Boys basketball: Earlville having most successful season in almost 70 years

The last time the Earlville boys basketball team won 20 games or more, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president.

The average income was $3,800.

The average price of a house was $11,700.

A gallon of gas cost 30 cents, a dozen eggs cost 45 cents, and a loaf of bread was 18 cents.

The year was 1956.

“There’s almost no words for it,” Earlville senior Ryan Browder said about being the first Red Raiders team in almost 70 years to win 20 games. “It’s crazy to think we’re one of a few teams to do this here. A lot of it is just the team and our chemistry, just getting in the gym every day and working as hard as we can all the time.

“We worked hard since third grade just to get to where we’re at, all of us playing together.”

The Red Raiders are 22-1 overall and 7-0 in Little Ten Conference play. It is the fourth 20-win season in school history. Earlville was 25-3 in 1937-38, 24-5 in 1955-56 and 21-4 in 1940-41.

Earlville is the No. 2 seed in the LTC Tournament and will face No. 3 Hinckley-Big Rock in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday.

“It’s crazy to think we’re one of a few teams to do this here. A lot of it is just the team and our chemistry, just getting in the gym every day and working as hard as we can all the time. We worked hard since third grade just to get to where we’re at, all of us playing together.”

—  Ryan Browder, Earlville senior

Coach Gerald Fruit and his players said excitement has been building in the school and throughout the community as the Red Raiders continue to win.

“Everyone is pretty excited we have a good team,” senior Griffin Cook said. “Showing up to games, showing support to all of us, it’s good. It’s a little motivation knowing that other people want us to do well and are always trying to push us to do better.”

Fruit said he’s enjoying the basketball team having success at what is traditionally a strong soccer school.

“I think they’re starting to get excited,” Fruit said about the school and community. “Definitely, you can see that people are talking about us. Soccer gets talked about a lot. They’ve been successful with the soccer program. For me, it’s exciting to see the basketball program have a really good season.”

Earlville’s strength has been on offense. The Red Raiders are averaging 59.9 points per game. Earlville has scored 50 points or more in every game but three and has scored more than 70 points four times, including a season high of 83 points.

“I think just patience and working the ball, getting the ball to the open guy,” Fruit said about the key to the offense’s success. “I feel like we have five guys who can shoot the ball and can handle the ball. I think that helps.”

Browder and Cook both have more than 1,000 career points.

Cook is averaging a team-high 16.7 points per game, while Browder is averaging 15.

Cook is the team’s point guard and does a good job setting up his teammates, as he’s averaging six assists per game. Browder is a sharpshooter from the outside who’s made 40 3-pointers on the season.

Browder and Cook have a strong supporting cast, as well.

Adam Waite, a 6-foot-7 junior, provides an inside presence, averaging 9.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Trenton Fruit (7.5 points per game) and Oliver Munoz (6.6 points per game) round out the starting five.

“It’s our chemistry, knowing our strengths and stuff we’re not as good at, knowing our role on the team,” Cook said. “All five guys can have a good-scoring night on any night. We’re very balanced.

“It’s nice to have that. If someone wants to overplay us shooting the 3-ball, then we can drive in for layups or dish it. If someone is going to let us shoot, then we have guys like Ryan who can shoot lights out. Easton can shoot. It helps us on offense a lot.”

Defensively, the Red Raiders are allowing 41 points per game. Earlville has held 12 teams to 40 points or fewer.

The Red Raiders are averaging 10 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.

“I think we just hustle on defense,” Coach Fruit said. “They get after it and hustle. There are still things I think we need to work on to make our defense better because I believe a good defense is how you win games.”

After reaching the 20-win mark for the first time in almost seven decades, the Red Raiders hope to bring home a trophy in the LTC Tournament and claim postseason hardware for the first time since winning a district title in 1957-58.

“We have to keep doing what we’re doing,” Browder said. “We have to keep playing as a team and working hard every day.

“It would be nice to come out with a trophy in the [LTC] Tournament, win more games and hopefully get a regional, because I don’t know the last time we had a regional.”