Ryan Sparks was just that...the "spark" for the Eagles leading them to back-to-back impressive seasons twenty-five years ago under Ripley County Hall of Fame coach David Bradshaw.  

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Jac-Cen-Del won the County tourney, the Ohio River Valley Conference with an unblemished 12-0 record, and the Greensburg Sectional title Ryan's junior campaign before losing to the eventual State champion Richmond in the regional championship game.  The following season, 1992-1993 was just as impressive as it saw the Eagles cut down the nets again in the County tourney, match their unblemished 12-0 record from the year before in the ORVC, but the squad came up on the short end in the sectional.

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A three-year varsity letter winner, Ryan racked up some eye-opening stats including a 27.9 scoring average as a senior with a single-game high of 38 points.  His career point total of 1,375 places him 4th all-time in Eagle history.  In addition to being named All-Regional his junior year and County and Conference MVP as a senior, Ryan grabbed some nationwide recognition as a McDonald's All-American nominee.  At the state level, he was named Hoosier Basketball Magazine First Team All-State and played in the East/West All-Star game in Warsaw.

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After high school, Ryan accepted a basketball scholarship to Quincy University in Illinois.  Ryan and his wife, Kelly, are the parents of three children, Trey, Kiley, and Lane and call Dillsboro their home.  

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