Back at tailback

By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
EFORE THIS YEAR'Sfootball season began, Canfield High football coachMike Pavlansky had a decision to make: Should he put senior Sean Baker at quarterback, where he played last season? Or should he move him to running back, where he played as a sophomore?
"We felt that if we just stuck him at quarterback, it would limit the ways we could get him the football," said Pavlansky. "We felt like we could utilize him within the team concept better at tailback."
And how did Baker feel?
"Throwing wasn't my forte anyway," said Baker, who threw for less than 300 yards last season. "I was always a running quarterback. This lets me do what I do best."
Actually, what he does best is play defense. After earning second team all-Ohio honors at linebacker last season, Baker moved to strong safety this fall. He plays offense because he needs to, and plays defense because he likes to.
"You get to hit people," he said of defense, "and you don't get hit."
Background
Baker grew up in a sports-crazy family. His father, Kirk Baker, was a standout tight end at Jackson-Milton who later played at Bowling Green. His older brother, Chad, was a terrific baseball and basketball player at Canfield and is now a pitcher for the University of Pittsburgh.
"Ever since I was little, I was always around sports," said Baker, who also has two younger sisters. "My dad was a big football guy and my grandpa was, too.
"It's kind of second nature."
Chad Baker played quarterback through his freshman year at Canfield -- he was two quarters away from lettering -- before dropping it to focus on football. Conversely, Sean played baseball through his sophomore year -- he was a first-team all-conference selection -- before dropping it to focus on football.
"I like football a lot better," said Baker, a 3.0 student. "It's more intense. Baseball's too laid-back. That's not me."
Baker got his first varsity football action as a sophomore when starting running back Chuck DeCola broke his wrist against Chaney. Baker and Angelo Babbaro -- last year's Mahoning County Player of the Year -- split time in the backfield for the final five games before Baker was switched to quarterback last season. When Babbaro got hurt in last year's state final, Baker stepped in nicely, running 21 times for 164 yards and a touchdown.
Latest production
He picked up where he left off last Thursday, running for two touchdowns in a 23-8 win over Rayen.
"It's nice not having to split time," he said. "It's a little more tiring, but you can get in the flow a little better."
Baker has already played in 27 varsity games and his football ability has attracted attention. He's already got several offers to play safety from Division I colleges -- Kent State, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Vanderbilt, to name four -- although he said he's going to worry about his college choice after the season.
"Unless the right one comes along, I'm going to play out this season," he said.
And even though the Cardinals lost a lot of talent to graduation, Baker is confident this year's team can make a run at the league title.
"We're young, but we're coming together real [well]," he said. "We can be really good again."
scalzo@vindy.com