turkey shoot out

Southwestern AD Tom Scroggins warned me - 4000 seats & not an empty one in the house.  I have to admit, it's been a long time since I've seen an Indiana gym this crowded & this excited - all over two games played the night before Thanksgiving.  So, I settled in to watch the Madison Cubs and the Southwestern Rebels (both boys & girls) renew their annual rivalry.  And on this night, the Cubs went two for two. CGS.

the armory

We're after old places & stories - but more than that, we're chasing light.  Down a side alley in Madison and up stairs built early in the last century, through swinging doors where a thousand players and dancers have walked, we found what we were looking for. The Armory was the only usable gym in town during the flood of 1937 - and now, after being refurbished, light is once again accompanied by the sound of basketball on the old maple floor.  CGS/MEK.

dale moeller

I've known Dale Moeller for more than thirty years and not until recently did I realize that he was a member of the 1954 Aurora Red Devils basketball team.  The same team that defeated Milan's Miracle Men in the '54 regular season.  The same team that won four consecutive Sectional titles and was ranked #9 in the state. And, the same team that won more than 20 games but would lose to the Indians in the Regional Final.  In the ensuing years, some of those very same Milan players have told Dale that Aurora was the one team they truly feared - the one team that stood in the way of their march to the title.  A march that would not be denied.  CGS.

good stuff

From Deputy to Dupont - a good day to be a photographer.  And then Hinkle's hamburgers in Madison. CGS.

the keeper

Some are born to make history, others to preserve it - and Roselyn McKittrick falls squarely in the second group.  A Milan resident for more than 60 years, Ms. McKittrick has taken it upon herself to collect, save & protect as much memorabilia from the 1954 State Championship team as is possible.  The fruit of her labors can be seen in the little museum known as Milan '54, located in an old bank on Carr Street.  From pieces of the old high school gym to uniforms used in the movie "Hoosiers" - it's all here on display.  We were lucky enough to be there on a day when the championship trophy was also present (it's normal home is a trophy case at Milan High School).  And one other treasure - a chalkboard, inscribed by Bobby Plump with the final play of the 1954 game.  CGS.

sunman

Many believe that class basketball changed the face of "Hoosier Hysteria" - and it did.  But more than classes, school consolidation may have been the profound turning point.  At one time every small town had a high school and a team. Their team.  But when old rivals became teammates & small schools merged into larger ones, the balance shifted and Sunman was caught in that shift.  Located in northeast Ripley County, the high school held its own against county rivals Versailles, Batesville & Milan.  In the '60's they won three Ripley County Tourney titles and a Sectional Championship but as the consolidation storm grew momentum, Sunman was seemingly left without a dancing partner. Versailles became the location for South Ripley, Osgood for Jac-Cen-Del,  Batesville stood on their own and Milan - they had the 1954 Championship trophy in their case.  Sunman, so close to the county line, went with their only option - they banded together with several northern Dearborn County schools to form East Central.  The old high school is an elementary now & part of a dominant sports program but the photos that hang in the gym tell a tale of bygone days - when being from a small school, in a small town & winning a championship was something very special.  CGS.  

headed home

hunter

Hunter Shepherd used to play ball at Columbus East - now he shoots hoops at the old Dupont High School.  CGS.

the brock twins

When talking Rising Sun basketball with the locals, there are two names that always seem to come to the forefront - Jessica & Jennifer Brock, the Brock Twins.  #10 and #24 in your program.  Between 1996 & 2000, they helped power the Lady Shiners to 3 Sectional Championships, 2 Regional titles and 1 Semi-State victory.  That win put them in the 2000 Championship game - a game that would provide the best & worst moments of their high school careers.  Leading with less than a minute to go, the Shiners saw their title hopes go down to the hot 3 point shooting of the Triton Trojans. More than a decade has passed - both of the Brocks are now married, have children, work for public schools and coach basketball. But when they talk of THE GAME, you not only hear the pride but also feel the pain.  CGS/MEK.

rising sun

Located on the banks of the Ohio River in the state's smallest county,  Rising Sun is home to the Shiners, all 300 of them. Famous for their bands and competitive sports teams, Rising Sun has won 10 basketball Sectional Championships (6 boys, 4 girls), 3 Regional Titles, 1 Semi-State and in 2000 the girl's team came 50 seconds away from winning a State Championship.  CGS/MEK.

gone

At 3:47 pm on March 2, 2012 the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for western Ripley County.  By 3:54, half of Holton was destroyed and two people were dead.  All that remains of the old school & gym is a broken blacktop court and two forgotten hoops.  CGS.

scouting

Scouting & scheduling have become a major part of this shoot.  Today I visited Madison and Hanover, then on to Dupont, Butlerville and finally, Holton.  CGS.