Warsaw’s Drake Murrell has won 42 of his 45 matches this season. The three-time conference champion has a chance to medal for the second straight year at the state tournament. His head coach Justin Wisdom says one particular trait serves him well. “I can’t count the number of close matches that he’s won,” said Wisdom. “And that’s just because he’s calm. He doesn’t get flustered in times of adversity. He focuses and stays the course.”
It’s helped him become a team captain in three sports earning multiple accolades. Drake is also currently the favorite to graduate as the Wildcats’ valedictorian. All that caught the attention of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley and Congressman Mark Alford. And when the phone call came congratulating Drake on being accepted to the United States Naval Academy there was no need to stay calm.
In fact, during the application process, the Congressman learned what the folks in Warsaw had known all along.
“I’ve been told that you were one of the best applicants we’ve ever had,” said Alford. “So congratulations.”
Drake joins his classmate Jaxson Deckard who is headed to the Air Force Academy. That makes them the first Warsaw students to be appointed to a military Academy since 2007. He hopes to play what’s called Sprint football in school, where every player maintains a strict weight limit.
“I want to major in either marine engineering or aerospace engineering,” said Drake. “I’m kind of leaning towards marine engineering. Which kind of makes me want to go surface warfare. But also I want to learn how to fly.”
This week he could become one of the best we have here in Missouri. Soon after he’ll join the ranks of the best we have in the nation.
