News that hits home

APSU signs Fraley

New Era File Photo Heritage Christian Academy center John Fraley is the first Warrior to sign a Division-I basketball scholarship.

By Alex Byington, Assistant Sports Editor

For John Fraley, home is where the heart is.

It’s also where the 6-foot-9 center will be playing basketball, at least in college.

Heritage Christian Academy’s star signed a letter-of-intent to play his college basketball at Austin Peay State University in his hometown of Clarksville, Tenn.

Fraley is sticking close to the family that has stuck with him through some very rough times — including adopting a 12-year-old out of the foster system.

“They mean so much to me, (…) for them to just put me in their house — to take a teenager and feed him and clothe him and give him proper shoes, I mean they didn’t know hardly anything about me, and for them to do that, that’s the ultimate love,” Fraley said holding back tears. “They showed Christ through their actions to me, and that’s one of the main reasons I became a Christian, because they did that and I never knew love like that.”

Fraley, who was named the Kentucky Christian Athletic Association Mr. Basketball after averaging 22 points and 14.5 rebounds for the Warriors (23-4) last season, helped lead his team to a 23-4 record his senior year.

Although he knows that it’s a big step between the KCAA and Division I basketball, Fraley isn’t worried, in fact, he’s welcoming the challenge.

“I’ll really get (the chance) to test myself and prove myself,” Fraley said. “It’s going to take a lot of practice of course, because I’m not the biggest guy there. … But it’ll prove to people that just because I play at a Christian school, doesn’t mean I can’t play at a Division I school.”

But playing basketball wasn’t always so easy for Fraley, who was first introduced to the sport by his adopted father Doug.

“He was so uncoordinated at 12, so we put him into Upward Basketball for instruction and to see if he had any talent because not all tall people can play basketball,” Doug recalled. “But it was obvious that he had talent and to watch his love of the game develop over the years, … its just phenomenal to watch him grow from somebody that trips over his own feet to someone who can dribble that ball down the court and dunk it.”

With his array of skills as well as his tall frame, Fraley was a target for Austin Peay coach Dave Loos from the beginning.

“I think John has a chance to be a pretty good rebounder,” Loos said in a statement. “He needs more work on his offensive skills but he seems to be the type of kid who is willing to learn, a young man who appears to absorb everything you say, someone who is very coachable.”

As Fraley moves onto join the Governors’ basketball family, he knows that whenever he needs anything, like his laundry or a home-cooked meal, all he needs to do is come on over.

The Fraley dinner table can get rather crowded with parents Michelle and Doug sitting around their six children — Quentin (21), John (19), Maria (18), Melanie (17), Mikayla (9) and Maggie (8) —five of which they’ve adopted.

Although John plans to live on the Austin Peay campus, the Fraleys are leaving their door open to him and anybody else he wants to bring home.

“Yes I will be coming home a lot, that’s a big thing (for me),” Fraley said. “My mom said, ‘Bring home all your basketball buddies, they can come over for Sunday dinner.’ They’re kind of slowly pushing me out, like kicking the bird out of the nest basically.”

But even out of the nest, this big bird’s still not straying too far away, much to the delight of his mother.

“It pleases me. There were other colleges from a great distance away, but since we adopted John at 12, I’ve always told him that he owes me 12 more years,” Michelle said with a smile. “So, I’m really glad he’s going to be close and that we’re going to be able to go to the games.”

Alex Byington can be reached by phone at 887-3261 or by e-mail at abyington@kentuckynewera.com.

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