By Rob Tate
SportCast Media
‘Genetics’.
McAthur Baker III, the standout senior on the Humble football team sure is fast.
For reference, check out his kick return at the start of the second half this past Saturday against Channelview.
The shifty 5-foot-9, 185-pound athlete fields the ball at the 12-yard the near the right hash mark. With the optics of ease, Baker glided through the middle of the pack, basically untouched, and the next thing you know, he’s sprinting down the left sideline. Baker makes it all the way down to the 3-yard line before being forced out of bounds.
‘Genetics’ is one way to describe Baker’s ability. But Wildcats coach Robert Murphy has other ways to describe the leader of the Wildcats offense.
In an interview last week, the words resilient, special, attitude, maturity and confidence were used as well by Murphy.
Although smaller in size, Baker can offer a lot of big things to a college program come next fall.
“If you haven’t bid on him yet, you might want to do it now,” Murphy said. “He’s gonna be hot off the press for sure.”
A LOVE FOR FOOTBALL
Baker grew up on the northside of Houston near the North Forest area.
He remembers a love of football handed down from his father McArthur Baker II at a young age.
Both of his namesake – his father and grandfather — have a military background, Baker said.
“What got me into football was my dad, really,” Baker III explained. “He grew up playing back in the day and he was really good at it. He was in Florida. He was real big on football and as far back as I can think being young, I always had a ball in my hands.”
Baker’s brother LaTron Thomas is a defensive line coach for the Wildcats. Baker didn’t join the school off Wilson Road until he was a sophomore.
“McArthur came here our second year here,” Murphy explained. “He moved back from C.E. King.”
A quarterback growing up, those snaps weren’t simply handed to Baker when he got to Humble.
“I didn’t start on varsity,” Baker said. “I had to work my way up just like everybody else did. They had me on JV. They always told me they saw potential. But when they saw me play the first couple games, they moved me up and took a chance on me.”
Murphy fondly remembers Baker’s first varsity appearance in 2022.
“He was a chubby little dude and he was playing quarterback for us,” Murphy grinned. “His first game that he was eligible on varsity, we were playing Beaumont West Brook. I remember it like yesterday. It was a Power Read and he took it like 70 yards to the house. First touch. And I said, ‘This dude is special’.”
Baker ended up rushing for 110 yards and threw for 122 in the 38-35 win over the Bruins.
He stood out the rest of the season with 448 passing yards, 360 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. He was selected District 21-6A honorable mention.
GOTTA STOP ‘3’
When you’re competing against the likes of North Shore, Summer Creek and Atascocita within your district, it might be hard to stand out when you’re playing for one of the other teams.
Baker started his junior year at quarterback and played six total games there with 664 passing yards, 333 rushing yards and was a part of eight touchdowns.
“I was just doing whatever I can to help the team out,” Baker said. “Whatever they needed coming in. They needed a quarterback so I just stepped up and took the job.”
Added Murphy, “McArthur stepped in and he could throw it around a bit and he was athletic with the reads we have at quarterback.”
Tristan Bernard, who started as a freshman back in 2021, also saw time last year as the Wildcats finished 4-6 on the year.
Although he had primarily been a quarterback growing up, Murphy was blown away by the maturity Baker showed in the offseason when he approached the head coach about an idea to make the Wildcats better.
“He said our team would be better if I was running back or receiving instead of quarterback,” Murphy said. “For me, that speaks volumes about a kid who’s playing a position that touches the ball every play and he comes to me as an athlete and says this will benefit the team. And it has.”
Murphy has enjoyed watching Baker evolve into the player he is today for the 4-1 Wildcats.
“He’s learned to work hard,” Murphy said. “He’s chiseled up. His body is different from when he was playing quarterback. Now, he’s truly bought into and is invested in being the bell cow running back. He accepts the challenge. He knows that (the opposition) needs to find ‘3’ and he embraces that.”
HUGE SENIOR YEAR
Baker has been taking handoffs through five games this season and is putting up career numbers despite being banged up in a couple games.
Baker played with a cast on his right hand starting in the George Ranch game on Sept. 14.
The cast was a little more compact
this past Saturday against Channelview and, well, Baker went off.
His four rushing touchdowns were a game-high and he sits at 10 total rushing scores on the season. Oh, and it was his birthday. It made it even more special.
“I like the role I’m in now,” Baker said. “I feel like it’s more versatile and it’s helped the team out in many ways.”
Baker began the season with 144 rushing yards at Tomball Memorial Week 1 and followed that up eight days later with 148 yards against Klein Forest. He has 454 yards (an even five yards per carry) and has reached the end zone in four of five games (Humble failed to score against North Shore on Sept. 26).
Baker has 670 all-purpose yards with the addition of five receptions for 38 yards and kick returns totaling 178 yards. Bernard has stayed healthy and steady at quarterback, so Baker has thrown just two passes so far this season.
“So far, everything has been going good,” Baker said. “Not just from an individual standpoint, but as a team. Everything has been going good. We are 4-1. I couldn’t ask for better than that.”
Baker received three major college offers during the offseason – Arkansas State, Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Southern.
“A couple colleges have been reaching out and talking to me,” Baker said. “They’ve been sending good luck and stuff. Still just looking forward to the rest of the season coming to see what I can get.”
With Baker putting on film how he can affect the game at running back, Murphy felt that Baker will only earn more interest as time goes on.
“I see him going to the next level and making a big impact,” Murphy said. “He’ll be toting the rock for somebody in the fall next year. He’s going to have his choice. There’s going to be a lot more schools coming around and want to see tape of him at running back. He’s put that tape together.”
College is the dream for Baker, who has five regular season games left and the Wildcats still have potential making the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
“Big dreams,” Baker said of playing at the next level.
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