The Golden Age of Indiana High School Basketball

Greg L. Guffey

Description

A tribute to the coaches, players, and fans of a legendary era in Hoosier basketball

The years 1945–1959 marked the time when basketball truly became the sport of Indiana. High school basketball bound together communities across the state and interest in the sport rose to a new level. The period saw the Milan/Muncie Central game, given new fame through the movie Hoosiers. It also saw the first televised game, the start of the career of Oscar Robertson (who played for Crispus Attucks), and friendly town rivalries to build the state's biggest gymnasium. It was a time before the massive consolidations of the 1960s and '70s, with more than 700 teams involved in basketball tournaments. (There are some 300 now.)

Greg Guffey captures the flavor of the period and showcases many of the best teams, players, and coaches. This is a book for all fans of Indiana basketball.

Contents
Acknowledgments

Introduction
1. The Beginning: "It was every player's dream to be on the varsity team. That's all we thought about."
2. "You just forget everything and play by instinct."
3. "If you weren't at the ballgame, you were either dead or sick."
4. "It was a knock-down, drag-out affair each time we played."
5. "Being a senior, it was like the world had come to an end."
6. "We're an old river town with a lot of pride."
7. "You fought like crazy against them, but you were friends when it was over."
8. "The idea one guy can't get you there is wrong."
9. "Once we got past Muncie, I thought we could beat the world."
10. "The sectional was the big thing. That was what gave you the bragging rights."
11. "Very few small towns . . . are known like this small town."
12. "Oscar made the difference."
13. "We didn't beat them with a bunch of ham-and-eggers."
14. "I hear you are a pretty good player. If you've got anything, I'll get it out of you."
15. "He looked like a toothpick, but he could shoot."
Epilogue

Appendix
Recommended Reading
Index

Sujets

• Midwest
• Sports
• HISTORY
• Histoire
• Mensajería instantánea
• State
• History of the Americas
• United States
• KS
• Local
• IL
• ND
• IN
• NE
• OH
• MN
• SD
• MO
• MI
• Sport

Informations

• Publié par: Indiana University Press
• Date de parution: 24 novembre 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780253027726
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

The Golden Age of Indiana High School Basketball

THE Golden Age of Indiana High School Basketball
GREG GUFFEY
This book is a publication of
Quarry Books an imprint of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA
http://iupress.indiana.edu
Telephone orders       800-842-6796
Fax orders                812-855-7931
Orders by e-mail       [e-mail]
© 2006 by Greg Guffey
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or byany information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing fromthe publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution onPermissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements ofAmerican National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paperfor Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Guffey, Greg.   The golden age of Indiana high school basketball / Greg Guffey.        p. cm.
ISBN 0-253-21818-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Basketball—Indiana—History. 2. School sports—Indiana—History. I. Title.  GV885.72.I6G84 2005  796.323′62′09772—dc22                                2005011498
1  2  3  4  5  11  10  09  08  07  06
To Dawn and Alysa—thanks for your love and support.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
   1    The Beginning: “It was every player’s dream to be on the varsity team. That’s all we thought about.”
   2    “You just forget everything and play by instinct.”
   3    “If you weren’t at the ballgame, you were either dead or sick.”
   4    “It was a knock-down, drag-out affair each time we played.”
   5    “Being a senior, it was like the world had come to an end.”
   6    “We’re an old river town with a lot of pride.”
   7    “You fought like crazy against them, but you were friends when it was over.”
   8    “The idea one guy can’t get you there is wrong.”
   9    “Once we got past Muncie, I thought we could beat the world.”
10    “The sectional was the big thing. That was what gave you the bragging rights.”
11    “Very few small towns ... are known like this small town.”
12    “Oscar made the difference.”
13    “We didn’t beat them with a bunch of ham-and-eggers.”
14    “I hear you are a pretty good player. If you’ve got anything, I’ll get it out of you.”
15    “He looked like a toothpick, but he could shoot.”
Epilogue
Appendix: IHSAA State Championship Tournament Brackets,Sweet Sixteen, 1945–1959
Recommended Reading
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T he scope of a book about the goldenage of high school basketball inIndiana is difficult to understand beforebeginning the project. A one-year effortquickly doubled. One meeting or interviewoften resulted in five more leads on informationthat needed to be included. A plannedbook with fifty photos became a publishedbook with more than 250 photos.
Any book of this magnitude requiresthe patience, graciousness, and open armsof complete strangers. I was welcomed intohomes from Gary to Evansville, Auburn toMadison, and every town in between. To thosewho offered their stories, their anecdotes, anda glimpse into their lives, I say thank you.
At first glance, this is a book about basketball.Under the surface, this is a bookthat mirrors life—of being part of a community,a member of a team, growing old,the joy in winning, and the lessons in losing.It is a book about yesterday’s heroestrying to figure out why something that happenedso long ago still means so much today.Some are legends across our state;some only in their small hometowns.
Several people played invaluable rolesin the completion of this book. Bob Sloanand the professionals at Indiana UniversityPress took a chance on this projectwith no words yet on paper and only vaguespoken ideas. They gave me the tools andthe latitude to carry it out. Sharon Roberts,Roger Dickinson, and the gang at theIndiana Basketball Hall of Fame helpedfrom the beginning and never failed to addressa question or query. In much thesame manner, Jason Wille at the IHSAAprovided guidance, resources, and material.My parents and family always offeredwords of encouragement and assistance.
Countless individuals across the stateappreciated the unique aspects of thisproject and donated numerous hours oftheir time. Jim Dressler, a former newspapereditor in Brazil and a true Hoosiergentleman, generously helped with virtuallyevery aspect of this book. Fred Oyler,a member of the 1946 Flora Final Fourteam and later a school administrator, providedmeticulous research, detail, and contactinformation. Former basketball reporterand IHSAA official Jim Russell tooktime to review the manuscript. Others contributingguidance and research includedBob Adams in Decatur, Dean Monroe inPortland, John Little in Elizabeth, GeorgeGood in Sheridan, and Bill Apple in Indianapolis. Tourney Time by William Maybelongs on the bookshelf of every Indianabasketball fan and saved countless hoursin front of the microfilm at the local library.
I spent almost two years on this projectand could have devoted more than a decade.The golden age of basketball couldfill a dozen volumes with an endless castof former players, coaches, and fans. Thisis a book of winners and losers, stars androle players, dominant programs and once-in-a-lifetimelong shots. It took all of themto define the golden age of high school basketballin Indiana. No one town or oneteam had a monopoly on basketball successand interest. And one stylistic note toall—for continuity and clarity, I refer tothe Sweet Sixteen round of the state finalsas the semistate throughout the book eventhough it was known as the semi-finalsuntil 1956.
This is a story worth remembering—andone worth sharing. I hope you enjoy.
The Golden Age of Indiana High School Basketball
Introduction
T he road to John Little’s house indeep southern Indiana winds overhills, through fields, and past the OhioRiver. His address is listed as Elizabeth—a dozen miles or so south of the state’s firstcapital city of Corydon—but the real locationis a long way from nowhere. He builtthe house himself and designed the entirelower level as a shrine to his beloved IndianaUniversity basketball and footballteams. Jerseys, photos, autographed balls,and programs line the walls and the showcases,reminders of great players and evengreater teams. It goes without saying thatthe basketball memorabilia occupies muchmore space than the football items.

The interior of the Corydongymnasium. Photo courtesyof Alan Stewart.
On this warm fall day, a dreadful Indianafootball team occupies the big-screentelevision against an equally dreadful PennState squad. But the story of this day isbasketball, as Little has arranged for morethan twenty former high school basketballplayers to spend an afternoon reminiscingabout glory days. The ballplayers, as Littlecalls them, are set to arrive at staggeredtimes throughout the day. Most arrive earlyand stay long past their allotted interviewtime, while Little makes sure to add theirautographs to his growing collection.

The outside door of the Elizabethgymnasium. Photo courtesy ofAlan Stewart.
To make one thing clear: these are notformer champions talking about the tripsto Butler Fieldhouse. Most of those in attendancenever won a sectional tournament;many of those in attendance lost more games in their careers than they won. Theycome from places such as Mauckport,Lanesville, New Salisbury, Marengo, Laconia,and English, schools not amongthose mentioned when the talk turns to the greatest teams of the greatest era in Indianahigh school sports.

The remnants of the Little Yorkgymnasium in Harrison County.Photo courtesy of Alan Stewart.
Yet they come together at this out-of-the-waygathering place with one thing incommon—a love for the game they playedmore than fifty years ago. Most of those inthe crowd played in a sectional that includedNew Albany, Jeffersonville, or, fora period of many years, both. Says 1959Marengo graduate Scott Miller, “The gymat Marengo was not anything like the NewAlbany floor. It was like walking into a differentworld. When you walked out thereon the floor, you knew you had made thebig time and that a lot of people werewatching you.”
Most of the time, those people werewatching these players ultimately lose toNew Albany or Jeffersonville. “Most smallschools knew when the sectional came, itwas the end of your season,” said ClydeSailor, a