Schuckman: Sending thank you letter to Reese Ramsey for impacting our lives in positive way

Editor’s note: Tuesday night, Pittsfield freshman Reese Ramsey, the leading scorer on the Saukees girls basketball team that finished the regular season with a 24-4 record, passed away after she and two teammates were involved in a three-vehicle wreck on Highway 106. Both teammates are currently hospitalized. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman wrote this letter to Ramsey to thank her for the impact she made near and far.

Dear Reese,

In the span of about 18 hours, fans of high school basketball here in West-Central Illinois and statewide who knew you as Pittsfield’s freshman phenom with a future as bright as the sun began to learn more and more about you as a person.

You have your friends and classmates to thank for that.

In their grief, as they tried to accept the fact you’re gone and cope with the emotions such a tragedy brings, they shared stories of your laughter and charm, your playfulness and competitiveness, your confidence and compassion.

What I think of is your grace and humility.

It isn’t easy to step into the spotlight, no matter your age. You accepted the responsibility of being a leader and a voice in the same manner you handled full-court pressure or a last-second shot. You maintained poise beyond your 15 years. You granted interview requests — win or lose — and spoke eloquently. You smiled for the cameras. You thanked the fans.

You did everything the right way.

More importantly, you soaked in every moment and played with joy like a kid should.

The competitor in you didn’t take losing well. The kid in you just wanted to dribble and shoot all the time. Put them together and you have the ultimate gym rat.

There are a lot of tears being shed and memories being shared today. That’s the impact you made and the legacy you leave behind. As incredible as your stats were — did you realize you averaged 19.5 points per game and made more than 70 3-pointers in the regular season? — it’s the bond you forged with your teammates that made this season remarkable.

You won together. You lost together. You played together. You celebrated together.

And you helped fill Voshall Gym with passionate fans who wanted nothing more than to see the Saukees succeed. They believed in you and your teammates, a faith that never waned and never will. This community will stay Saukee Strong.

When your teammates take the floor again, the lineup will be different and they will miss having No. 15 alongside them. But your presence will forever remain. You’ll be their divine inspiration, their angel in the rafters, their reason to fight through it all.

They’ll play how you played — intense, determined and driven — because it’s the only way you knew how to play.

And when the time comes to celebrate their success and have them pile into the bed of my pickup to record an episode of “Schuck on a Truck,” there will be a spot on the tailgate reserved just for you. You earned it.

Rest easy knowing you are missed.

Sincerely,

Schuck