JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Zarephath Academy Eagles had a strong football season, finishing with a 13-2 record, though they fell short in the SSIA State title game against IMG Academy. Head coach Ivory Durham, who helped establish the program five years ago, continues to lead the team with a vision of growth and excellence.
“When I first walked into the building, the principal asked what I thought about the school. I told him, ‘We are not going to set goals; we are going to set standards,’” said Jordan Durham, coach Ivory Durham’s son and a key figure in the program's development. “I’ve seen it grow from the ground up.”
Ivory Durham helped lay the foundation of Zarephath Academy’s football program five years ago, and since then, the team has steadily risen in prominence. Ivory’s goal now is to gain full community support to continue that growth.
“We’ve built so much here, and I think that if I can get more of the community to buy into what we have, it can be great because we’re actually on the right path,” said Ivory.
While the journey has been rewarding, it hasn’t been without challenges—especially in their father-son relationship.
“It’s give and take,” Ivory said. “By him being my son, we go at it a little bit off and on. But at the end of the day, I’m still his daddy, and he’s going to do what I tell him to do.”
Jordan acknowledged the ups and downs of their dynamic but emphasized that everything comes from a place of love and respect.
“You get upset for a little minute, but then you just have to get over it,” Jordan said. “It’s just life, and it’s my dad. At the end of the day, it’s all love.”
That love is driven by a shared goal: helping each other reach their full potential, both on and off the field.
“I want him to have his own mindset, to be able to do some of the things that he needs to do to make him better,” Ivory said.
Jordan, for his part, listens closely to his father’s guidance. “He tells me to do this and do that, and I make sure I adjust and follow his lead because he’s been here. I add my little stuff to it and just listen,” Jordan said.
When it comes to life outside of football, however, the focus shifts to family, leaving the game at the door.
“I don’t do too much talking about football at the house because it really doesn’t benefit anything,” Ivory said. “We handle our business, and what God’s got for us, that’s what it’s going to be.”
As the Durhams continue to shape the Eagles’ future, their legacy is not just about football—it’s about building a program grounded in family, standards, and a commitment to growth.