Family, church and basketball have played a big part of a pair of Foothills Falcons’ lives.
Sometimes all at the same time.
“Over the summer I was working with my brother Peter and working with him helped me step up to the next level to be a senior basketball player,” said Brooklynn Baker, a Grade 10 student at the Comp. “We went to our church gym a lot and our club coach (Ivor Lewis) helped us a lot.”
Peter Baker is the starting shooting guard for the Falcons senior boys team, while Brooklynn, is coming off the bench to supply a spark for the senior girls squad.
It’s been a treat to watch one another play at the high school level — even though they can be their harshest critics.
“It’s always fun to watch her,” said Peter, who also plays receiver for the two-time defending provincial champion Foothills Falcons football team. “Sometimes, it can be frustrating because she isn’t playing up to her potential — she doesn’t play to how I think she can play, but I enjoy watching her.”
Peter’s game is also under the watchful eye of his family.
“With us pointing out his few mistakes — getting his rebounds after shooting — just some little things so he can enjoy his senior year of basketball,” Brooklynn said.
Peter admits while it can be tough to take advice from ‘sis, it can be worthwhile.
“I will try my best to listen to my parents,” he said with a smile. “I mean her being my little sister, it’s kind of ‘Oh you don’t know what you are talking about,’ but overall I take it all into account and try to apply it.”
The Bakers are like fellow Falcon families the Derochies, there is a steady stream of them pouring points for Foothills.
Older brother Isaiah was the Falcons MVP two years ago as a Grade 12 student.
There’s another coming. Younger sister Ashleigh, is currently a future prospect at Red Deer Lake School.
Their oldest sister Megan played for the Centennial Coyotes, under the guidance of current STS Spartans coach Ken Zelez.
“Basketball is a big part of our family,” Peter said. “We will go to the church as a family and work on our basketball. We all have been introduced to it at a young age.”
Their parents, Robert and Julie, both played high school basketball at Springbank at Henry Wise Wood, respectively.
Brooklynn is making the transition to senior high ball after starring for the Red Deer Lake Dragons last year in junior high.
She has learned it pays to listen to those closest to her.
“It’s a big jump for me, but I have been working on my talent with Peter and my family,” Brooklynn said. “He can explain how senior basketball works and help me with the next level.”
They also can apply what they have learned in a competitive game of one-one-one now and then.
“The other week we were in the church playing one-on-one, Isaiah, Brook and I,” Peter explained. “There’s always little jabs at each other, a little trash talk.
“She gives me little pointers and I will give her little pointers, but it’s super competitive — we are both trying to win.”
During a mini game this summer, the unthinkable happened — Brooklynn beat Peter.
And to the victor goes the spoils.
“He told me that if I got six points on him that he would buy me a Slurpee,” Brooklynn said with a laugh. “And I did, it was 6-4 something like that.”
(“I was going easy on her, but I do owe her a Slurpee,” Peter quipped.)
Peter hopes to play basketball at the post-secondary before going on a mission with the LDS church. Brooklynn plans to keep improving and possibly play with her younger sister Ashleigh in the future.
The Bakers will be supporting one another and their classmates in their biggest test of the year, final exams for the next few weeks. The Falcons senior girls play in a tournament this weekend in Red Deer.
Both the boys and girls are playing in the St. Mary’s tournament in Calgary Feb. 3-4.
The Falcons nest: Foothills advanced to the finals of the Bev Facey Senior boys in Sherwood Park losing to the host Facey Falcons 75-72 on Jan. 14. Adam Pahl had 24 points and Baker 11. The Foothills Falcons opened the tourney with a 72-53 win over the Salsbury Sabres. Tyler Ziehl led the Falcons with 14. They advanced to the finals with a 69-47 victory over Red Deer’s Hunting Hills Lightning in the semifinal. Ziehl contributed 17 points, while David Kent-Canalejo had 14.
