Now an international winner, Ricker won the local and district competitions prior to states, making 11 of 15 in Fort Fairfield and 20 of 25 in Caribou. The competition is split into groups by age, from 10-14 years old.
Because of where his birthday falls in the year, Ricker shot in the 10-year-old age group; this was his first time to compete in the free throw competition. And if his perfect score isn’t enough, Ricker had also been battling a cold a few days prior to states.
“I ended up catching [my mom’s cold] but I had a fever too and [my parents] and I didn’t think I’d be able to play,” said Ricker. “I was still feeling sick Friday night but we went to the rec to practice anyway, but I did pretty bad. I couldn’t concentrate and I was tired.”
But even then, his “bad” was shooting 21 for 25. Ricker awoke Saturday morning feeling better than he had in days and ready to head downstate.
Ricker and his parents, Kevin and Viola, arrived in Old Town relatively early, so the young basketball competitor was able to practice with others in his age group before everything began. “I was a little nervous at first, but that went away after I got to meet my competitors. When I stepped up to the line, I was in the zone,” Ricker said. “I wasn’t counting my shots. They’re supposed to tell you when it gets down to the final five or ten baskets, but they didn’t tell me, so I just kept shooting.” And he just kept making his shots, too.
Once all 25 had gone in, Ricker was awarded with a gold, full-sized basketball and plaque in congratulations for this rare feat.
Knight’s of Columbus State Program Director Tony Levesque was at the competition that Saturday, where Fort Fairfield had two local winners.
“In the past four years [Fort Fairfield’s local council 1753] has had a state champion every year, but this year there were two,” said Levesque.
In addition to Ricker’s 25 perfect shots, 14-year-old Amanda Hotham went 22-for-25 in her age group, winning states for the first time as well.
“Last year, I made 16 out of 25 and I was the runner up. This year was my last year to compete and I wanted to win because I came up short last time,” said the freshman girls basketball player. “To prepare for this year, I was practicing every night after school if I had time, and I just used the free throw competition to improve my personal ability since this year’s basketball season is over.”
Prior to states, Hotham shot 13 of 15 in Fort Fairfield’s local competition, then went 18-for-25 in Caribou. In Old Town, Hotham arrived early to warm up along with the other four girls in her age category.
“I didn’t talk to any of them [before the competition] but I was watching to make sure they weren’t making many shots.” Watching her competitors shoot last year made Hotham nervous, so this time she didn’t stay in the gymnasium, but came back in after everyone else had shot, taking her place as the last competitor for the day.
“I missed two in a row then went on a streak. I missed one more after that, but then made six in a row before I finished,” she said. “I’m really thankful my mom was able to bring me down, and I think [the win] put an extra shine on my season,” said Hotham, who played in the Class D Eastern Maine girls basketball championship in February. “It made a great end to this year.”
Both Hotham and Ricker spend their free time at the rec. center and, when not perfecting his free throws, Ricker plays center on the Fort Fairfield Recreation Center’s basketball team.
“He practices 366 days a year,” joked father Kevin. But most of his son’s weekends are spent around a hoop. “I practice every day I can and I spend about eight hours practicing on the weekends,” confessed Ricker, who has been playing basketball for three years now.
Ricker looks up to a variety of basketball players from the NBA to his local hometown. “I’m a big fan of the Lakers, and I really like Kobe Bryant. I also like UConn,” he said.
Not a fan of UNC, Ricker has picked UConn, Louisville, Oklahoma and Duke as his final four this March Madness. A Tiger at heart, the Fort Fairfield resident attended “about three-fourths of this year’s home games” and looks up to Tiger Josh Booth.
Though he will be competing in the free throw competition next year, Ricker doesn’t know if he’ll be able to top this year. “I might shoot 22 or 23 next year, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make all 25.”
But at this rate, he might be Aroostook County’s own Pistol Pete.
Ricker, Hotham win free throw championship in Old Town
On March 14 in Old Town, Fort Fairfield 11-year-old Josh Ricker went 25-for-25 from the free throw line at the Knights of Columbus state free throw shooting competition. The last time that was accomplished in Maine was 1999.
