By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Damari Drake had a sensational junior season for the Evangel Christian football team, earning All-State Class 5A honors at linebacker with 150 tackles, and scoring 12 touchdowns – 11 as a hard-to-stop fullback.
He’s doubling down for the 2025 season.
“The way to top it is to have an excellent, amazing year, times two – and that’s what I’ve been working on all summer. Doing things two times harder – go harder, run harder, lift harder, wake up harder, go to sleep harder,” he said during the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl High School Football Media Day early this month.
“If you really want to go somewhere with this, you should go 10 times harder than how you used to do it.”
Drake’s work ethic not only translates to being a highly productive part of the Eagles’ team, it has earned him a spot on college recruiters’ radar. He is the No. 35-ranked prospect in the state according to 247Sports.com, rated a three-star recruit.
He recently committed to Grambling, despite interest from bigger programs and reported offers from Miami’s Hurricanes and Arkansas State. He likes the idea of playing on both sides of the ball.
While college is a cornerstone of the immediate future for the voracious reader, his career plans after football don’t necessarily require higher-education classroom instruction.
“I would love to get a good blue-collar job, work for a good HVAC company, a plumbing company, oilfield construction. Coming home dirty, that’s me,” said Drake. “I love a good work day.”
That’s borne out in how he spends his spare time.
“If I’m not at school, I’m working, reading, or going to work making money. I cut my grandmother’s grass. I go to my uncle’s barber shop and sweep,” he said. “Whatever I can do to stay afloat.”
Although he’s either surrounded by defenders when he’s carrying the ball (he had a 5.9 yards per carry average and 11 rushing TDs last fall), or leading the Eagles to opposing ballcarriers (12 tackles for loss, among highlight plays topped by a game-clinching 50-yard pick six to beat Captain Shreve in a first-round playoff game last November), given his preference, Drake is more into solitude.
“I like to read books. I like to walk outside. I’ll leave the phone in the house and walk outside for about an hour. I like quality time to myself,” he said. “I don’t like being around crowds.”
He’s eager to have the Eagles in contention for the District 1-5A crown, a goal that teammate Aiden Carter shares. The senior safety is determined to see the ECA defense much improved over a unit that gave up 40 points per game in a 6-6 season that included a 4-4 district mark.
They get tested every day, practicing against a record-breaking offense led by high-major prospect Pop Houston, the Eagles’ junior quarterback.
“We should be better (defensively),” said Carter. “We have a lot of experience back. We have one of the best offenses in the state, so for us to go out there and compete, shut them down, it’s a dream come true, almost. It’s really good.”
That experience gives Carter faith that Evangel can make a run at the 1-5A title.
“That’s my goal, to win district. There are a lot of good teams,” he said. “We haven’t won district in about six years, so we would make a mark.”
The Eagles kick off Sept. 5 on the road at last year’s Class 5A semifinalist Neville in Monroe.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com