Crim: With more than five decades of coaching experience to share, Fray still willing to answer call

By Don Crim, Senior Columnist | March 11, 2024
Mike Fray, left, and Pat Rafferty, longtime friends and basketball coaching counterparts, continue to offer decades of knowledge to teams and younger coaches while also engaging in conversation every Thursday at Sprout's Inn in Quincy. | Don Crim photo

QUINCY — Mike Fray and Pat Rafferty lunch together every Thursday morning at Sprout’s Inn, arriving when the restaurant opens at 10:30. A corner window booth is set aside if it’s just the two of them, a table if they call ahead to say there will be guests. Tracy, their waitress, has their drinks already…

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50 After 50: After rare sub.-500 season, No. 32 Suns rebound with long winning streak

By David Adam, MRN Editor | January 24, 2022
From left, Brandon Bartlow, John Mark Sowder, Brad Gooding, Aaron Bartlow, Andy Bartlow, Brian Hamilton, Justin Elbe, Josh Elbe, Jason Ippensen, Therron Dieckman, Randy Long, Jason Marlow, Darin Barr, Tim Kerr. | Photo courtesy of Southeastern High School

The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…

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