BAKER - Baker High football is off to its best start in 20 years. First-year head coach Demetric Rogers has set up his 7-1 Buffaloes for a District 6-3A title game, but things did not start off great. 

Baker only won three games in 2025, and Rogers took over the program that he says was “neglected.” 

“I didn't feel they were loved the way they should've been loved, thought of the way they should've been thought of,” Rogers said. 

It didn’t take long for a new staff to turn things around, and it started off the field. 

“When Coach Rogers first got here, I automatically trusted him. I just felt it, and it shows,” Senior quarterback Steve Claiborne said. 

While the team continued to build in the offseason, their hardwork didn’t come without some adversity. 

During summer workouts in June, two shootings in three days occurred right near the football stadium while the team was near. 

“It was sad in my opinion because we're outside working out and next thing you know, we're running for our lives,” Claiborne said. 

To protect the athletes and coaching staff, Rogers started to hold practices at different locations for the rest of the summer workouts. He says only he and the bus driver knew of the location to ensure safety. 

While trying to overcome the fear they experienced, the Buffaloes became closer than ever. 

“You have to depend on your brother now because now, everybody fearing for their life. We gotta make sure everybody is together. We have been pushed to our last limit. We have been pushed to the point where we didn't know if we were going to be able to play this season. I think it has made us a stronger team, which has propelled us to this great start that we've had this year,” Rogers said. 

Now, the Buffaloes are already exceeding expectations. Their first goal heading into the 2026 season was to get to 6 wins. Now that they have surpassed that, their ceiling is as high as they want it to be. 

“We all got one goal, and that's a state championship, and that's how we've been playing for these past seven games,” Claiborne said. 

The Buffaloes aren’t just a good team, they are dominating their opponents. Baker is averaging close to 40 points per game while often beating their opponents by more than 20 points.

“For 48 minutes, we play smashmouth football. Discipline, effort, pride and toughness is something that we live off of. Six seconds, like I say, six seconds of hell. Just trying to pin our ears back for six seconds and win those plays,” Rogers said. 

Heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, the Buffaloes are preparing for a District 6-3A championship game against Istrouma on Friday.