Preseason Blitz: Evangel seeing more buy in than before

SHREVEPORT, LA (KTAL/KMSS) — Evangel has big aspirations for the 2025 season.

As a young team last year, the Eagles are bringing back some of their biggest play makers, including quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston.

“How you just see him as Pop, he sees himself as Evangel, like a football
team. He doesn’t see himself as the face of the team,” senior Damari Drake said.

Houston doesn’t act like one of the top quarterback recruits of the class of 2027.

“I guess when you’re on the outside, it’s more glamorous than when you’re on the inside. What we see on the inside is a hard working young man, a very dedicated young man, an honorable young man, and a humble young man.  That’s what we get each and every day,” assistant head coach Fabian Carter said.

Just when he’s out playing on the field.  

“Now outside of who he is, his accolades by being Pop, we get Peyton Houston, and I think the football side is Pop and we’re honored for that,” Carter said.

But Evangel has more than Houston. The Eagles as a whole have taken great strides in the offseason.

“Teenagers, the brain develops a little slower and sometimes they really don’t understand, what we’re doing, but I would say in my coaching career, this is about the first time I’ve got this much buy-in from older guys and younger guys together,” Carter said.

The difference is already visible.

“It looks really good seeing the whole team or at least the majority of the team, like 85% of the team, just buy in and actually do what’s told,” Drake said. “If you just do what’s told, it just makes life easier. Like if you just buy in and do what’s told, it makes life easier and it also makes you better. So if you just buy in, I feel like we can go a long way.”

And with that dedication, the Eagles have their sights set.

“I’m ready to see where they end up in November. I’m that guy that, I tell them I’m disappointed every November,” Carter said. “My mind is all on November right now, one game at a time, but I want to see what our outcome is going to be in November.”

The only thing in the way of the Knights…

“It’s us versus us, and we’ve had good rosters over the previous years and the goal is just to go out and execute it,” Carter said. “We can play with anybody in this city, anybody outside the city. We know that based on our roster. We just have to go out and execute it.”

Evangel kicks off the season on September 4, at Neville.