Following a two-touchdown performance in a Sept. 11 win against New Buffalo, Cassopolis senior Nick Baker was quick to give credit to his teammates.

“I couldn’t have done it without them,” Baker said. “It was just the ball came to me. The guys blocked for me, it was all them. They deserve the credit.”

Baker returned the opening kickoff 74 yards and then caught a 23-yard touchdown pass on Cassopolis’s first offensive play of the game.

A three-sport athlete at Cassopolis (wrestling and baseball), Baker has played within the Cassopolis football system since he was young. He didn’t start last year but has been given the opportunity to shine this year. With that being said, Baker sees this season as something special.

“I think we have a shot to do something this year,” Baker said. “We have never won the district championship and that’s a main focus for us. We really want to get there, and it will be big for our school. We have more speed this year and this group of guys have been together now for a couple of years.

“We are a more cohesive unit than last year. The younger guys look up to us and we really have a great connection.”

Baker is the type of leader that any coach would want, especially Cassopolis coach Dan Purlee.

“He is a heck of an athlete, he makes some big plays for us,” he said. “This kid is all business. He comes to work every day and never misses anything. He is one of our hardest workers. He has got some wheels and is tougher than nails.”

Looking ahead to Berrien Springs Friday night, Baker saw this game as a beginning to a tough opponent.

“We were doing different things today to get prepared for Berrien Springs and Buchanan following them,” he said. “We are going to do everything we can. We start preparation for Berrien Springs on Monday and we are going to work, work and work. This game will be big for us.”