Muddy River Showcase: Scranton helps Saukees add another layer to Pittsfield’s rich tradition

The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and all seating is general admission.

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Nate Scranton began laughing before he could explain why watching old game film of he and his Pittsfield boys basketball teammates made him chuckle.

“Just thinking about where we were and how far we’ve come as players and people,” Scranton said. “It’s funny. It always gets a laugh out of all of us.”

For a group of 17- and 18-year-old soon-to-be college students, it’s a simple pleasure they all enjoy.

“One of the best things we do is watch old film,” Scranton said.

These aren’t historically significant films either. They are highlights from when the Saukees in the Class of 2022 were freshmen and sophomores.

“When we were not the players we are now,” Scranton said with a laugh.

What that group became was a hard-nosed, defensive-minded team that represented the name on the front of the jersey and the tradition that comes with it.

Scranton gets that chance one more time when he laces up to play in the inaugural Muddy River Showcase on June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The boys game in the Illinois vs. Missouri showcase tips at 5 p.m.

“It’s a great honor to be a part of a great group of guys,” said Scranton, who played guard for the Saukees. “I’ve been looking forward to it ever since I found out about it.”

It’s one more chance to wear No. 22 as well.

“My uncle (Matt Elledge) actually wore the No. 22 when he played for Pittsfield,” Scranton said. “That’s why I chose that number when I played.”

He saw it as another way to add a layer to the Saukee tradition, especially in a place like Voshall Gym, why history drips from the rafters.

“There’s no place that compares to Voshall,”  Scranton said. “Just the atmosphere, the crowd, it’s one of a kind.”

Voshall Gym got loud at times last winter, the first time that happened since 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“This year was just awesome, seeing everybody come together for the first time in really two years,” Scranton said.

That was especially true of the Saukees.

“We really bonded as a team,” said Scranton, who is headed to the University of Illinois and intends to major in ag business. “We didn’t have one individual above the others. We really played as a team well. That’s fun to watch and fun to be a part of.”

It wasn’t unexpected considering how close this crew grew.

“We saw so much success in junior high and it funneled right to high school,” Scranton said. “We had a blast going to state in baseball in eighth grade, and it felt like we were always playing for something. We just wanted to keep doing that, so we kept the whole group together through high school.”

That’s what made Scranton want to savor every moment.

“It’s been that me and all of my best friends have been playing it since we were little,” Scranton said. “Being able to go out on the court with some of my best friends that I see every day makes it really special for me.”