Ryder Carlisle is one tough customer.

A junior guard for the Liberty Christian boys basketball team, Carlisle revels is doing the dirty work needed to help his team win, regardless of any credit he might receive.

For Carlisle, it doesn’t really matter if his name appears in the box score, as long as the Eagles wind up in the win column.

“I’m not really a scorer, per se,” Carlisle said. “If I can’t do that, then the next best thing is not to let the other team score. I take a lot of pride in doing that to the best of my ability. It feels great to help the team out in any way I can.”

At 5-foot-10, Carlisle stands out among his teammates for his on-court work and approach to the game, as he is at the forefront of a defense that allows the opposition roughly 30 points per game.

Senior forward Willy Mueller said that seeing his younger teammate step up and lead, particularly the way he did in scoring in double figures in a win over Eagle Ridge Christian of Cape Girardeau in late November, speaks volumes.

The effort came just a short time after Carlisle was involved in a car accident on his way to the game.

“His mindset, that’s just who he is,” Mueller said. “He doesn’t let anything stop him. He has great toughness, and that’s really important to this team. He plays such an important role for us.”

For Carlisle, there was never a doubt in his mind as to whether he was going to play in the accident’s aftermath.

“It was a rear-end accident on the way (to school),” Carlisle said. “I just decided that I needed to be here and to play for my team. It was the right thing to do. I needed to play hard like I always do. Yeah, it did (shake me up a bit) but I wasn’t going to miss playing.”

For Carlisle, who Liberty Christian coach Butch Clark notes is a very reserved individual in everyday life, the escapism basketball offers is worth every ounce of his effort.

“I love that the game is fast-paced and I get to escape,” said Carlisle of focusing on basketball when he’s on the court. “I can let my emotions out when I’m out here.”

Clark went a step further in his analysis of Carlisle.

“Ryder has done a terrific job as the leader on our full-court defense,” Clark said. “He doesn’t complain about scoring stats. He really seems to relish being a disruptor on defense. He’s a fairly quiet kid, but he lets it (his play) do the talking.”

While the Eagles soared through the first month of the season unbeaten, Carlisle said he aims to see things build into March for Liberty Christian.

“There are many great things ahead for this team,” Carlisle said. “We’re working hard and we (want to be) on the road to state. That’s our goal. That’s what we’re working towards, state.”