Drake Blakesley (15) turns the corner on the Baxter defense during Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s second round playoff game Friday. The Rebels advance to round three with a final score of 42-12. - Photo by Darvin Graham

Gladbrook-Reinbeck senior Drake Blakesely was recently honored as one of the highest achieving football players academically in the State of Iowa.

Blakesley was named to the Iowa Football Coaches Association Academic All-State Honor Roll for the 2021 season. The senior Rebel was one of only 49 student-athletes from the 8-Player Class selected for the honor and the only one representing District 4.

“Drake is a high character kid, with the work ethic on the field that is up there with the best we have had at G-R,” Head Coach John Olson said. “He clearly has that same work ethic in the classroom as he cares a lot about doing things the right way and goes above and beyond what is expected of him.”

Blakesley was a starter on the Gladbrook-Reinbeck varsity team for three years and earned All-District honors as a linebacker each year on the team. Last season he finished with the second-highest amount of tackles on the team (76.5) while also rushing for 210 yards and four touchdowns as a running back on offense.

“He exceeded our expectations as he was a student of the game at reacting to what the offense was doing and was a leader by example,” Olson said.

To be chosen for the All-State Honor Roll students must be a senior starter and have a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or better at the end of their junior year. Players are nominated by their head coaches and are required to be involved in other extra-curricular activities other than football.