The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Football Homecoming: It Doesn’t Get Any Better

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HFCS senior football players and senior cheerleaders were honored with their parents before the homecoming game for the Ken Baker Jug on Friday against Cambridge. (Bea Peterson photo)
HFCS senior football players and senior cheerleaders were honored with their parents before the homecoming game for the Ken Baker Jug on Friday against Cambridge. (Bea Peterson photo)

by Bea Peterson
Football doesn’t get any more exciting than last Friday’s homecoming game between HFCS and Cambridge HS for the Ken Baker Jug. Excitement built up through the week as everyone talked about the upcoming event. It was the game not to be missed by folks in either community. The late Ken Baker taught and coached at HF and Cambridge Schools. He was loved and respected by everyone who knew him. He produced championship teams at both schools. Possession of the Ken Baker Jug is a matter of pride, no doubt. Many of his former players were there to cheer on their teams.
Before the game HF Senior cheerleaders and football players and their parents were recognized. It was the last home game of the regular season. The weather was fairly warm with a light rain. The crowd was enormous on both sides of the field. Some smart folks brought canopies they set up along the fence to protect them from the weather. On the HF side there was a crowd along the fence and a much larger crowd standing on the hillside on either side of the press box. Fifty-fifty raffle tickets sold like crazy. Some said that this was the biggest raffle in HFCS football history. The winner took home $1,393.
Early birds parked their cars in the school lot and walked across the street to Bianca’s to have supper. The game started at 7 pm and by 6:10 there was no place left on school grounds to park and few spots left nearby on Route 22. Latecomers had a long hike to the field.
The Hoosick Youth Football teams and little cheerleaders lined up alongside the high school cheerleaders in nervous anticipation to form a runway for the HF players when they entered the field accompanied by loud cheers and music from the pep band. The enthusiastic band has been a great asset to the games this year.

The first recipients of the Coach Ken Baker Scholarships, Jordan Hastings of Cambridge Central School and Carly Pine of Hoosick Falls Central School join Ann Baker with HF players Mike Brewster, Hutton Rasmus, Jake Colliano and Coach Ron Jones in possession of the Ken Baker Jug for the second year in a row. (Bea Peterson photo)
The first recipients of the Coach Ken Baker Scholarships, Jordan Hastings of Cambridge Central School and Carly Pine of Hoosick Falls Central School join Ann Baker with HF players Mike Brewster, Hutton Rasmus, Jake Colliano and Coach Ron Jones in possession of the Ken Baker Jug for the second year in a row. (Bea Peterson photo)

Before the game Coach Baker was honored by HF Board of Education President and a former Baker football player, Dave Sutton. Baker’s widow Ann and their son Brian were welcomed onto the field. The cheerleaders sang the Hoosick Falls school song and the school chorus performed the National Anthem. The sideline was crowded with television cameras, photographers and reporters. Then it was time for football! The rain stopped, but the field was slick. During the huddles steam rose off the player’s wet uniforms from their body heat.
At half time the little tykes showed their skills at cheerleading and in a game of flag football.
The game of the year was unbelievably exciting from beginning to end. Best yet, HFCS retained the Ken Baker Jug for a second year. And just as good, the HFPD reported absolutely no incidents during the evening.