Baker, Giles follow mentors into Hall of Fame

DES MOINES — Officiating careers that began when both were young college students were recognized Friday night in front of a state championship audience at Wells Fargo Arena.

At halftime of the Class 2A championship game Friday, on the same floor they worked together multiple times in state title contests, Brad Baker of Creston and Scott Giles of Mount Ayr were inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame.

Bud Legg, IHSAA information director, introduced them by noting that Giles followed the footsteps of his father, Larry, in become an official while Baker was mentored by three Hall of Fame officials from Creston in Paul Somers, Steve McCann and Ron “Fox” Clinton.

Another former Creston official, Richard “Butch” Miller, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Both Baker and Giles said Saturday they were fortunate to learn the trade from such respected veterans. Now in their 50s, they look back fondly on their experiences in both football and basketball, which included many state tournaments and championship games.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Baker said, “especially when ... there were guys in the (nominating) process who stepped up and talked about how Scott and I worked here at the state tournament.”

“When you start officiating this isn’t really something you think about,” Giles said. “You set goals you want to work postseason, state tournaments and state championship games. Getting into the Hall of Fame was never one of those goals. But, it’s a great honor.”

While Giles is still active, including being part of the crew in this year’s girls Class 2A state championship game, Baker ended his varsity career in 2012 when the pair was assigned state title games in both girls and boys basketball. Baker’s four children were becoming active in school sports and he decided to focus on their activities.

Baker is principal of Creston Midde School and has been active as a volunteer youth coach and president of Creston Basketball Association.

“I miss it, sure,” Baker said, “but I always said I wouldn’t be one of those guys who said he missed his own kids growing up.”

Early starts

They were basically kids themselves when they got started in officiating.

Baker was a basketball player at Southwestern Community College after graduating from Creston High School in 1986. He took a sports officiating course taught by Clinton, then a coach and athletic director at SWCC, and a career was born.

“They’d prep you to go out and work a junior high game,” Baker said. “I started working some ball with Magic (McCann), Paul and Fox. After I graduated from Westmar and came back to work at East Union, Jeff Mostek got me back into football with Terry Horning’s crew.”

Baker eventually hooked up with Clinton’s football crew and succeeded Clinton as referee of that group, including assignments in the UNI-Dome for championship games.

Giles, meanwhile, had begun his officiating work as a student at Northwest Missouri State University after graduating from Mount Ayr Community High School in 1982.

“The intramural director at Northwest knew me because my sister (Jody) played basketball down there,” Giles said. “He had me working some intramurals and city league stuff there. I think Mark Larsen was the AD in Mount Ayr then and I’d work some junior high games when I was home from school. Then I’d go off in the winter with guys like Magic and Fox or Paul. Bob Bierkamp called me to work with him one night. I worked with Kirk Levine.”

When Giles graduated from Northwest Missouri State in 1987 he worked as a teacher in the Grand Valley school district and continued to officiate. He left the education field briefly, but returned as a teacher in Mount Ayr in 1993. He remains on staff there and serves as the school’s golf coach while staying active in football and basketball officiating.

In the mid-1990s Baker and Giles became partners in a union that would last more than two decades.

“Scott and I and Jody Boord were the first three-man basketball crew in Iowa,” Baker said.

They developed a reputation for administrating quick-moving games with little leeway in enforcing rules or misbehavior.

“We were working for the Iowa High School Athletic Association or the girls union, whatever they wanted enforced,” Baker said. “From the messages I’ve received this week, whether they agreed with how we called the game or not, they knew how we were going to call the game and they could coach appropriately to it.”

“The idea was we were going to enforce the rules, whether it was the uniform rule or something else,” Giles said. “The biggest tips I got from the older guys was to know the rule book, and then slow down and have a patient whistle. Really see what’s going on.”

Conduct and sportsmanship were emphasis points.

“One thing that played into our conversations going home was that we were both educators, too, and we expected a lot of out of the kids and the coaches,” Baker said. “We expected them to act appropriately by showing good conduct and sportsmanship.”

If necessary, that meant assessing technical fouls or even asking local athletic officials to remove an unruly fan.

“I was probably a little quicker fuse in calling technicals than Scott was,” Baker said, smiling. “As for the crowd, you can’t control it. We know there will be some parents obviously biased toward their kid. But, what’s the line? When they start attacking you personally, that’s too much.”

“Or,” Giles added, “if they are disrupting the game and becoming a spectacle, then they’re not setting a good example for the kids.”

Highlights

Some games stick out in their memories. Baker recalled the state championship game in Veterans Memorial Auditorium won by eventual NFL tight end Brandon Myers and PCM over Fort Dodge St. Edmond, which went to two overtimes.

“One I’ll never forget is the girls regional final at Osceola, the Murray and Central Decatur girls, that went three overtimes,” Giles said. “I don’t even remember who won that game, but I do remember you couldn’t have fit any more bodies into that gym that night.”

Baker doesn’t regret putting his career on the shelf to be with his family, but admits being at the state tournament rekindles the fire.

“I miss it, sure,” Baker said, “especially in March and they get to this level. This was always our postseason, just like it is for the players, and it’s a great way to stay connected to the game you love.”