Baker Takes Over Chewelah Football Program Transitioning To 8-Man Game

Wade Baker knows what it means to wear Chewelah across his chest. The former Cougar standout will have an opportunity to rebuild the football program that helped shape him. Chewelah School District Athletic Director Tom Skok announced Baker as the new head coach of the Chewelah Cougar football program. Baker, a 2019 graduate of Jenkins Junior/Senior High School, takes over the program as it makes a change this fall: competing as an independent eightman team against District 5 and District 6 opponents.

For Baker, returning as head coach carries some added meaning. “It’s great to be able to coach for a team and a community that had such a big part in my development as an athlete and as a person,” Baker said. Baker said he is familiar with both the program and its players. He assisted under former head coach Jim Fisk during the 2024 season before serving as Chewelah’s interim head coach in 2025. He said his ties to Cougar athletics stretch much further back. Baker was a three-sport athlete, competing in football, wrestling, and track and field. He also competed at Waldorf University, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school in Iowa.

Baker played football during his freshman and sophomore seasons while also competing for five years as a thrower for Waldorf ’s track and field program. He went on to earn All-American honors in both the 35-pound weight throw and shot put. Baker said he has spent much of the summer supervising weightlifting, speed, and agility work for the Cougars as they prepare for the upcoming season. “This summer has been used to prepare the team physically and mentally through speed and strength training,” Baker said. “Teaching them to work hard and work together.” The move to eight-man football and an independent schedule represents a new direction for the Cougars following a difficult stretch for the program.

Rather than focusing simply on wins and losses, Baker said he sees the upcoming season as an opportunity to rebuild confidence and enthusiasm around Chewelah football. “I think the independent schedule this year will allow us to see more success to boost the morale of our current athletes as well as show students that they can see success in the sport,” he said.

That success, Baker hopes, can eventually strengthen participation and establish a foundation for the program going forward. But his goals extend beyond what happens on Friday nights. “My goal is to develop these young men into great people through the use of athletics,” Baker said. “Providing structure and tight-knit bonds with their teammates that we didn’t have last season.”

He added that developing those relationships has been part of the focus throughout the offseason, and emphasized not only physical preparation but also accountability and teamwork. Chewelah’s first official practice under Baker is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19. The Cougars will get their first taste of competition Aug. 29, when they participate in a jamboree at Davenport. The Cougars’ first home game is scheduled for Sept. 18, against Tekoa.