The Baker Bulldog trapshooting team was so good last spring that it put itself in a bad situation.

After winning the state championship, how do you maintain such a high standard?

Or even, maybe, surpass it?

“We were good last year but we want to be elite,” Baker coach Zack Kimball said.

This challenge spurred the team’s motto, a mantra that Kimball had printed on a poster that’s prominently displayed at the Baker Trap Club, where the team practices, so they can see it often.

“Job’s not finished.”

Not quite.

But the Bulldogs are getting close.

After the five-week regular season, Baker has amassed the best record in the state’s top category, Class 2A.

Among the 10 teams, Baker’s total score of 17,122 was well ahead of second-place Mountain View of Bend, at 15,335. Mountain View was the state runner-up to Baker in 2024.

For the first time in school history, the Bulldogs also have the top-ranked boys and girls shooter.

On the boys side, junior Chris Schuh, who was the individual state champion in 2024 and the runner-up, by a single target, in 2023, has a perfect season average of 25 this spring, breaking every target in each round of 25.

Baker’s Riley Hurliman is the top girls shooter, with an average of 24.1.

Great accomplishments, Kimball said, but the team’s ultimate goal is unfulfilled.

They’ll have a chance to achieve it during the state tournament June 21-22 in Hillsboro.

“It’s going to take all of us,” Kimball said. “Let’s stay humble, let’s keep up our work ethic.”

Although Kimball concedes that he’ll be so nervous during the state tournament that he won’t trust his stomach to hold down food, he has confidence in his team.

The Bulldogs have embraced both the mantra of “job’s not finished” and Kimball’s constant reminders that their efforts during practice are vital.

“They’ve really adapted to this whole philosophy,” he said. “They’ve bought in to all the messages I’ve had.”

With three weeks to prepare to defend their state title, the Bulldogs will seek to “fine-tune” their skills, Kimball said.

Although he believes trapshooting success depends far more on mental preparation than physical — “it’s at least 90% mental,” he said — Kimball said the Bulldogs have also used physical changes to hone their performance.

Based on research by audiologists, Kimball said he has urged Baker trapshooters to replace the traditional yell of “pull!” to release a target with “hey!”

Saying “pull” while the shooter’s face is snugged against the shotgun stock can cause the barrel to shift slightly, affecting accuracy, Kimball said.

His confidence in the Bulldogs has much to do with the team’s camaraderie and experience. Last year’s state championship team had no seniors.

“The bond with this year’s team is stronger I think than last year because they’ve been through it all together,” Kimball said.

Oregon State High School Clay Target League

Class 2A, Conference 2 team standings after regular season

Baker, 1st, 17,122; Mountain View, 2nd, 15,335; Crook County, 3rd, 12,945.50; Newberg, 4th, 10,679; Canby, 5th, 10,670; Weston-McEwen, 6th, 4,228.50

Baker individual standings

Boys

• Christopher Schuh, 1st, 25.00

• Conner Norton, tied for 2nd, 24.60

• Remington Benson, tied for 5th, 24.50

• Connor Martin, Jaxon Ford, tied for 7th, 24.20

• Ethan Morgan, 9th, 24.10

• Jose Armenta, Dakota Hoadley, tied for 14th, 23.90

• Ethan Whiting, tied for 16th, 23.80

• Jayden Hansen, tied for 19th, 23.70

• Waylon Gibbons, tied for 34th, 23.30

Girls

• Riley Hurliman, 1st, 24.10

• Marley Hussey, tied for 5th, 22.80

• Dakota Robertson, 13th, 19.40

The Bulldog team includes middle school and high school students. The team roster, by grade:

Seniors

Jose Armenta, Seth Holden, Ethan Morgan, Joe Zikmund, Remington Benson, Ethan Hills, Gabriela Maluf, Alex Wise

Juniors

Riley Hurliman, Alex Jaca, Jaxon Ford, Connor Martin, Conner Norton, Dakota Robertson, Chris Schuh

Sophomores

Waylon Gibbons, Cohen Johnson, Ethan Whiting, Dakota Hoadley, Marley Hussey

Freshmen

Leo Leddy, Jayden Hansen

Eighth graders

Clancey Boehm, Kayson Crowther, Karson Dickerson, Luke Hills, Sam Marble, Tyler Myatt, Ty Price, Gunner Robertson, Parker Roys, Liam Conklin, Lincoln Conklin, Sam Hall, Jax Honsvick, Xander Johnson

Seventh graders

Beckett Jury, Lewis Morin, Payson Thomas