WHEELING — Despite never playing football before this past season, the game has had an immense effect on Ayden Baker and the course of his life.

Then a rising senior at Wheeling Central, Baker decided to go out for the football team just because he thought it could be fun and it was going to be his last chance to try it.

“I kind of just came out because I thought football would be a good experience,” Baker said. “I thought it might be fun, I liked a lot of the guys that already played so I thought ‘why not’. It’s obviously gone way farther than I ever expected it to.”

Central coach Mike Young said he watched Baker play basketball for the Maroon Knights for three years and all the while thought about what he would be able to do on the football field.

“We watched him play basketball for three years and saw his physique and ability on the basketball court and we thought somebody that big and domineering in the paint would be a force to be reckoned with on the football field,” Young said. “We almost had him out his junior year and he finally did come out his senior year and we’re awfully glad he did.”

Baker — who certainly has a gridiron build at 6-6, 235 — took to football like a fish to water, as he racked up 14 sacks as a defensive end for the Maroon Knights, which earned him first-team All-OVAC, All-Valley and All-State honors.

“I kind of had a knack for it starting out just because I’ve always been a bigger kid and I stay in the weight room,” Baker said. “It kind of just all translated right over to football so I had a pretty smooth transition.”

“Even though he was green and fresh, he was eager to learn,” Young added. “That’s the biggest thing about him, he’s quality in terms of being coachable and listening to what instructions we gave him.”

The biggest honor came earlier this year when Baker got the opportunity to continue playing at the next level and signed to play college football at Columbia University in the Ivy League.

“I think it will (sink in) a little bit more once I’m up there, but it’s really special,” Baker said. “I kind of have the foresight right now to see that I’m in a really unique position and it’s something that not a lot of people get to have.”

This week, Baker is preparing to cap off his one-year high school football career by playing in the OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star Football Game. Baker also played in the North-South All-Star Game earlier this summer and he thinks the experience this week will be just as good.

“Comparing this camp to North-South, I think it’ll be just as good of a time,” Baker said.

“I’m friends with a lot of these guys, we’re a little more close-knit all being from the valley so I think it’ll be nice.”

Joining Baker on West Virginia’s roster are Wheeling Central teammates Caleb Ratcliffe and Cody Martos.

“I know a lot of these guys have been playing football their whole lives so just to be able to compete with them, with guys that really know what they’re doing, it’s a really cool atmosphere,” Baker said. “Hopefully it’ll help me get better and hopefully I can help somebody else get better too.”

Baker will report to Columbia for football camp next month, however, even with the start of his college career on the horizon, he is not overlooking how special getting to play in the OVAC game is.

“It’s really special, I’m really blessed to have been put into the position that I’m in,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going on to the next level but I’m really going to enjoy this game. The season that I’ve had gave me some really good experiences and I’m really happy with how everything’s shaping up.”