Ashland November 2018

November 2018 Ashland Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 15
Sports
Baker, Kane Took Similar Paths
To Ashland’s Hall Of Fame
By KEN HAMWEY
Staff Sports Writer
Chris Kane and Dennis Baker
have a lot in common.
Both are Ashland High graduates
and both were three-sport
stars in football, basketball and
baseball. And, after their college
days, they both pursued careers
in teaching and coaching.
The similarities don’t end
there. They both became athletic
directors — Baker at Bellingham
High and Kane at Keefe Tech.
They’re both married, they reside
in Ashland and Baker is the father
of two sons while Kane is the father
of two daughters.
This month, they’ll be linked
again when they’re inducted into
the Ashland High Athletic Hall of
Fame. The ceremony is scheduled
for Sunday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. at
the Laborers Training Center
function hall in Hopkinton.
Baker will be entering the Hall
of Fame in two categories —as a
three-sport athlete and also as a
member of Ashland’s 1966 state
title baseball team.
A 1966 graduate, Baker excelled
in baseball, football and
basketball before heading off to
the University of Maryland on
a baseball scholarship. He was a
two-way end in football, a center
in basketball and a first baseman
in baseball. A Dual County
League all-star in football and
baseball, Baker was the sixth man
on the 1964 hoop squad that lost
to Holliston in the state finals.
In 1966, he helped Ashland win
a state crown in baseball by defeating
Norton. The Clockers
finished the 1966 season with a
20-2 record.
“I was surprised and humbled
when I found out I was nominated
for the Hall of Fame,’’ Baker said.
“And, when I was informed that I
was voted in as a player and as a
member of the state title baseball
team, that is such an honor. It’s so
meaningful and special.’’
Baker has fond memories of
his coaches and teammates on
the state title squad. “It’ll be an
incredible feeling to be inducted
with so many quality players,’’
he noted. “Clem Spillane and
Al Adams were terrific coaches
and I greatly respected all my
teammates. We had excellent
chemistry and a sense of togetherness.
And, we had a lot of fun.
Winning a state title was without
doubt the highlight of my athletic
days at Ashland High.’’
The scholarship to play baseball
at Maryland was no fluke.
Baker, who could hit for power,
batted .500 in Ashland’s cleanup
slot as a junior. He was a league
and all-scholastic choice and was
selected to play in the Hearst All
Star game at Fenway Park. His
DCL batting average was .480.
Later on, Baker coached Ashland’s
varsity baseball team for 14
years, compiling 200-plus victories
and winning three Tri Valley
League championships. He was
named Boston Globe Coach of
the Year in 1990.
At Bellingham High, Baker
taught physical education and
was the Blackhawks athletic director
for 15 years. He coached
varsity baseball for Bellingham
and he’s still the school’s softball
coach. His 2014 softball team
posted a 25-1 record and captured
the state title by beating
Grafton. During his tenure as
athletic director, Bellingham won
three Super Bowls and captured
state titles in basketball, field
hockey, softball and baseball.
Baker was on staff at Bellingham
High for 41 years.
Kane said he was humbled
and shocked when he learned
of his upcoming induction. “I’m
honored but I’m not sure I’m
worthy,’’ Kane said. “So many
great athletes came before me,
and when I played, there were
plenty of outstanding athletes.
For me, personal success takes a
back seat to the teams I played
on. The 1977 football team that
lost to Hull in the Super Bowl was
without doubt the most incredible
group I was associated with.’’
Before the bowl game, Kane
quarterbacked Ashland to a 20-0
victory over Medway, clinching
the Tri Valley League title. The
Clockers finished the regular season
at 10-0. The Medway game
was on a Friday night and Kane
called the atmosphere “magical.’’
Dennis Baker
“Both teams were 8-0 and the
winner was going to the Super
Bowl,’’ said Kane, who’s been
Keefe Tech’s athletic director for
the last 12 years. “It was rare back
then to play football on a Friday
night. The crowd numbered
about 7,200. Fans parked at two
supermarkets and got to the field
by shuttle buses. I remember
seeing thousands of fans during
warm-ups and when I came out
of the game with about a minute
to go, I saw the enormity of the
crowd. People were lined up eight
deep at the barriers.’’
Kane threw two 40-yard
touchdown passes for a 14-0
first-quarter lead and the Clockers
defense did the rest to thwart
Medway.
Kane credits his coach (the
late Scooch Giargiari) for Ashland’s
success in 1977. “He was
an offensive genius,’’ Kane said.
“He was all about creativity.’’
Kane was dynamic that year,
throwing 11 touchdown passes
and rushing for six others. He
was a TVL all-star in football
and basketball and was Ashland’s
MVP in basketball.
“My years at Ashland High
were so memorable and rewarding,’’
he said. “I had good coaches
and excellent teammates.’’
Kane recalled the close-knit
bond the 1977 football team had.
When Gary Gilman, one of the
team’s captains who played linebacker
and guard, was struggling
in his battle to beat cancer, Kane
and teammates Jim Norton,
Kevin Maloney and Dale Adams
traveled to Florida to be with Gilman,
who died at 56 two days
after their visit.
Chris Kane
“The friendships we had
weren’t casual,’’ he emphasized.
“We wanted to be with Gary.’’
Kane, now 58, played left field
and hit .300 in baseball. A strong
defensive player, he helped the
Clockers go to a pair of tourney
games. “We went 13-5 my senior
year and I remember beating
Hopkinton with a triple that
scored the winning run in a 1-0
game,’’ Kane noted. The TVL’s
second leading scorer in basketball
his senior year, the 5-foot-11,
160-pounder averaged 21 points
and 15 rebounds and his 30-point
outing against Medway as a senior
was a career-high.
“After high school, I started at
QB all four years for Framingham
State where we had three
plus-.500 seasons,’’ Kane said.
15 West Union St.
(Rt. 135)
Ashland
508-544-1540
Joining the Keefe faculty in
1985, Kane started as a phys-ed
instructor, later coached its football
squad for 14 years and became
athletic director in 2006.
His 1994 team went 10-0 and
beat Ashland, 15-14, that year.
His coaching record in football
was 77-54-3.
Kane plans to finish this
school year as Keefe Tech’s A.D.
then retire in June. Baker retired
as Bellingham’s A.D. in 2016.
Chris Kane and Dennis Baker
have strong Ashland roots and
their athletic backgrounds are
closely linked.
And, there’s another attribute
that connects their careers —
both are worthy Hall of Fame
choices.
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