Muddy River Showcase: Southeastern’s Fry shows aim is true no matter what shot he takes

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.

AUGUSTA, Ill. — Ramsey Fry’s success rate in clutch situations — on the court or in the field — has stayed consistently high, which leads to this question.

Which would he rather knock down — a big buck or a timely 3-pointer?

“I guess it depends on the situation,” the recent Southeastern graduate said.

The longer he mulled it over, the easier it became to come to a conclusion.

“A clutch 3-pointer at the Jacksonville Bowl against Liberty,” Fry said. “I’d have to take that.”

That goes down as one of the biggest games in which Fry and his teammates have ever participated. The Suns saw their season end with a 49-42 loss to the Eagles in the Class 1A super-sectional at the Bowl back in early March.

Fry scored 10 points against Liberty and helped make it a two-point game in the third quarter. Although the Eagles kept the Suns at arms length in the fourth quarter, Fry did all he could to keep the season alive. So did his teammates.

“I’m really proud of that group,” Fry said after the Suns put together a 30-5 season. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

How the Suns succeeded should be a point of pride.

Danny Stephens, a junior all-state forward who averaged 28 points per game, suffered a thumb injury during warmups before a game against Rushville-Industry on December 1 and was sidelined for eight weeks. During his absence, Fry guided the Suns a 12-4 record.

“We really set up a game plan for every game,” he said.

Already an established leader, Fry took the reins and made sure the Suns stayed focused on doing their job, not worrying about when Stephens would return.

“Basically, you have to practice like you play,” Fry said. “And we practiced like we played — hard, 100 percent, intense. I kind of got on some people and everyone responded.”

It’s what Fry has come to expect from his teammates and classmates.

“Everybody’s respectful,” he said. “Everybody does their job. Everybody works hard. That’s all I can ask for.”

It furthered his appreciation for the Southeastern culture.

“I wouldn’t want to go to any other school because of the people who go there and the stuff that each individual teaches me,” Fry said.

What did he appreciate most?

“Being able to play with the team I love the most,” Fry said.

Basketball will continue to play a major role in his life as he has signed with John Wood Community College, where he will join four other players who are participating in the Muddy River Showcase.

“That was my goal throughout my senior season, to get the chance to play college basketball,” Fry said.

Staying close to home, which was important, allows him access to hunting grounds and the opportunity to take to the field in the spring and fall. Fry, who has been hunting since he was 8, dropped a turkey on the opening day of the spring season and has harvested bucks and turkeys in the past.

“Hunting is definitely my second favorite hobby behind sports,” Fry said.

It’s a hobby he shares with his father, Nathan.

“He’s probably got more deer and turkey than me just because he’s older,” Fry said. “As I grow up, I’m definitely going to have more.”

There are lessons to be learned in the field that pay off on the court, too.

“Hunting teaches me a bunch of patience, which can be helpful throughout my life,” Fry said. “Just the excitement of it. I think that’s why everybody does it. When a big deer or turkey walks across the field, that’s a rush you don’t get anywhere else.”