

“He’s really improved in the weight room,” Cochran said. “He’s got a competitive toughness that we’re gonna see what it looks like on the football field.” 

Plenty of OL/DL work on the side

While the rest of the Pirates switched drills on two occasions, the linemen stayed put and went through three different lessons. The depth of the unit, pushed by Hellam and fellow returning all-league first teamer Jackson Knittle, is a perceived strength.

Cochran stated that anywhere from seven-to-eight guys played meaningful snaps last fall.

“The line is going to be really important,” Hellam said. “It is our backbone.”

Replacing leadership

It may have been just a handful of seniors departing, but the leadership of multi-year starters Luke Mohney, Gavan Muller, Jack Smith and others won’t be easy to replace.

Linebacker Steven O’Dell, Hellam, junior running back Beau Miller and Knittle have been some of the early leaders through the offseason.

“The four of us have been building this team up and I think we might have some more leaders,” O’Dell said.