back to greensburg

Pirate basketball has a long & storied history - 39 Sectional crowns, 8 Regionals and 2 State titles. Thankfully that history has been preserved not only in record books & trophy cases but in their gyms.  The old high school now serves as a training ground for middle school players, while the Armory opens its doors to ball handlers long past their prime. CGS.

barn dance

Delayed by early summer commitments, re-construction has begun again at Comer's Barn.  Mark's ability to recruit workers with the promise of a "job well done" and a cold beer continues to amaze.  But like me, all the 'players' involved seem to be drawn to this magical (& possibly crazy) project and all that it promises.  CGS.

brandt's barn

Like every good Hoosier dairyman, Elmer Brandt knew how to multipurpose a barn - milk cows below, hay storage & basketball court above.  It was a place for his young sons to learn about hard work and fair play.  But brothers will be just that and after the second trip to the local doc for more stitches, Elmer bent the hoop up into the air, ending the spirited games.  In later years, a basket made it's way back into the barn, quietly reminding the old post & beam that its presence was still important.  CGS.

orange county patriotic

the war ball

The Batesville Bulldogs have a long history of basketball success - thirty Sectional titles, 10 Regional crowns and two Semi-State championships.  Their trophy cases are overflowing.  Nestled in the corner of one, we discovered a championship ball from 1943.  A Semi-State championship to be more specific.  After searching unsuccessfully for a corresponding trophy, we moved our hunt to more cases.  Failure.  Why would a school so steeped in basketball history (their first Sectional crown was in 1926) not have a trophy honoring a Final Four appearance?  Lost, stolen, misplaced?  AD Mark Ferguson addressed our concerns, "well, it was during the war."  Maybe all available metal and energy had been put into the war effort.  Those answers are better left to historians.  What we can imagine is, seventy years after the Allied invasion of France (D-Day), that every home front sacrifice, no matter how small, was made in the name of freedom.  CGS.

paris crossing

Just over the Jennings County line, west of Route 3 on Indiana 250 sits an old gym that on a casual viewing could be mistaken for a church or school.  Once home to the St. Paris Pirates it was built in 1953 to replace one that arsonists burned in the late '40's.  If you find the right people (at Webster's Garage), who know the right people (the St. Paris Volunteer Fire Department), you might be lucky enough to gain access to the old gym that was last used for high school play in 1961.  And, if your luck is really good, you might meet 97 1/2 year old Loretah Blake, who played for Deputy from 1932-35 and remembers taking on the Lady Pirates during those dark days of the Depression.  As I've said already, we've met some great 'ballers' on our journey, but none quite as pretty as Ms. Loretah Blake.  CGS.

the rising

We called Mark on Good Friday to let him know that much of what was left of Lawrenceburg's gym was up for grabs. Mike & I assumed that the story would end there.  But the next day he toured the gym and consulted contractors on the feasibility of removing and transporting 1500 square feet of tongue & groove maple flooring.  On Easter Sunday a fortuitous breakfast with Kevin (who owns a semi) sealed the deal.  Working through the day & into the evening with family and friends, the Tiger home court began it's move west.  Last night Mark called to let me know the final part of the journey was about to begin.  CGS.