The secret didn’t last long for Pocahontas Area graduate Elle Ruffridge.

The state’s most prolific modern-day basketball scorer found out about her 2025 Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame honor the way a teacher typically would: in a shared moment with her students.

“We were in the middle of class and my phone rang,” laughed Ruffridge, the former Pocahontas Area superstar who is now a sixth-grade social studies teacher in the Spirit Lake Community School District. “I’ll typically just let it go (to voicemail) when that happens, but I noticed it was a number from the Des Moines area. My kids were all telling me to answer it, so I did.

“It was obviously very exciting, and fitting that it happened at school.”

Today, she’s known more as “Ms. Ruffridge” or “Coach Ruffridge” in the hallways of both the middle school and high school at Spirit Lake. Less than a decade ago, though, she was simply “Elle” to an entire basketball world captivated by her style, her smile, and – most importantly – her relentless play and work ethic.

A diminutive ball of fire on the basketball court, the 5-foot-3 Ruffridge helped guide Pocahontas Area to new heights in the five-player era with three appearances in the state finals and back-to-back championships in 2016 and ’17. By the time she graduated, Ruffridge had established herself as Iowa’s all-time leader for points scored (2,951), assists (802) and three-pointers made (466).

Ruffridge earned the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year honors twice, and was named its Miss Basketball for 2017. The Indians sported an overall record of 100-7 in her four years on the court.

Yet for every statistic, record or achievement, Ruffridge doesn’t look back today and think about the individual accomplishments first.

“If you ask me about specifics from a game or (an honor), I remember things here and there but it’s all kind of a blur,” Ruffridge admitted. “Especially if I had to pin down a ‘favorite.’ What I remember most, and the stuff I still smile or laugh about, are the practices, the road trips, going to state, and just the time I spent with my friends and being a part of the PAC community.”

The 26-year-old Ruffridge will be recognized during the 2025 IGHSAU Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday at halftime of the Class 2A championship game in Des Moines.

“I’m going to be honest: it’s a bittersweet feeling in a way,” said Ruffridge, who played for Missouri State University after graduating from Pocahontas Area and led the Bears to the Sweet 16 in 2021 as a senior. “There are just so many emotions, because it kind of signifies the final chapter of my career. You work so hard for so long, and it’s just who you are.

“I’m obviously incredibly honored and thankful (for the Hall of Fame recognition)…that goes without saying. But it hits you all over again that wow, you’re really done and it’s over.”

Ruffridge has been at the state tournament all week, again working as an in-game commentator for Iowa PBS.

“Being here is special for so many personal reasons anyway,” said Ruffridge, the daughter of Fort Dodge Senior High athletic and activities director Brandon Ruffridge and Fort Dodge Middle School teacher Karla Ruffridge. “I haven’t really had time to process what Saturday night will be like, but I know it’s going to be emotional. I’m sure it won’t completely hit me until I’m standing at half court, but sharing the moment with my family, close friends, the fans and the Pocahontas Area and Spirit Lake communities will mean the world to me.

“I am who I am because of them.”

Ruffridge has a different perspective – yet shares her same tried and true philosophies from her own high school days – now that she’s a middle school teacher and an assistant basketball coach.

“I still think it’s important, and I tell kids all the time, to be as active as possible,” said Ruffridge, who was also a cross country and track standout at PAC. “There are so many things you learn about yourself by working hard, being a good and supportive teammate, and committing to something that’s bigger than yourself.

“It’s not just sports. All activities. They give you valuable life lessons and different perspectives.”

Ruffridge always embraced the idea that it took a village in order for her to be successful.

“You can’t be great without the greatness of others,” said Ruffridge, also a multi-time academic honoree at both Pocahontas Area and Missouri State. “And what I mean by that is the depth to which people care for and care about you. When I think of growing up and the small-town values instilled in me (through the PAC school system and community), the support was something I’ll forever be thankful for.”

The advice Ruffridge has for this generation of both students and athletes is simple.

“Enjoy being a kid. Time goes fast,” Ruffridge said. “Go have fun and make the most of your experiences. I’d give anything to have that simplicity back sometimes, from shooting at the park to late nights in the gym or just being with your mom and dad and siblings at the dinner table. You don’t think it will end when you’re a kid, but it does.

“I wouldn’t have traded any of that for the world then, and I definitely wouldn’t look back now.”