BAKER — Faith. Family. Gators.
In terms of mottos, none fit Baker better. But there’s room for another staple with Matt Brunson’s crew: Weight room.
Country strong was epitomized at Doug Griffith Memorial Stadium on Friday, Oct. 17, when the winningest program in Okaloosa County rushed for seven touchdowns and 435 ground yards in a 48-20 win over a Freeport program currently No. 6 in Region 1-2A.
Baker is now 9-0 and sure to rise from its No. 10 FHSAA ranking as one of just two unbeaten Rural class teams left (top-ranked Blountstown the other).
Putting aside a balanced attack this year that’s on its way to producing a 2,000-yard, 30-plus touchdown quarterback in Justice Baldwin and a 1,000-yard receiver in Riley Renfro, the Gators pounded the rock.
Wyatt Straight’s season-high 183 rushing yards and two scores paced a ground game that found room for a season-best 144 yards and a score from Calvin Wilks and two rushing touchdowns from both Renfro and Baldwin.
“Listen, our guys work year around to get faster, bigger, stronger,” said Brunson, who is an insane 130-22 in his 13 years at the helm of Baker. “We may not out-size and out-athlete a lot of people, but what we do have is physical kids with a lot of guts who will compete for four quarters, And that’s what we did tonight.”
Straight — standing just 5-foot-9, 180 pounds — was everything for Baker in this one, forcing and recovering fumble on the opening possession, delivering an interception to the goal line, picking up a sack, returning an onside kick 50 yards and rushing 25 times for 183 yards.
“He’s a competitor and he plays football the way it’s meant to be played,” Brunson said. “He’s very intelligent and he is the prototypical Baker kid.”
Straight said it all starts in the weight room, where he benches 285 pounds, squats 460 and cleans 255.
“It’s just a culture here,” Straight said. “We know we’re not the biggest or fastest kids, but we work extra hard in the weight room. We just have to come together as a team, and we’ve bonded this year. That’s what’s got us here.”
Brunson called Wyatt “a pounder, a downhill runner” and Wilks “a slasher and speed guy.” Straight took it a step further.
“Listen, I think we’re like Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery for the Lions. They’re Sonic and Knuckles, and I think we’re similar to that.”
Freeport had no answer for either, falling behind 27-8 at halftime. Its star wideout, Louisville commit Julius Miles, was held out of the end zone as Joel Morse limited the damage in single coverage with six pass breakups.
Jonah Bennett had three sacks and Ray Rentz added two more, the Gators shutting down the run and turning Freeport into a one-dimensional passing attack as Carter Nunes connected on three home-run balls (two to Talen McElyea and another to Dylan Louthain).
Now all that separates the Gators from their first 10-0 regular season since winning it all in 2020 is next week’s trip to Port St. Joe.
“We’re trying to finish 10-0 and get that home game in the playoffs,” Baldwin said. “That’s all we’re focused on, is getting to host here.”
Added Renfro: “Home games are a big advantage in the playoffs. Traveling sucks too, you have to have a tight mindset when you’re traveling and It can really affect your game. So if we can go to Port St. Joe and control that game and rise in the ranks to host a playoff game, I think we can go a lot further.”
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: ‘It’s just a culture here’: Baker’s country strong team routs Freeport to remain unbeaten
Reporting by Seth Stringer, Northwest Florida Daily News / Northwest Florida Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
