2014-15 Male Athlete of the Year
Heart & Soul Separates Baker, Makes Him Best He Can Be
On the surface, Yorktown High senior Ryan Baker doesn’t look like a kid who might play a vital role in a NYS lacrosse championship, two Section 1 and Region 1 lacrosse titles and a Section 1 football title bid. When he first burst on to the varsity scene as a 5’7” 145-pound sophomore, Baker stood out for two things; his speed, which was measurable, and his heart, which could not be calculated but became the driving force behind an All-American lacrosse career. The immeasurable – heart, soul, leadership, tenacity, modesty, etc. etc. – played a huge role in Baker’s high school athletic career and being tabbed the 2014-15 Male Athlete of the Year in and about the Northern Westchester/Putnam Examiner region.
Baker eventually blossomed into a 5’9” 165-pound UMBC-bound blue-chip prospect and a two-sport captain at Yorktown, who tallied a GPA of over 3.1 in the classroom and earned the respect of every opponent on the field. Among the most unselfish athletes in Yorktown history, Baker did the dirty work on the lacrosse field; winning 63% at the dot and scooping up a team-high 96 ground balls while converting from his natural midfield position to take the majority of the face-offs for the 37-time Section 1 champion Huskers.
Baker could also finish better than most, scoring 41 goals this season, including the last-minute, game-tying goal that nearly sent Coach Dave Marr’s Huskers back to the state championship during a controversial 10-9 loss to Manhasset in the NYS Class B Final 4. He added 15 assists for 56 total points, second only to Monmouth-bound middie Mike Dedvukaj, his close chum, who knows “Bakes” about as well as anybody.
“He probably knows he’s going be the smallest kid on the field, so I think that’s what drives him the most,” Dedvukaj said. “He knows he’s going to get hit, but he also knows he’s the fastest and quickest kid on the field at all times. There’s nothing that kid can’t do because he loves to compete and that’s how he is so dominant, he just competes.”
On the football field, the All-Section Baker was a whiz, providing the yin to RB Nick Santavicca’s yang; the dynamic duo forming one of the section’s premier rushing attacks. As the starting two-year signal caller for Coach Mike Rescigno’s Huskers, Baker launched a career year last fall, guiding the Huskers to their first Section 1 Class A championship appearance since 1998, the last year of four Section 1 titles spanning 1993-98. He scored eight rushing touchdowns last season, averaged nearly six yards per carry and threw for eight TD passes while leading Yorktown to a 9-1 campaign.
“He has a motor that is non-stop and he just loves playing and competing,” said Santavicca, who has been a teammate since grade school. “No matter if we are winning or losing, his motor never stops, and that is what you need in a leader. I’m very upset that I can’t play with Ryan anymore, but I had a great time playing with him. It was awesome.”
As he heads off to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County this August, the soft-spoken, Baker leaves behind a lasting legacy; one of respect, and that of heart and soul. While those intangibles can’t be measured, they will surely not be forgotten.
“Ryan is a kid that transformed into a freak,” Husker football Coach Mike Rescigno exclaimed! “His heart doubled in size his junior year, then by the time he became a senior it could not fit in his chest cavity. That sets him apart. He refuses to complain… period. He has been tattooed many times. However, Ryan is made of Teflon; completely indestructible military grade, field smart and confident. He’s willing to be the difference in the most critical spots. And he often was the difference. He’s so damn fun to coach! Like many of these kids, he may as well have been my surrogate son. The game of football allows for a special development of this intangible factor (heart) better than any other in the world. Football was created to bring kids like Ryan Baker to another level. If you are willing, the dividends are huge. Ryan Baker gladly paid football back and then some. He left his mark on the great tradition of Yorktown football.”
And then some!
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
Visit Ray’s author bio page for more details. Also read Ray’s archived work here and his Direct Rays column here.
