B O X S C O R E A Publication of the Indiana High School Basketball Historical Society IHSBHS was founded in 1994 by A. J. Quigley Jr. (1943-1997) and Harley Sheets for the purpose of documenting and preserving the history of Indiana High School Basketball IHSBHS Officers Publication & Membership Notes President Roger Robison Frankfort 1954 Boxscore is published by the Indiana High School Basketball Vice Pres Cliff Johnson Western 1954 Historical Society (IHSBHS). This publication is not copyrighted and may be reproduced in part or in full for circulation anywhere Webmaster Kermit Paddack Sheridan 2002 Indiana high school basketball is enjoyed. Credit given for any Treasurer Rocky Kenworthy Cascade 1974 information taken from Boxscore would be appreciated. Editorial Staff IHSBHS is a non-profit organization. No salaries are paid to Editor Cliff Johnson Western 1954 anyone. All time spent on behalf of IHSBHS or in producing Boxscore is freely donated by individual members. Syntax Edits Tim Puet Valley, PA 1969 Dues are $10 per year. They run from Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 and Content Edits Harley Sheets Lebanon 1954 include four newsletters. Lifetime memberships are no longer Rocky Kenworthy Cascade 1974 offered, but those currently in effect continue to be honored. Tech Advisor Juanita Johnson Fillmore, CA 1966 Send dues, address changes, and membership inquiries to Board Members IHSBHS, c/o Rocky Kenworthy, 710 E. 800 S., Clayton, IN 46118. E-mail: [email protected] John Ockomon, Harley Sheets, Leigh Evans, Cliff Johnson, Tim All proposed articles & stories should be directed to Puet, Roger Robison, Jeff Luzadder, Rocky Kenworthy, Doug Cliff Johnson: [email protected] or P.O. Box 401335, Bradley, Curtis Tomak, Kermit Paddack, Hugh Schaefer. Hesperia, CA 92340. 2019 WINTER ISSUE EDITORIAL POLICY winter coat, open the front door and his 1960 black and gold Morocco The opinions expressed in walk down College Avenue or letter jacket on that Saturday night to Boxscore by individual authors do Lincoln Street, make their way past the Kankakee Valley-North Newton not necessarily reflect the views of the parked cars lining the streets, and game. On the right side was a patch IHSBHS as an organization. pause at the intersection. Once there, with "1959-60 KVT champs" Our IHSBHS website address is a person might be inclined to look up stitched onto a basketball, signifying Indianabasketballhistory.com. through the windows and catch a Morocco's Kankakee Valley You can also enter IHSBHS or glimpse of the scoreboard and fans tournament championship. As he “Boxscore” on any search engine. finding their seats in the bleachers. stood in the corner of the gym at the Step inside, grab a bag of popcorn, start of the game, Hammel, 76, could CONTENTS and stay awhile. "It’s like a time easily step back in time. Almost capsule," said Bob Gonczy, who everything, from the baskets, to the The Morocco Beavers……….... 1 lives two blocks from the school. brick interior, to the scorer's table, New Castle's Fieldhouse……… 3 "You walk in here, and it is like it's was the same as he remembered. "It History of Indiana's Largest 1952 again." is hard to believe that was 58 years BB Gyms, Courtesy of DJIA.. 7 For one night in this Newton ago," said Hammel, who went on to Lowell High School's 62-Game County community in northwest coach at South Central, North Losing Streak……………….. 9 Indiana, it felt like the yesteryear of Newton, and Hobart. "I can IHSBHS Membership Form…. 12 Hoosier Hysteria. For the first time remember this gym being packed for IHSBHS Member Profile Form..13 since 1967, a varsity basketball game the county tournament. 'I lived about Hall of Fame Membership…….. 14 was played in the Morocco gym, a four blocks away so I would walk relic of another era. It was built in here and walk home. 'There was lots THE MOROCCO BEAVERS 1936, allowing the Morocco Beavers of pride in this place and great First Varsity Basketball Game in to move out of the basement gym crowds. 'There was probably a little More Than Fifty Years Stirs known as "The Pit" and into more pride back then. 'In the 1950s Nostalgia in Indiana Gym something more modern. With a and '60s probably three-fourths of by seating capacity of more than 1,200, the students went to the games." Kyle Neddenriep, IndyStar it was the largest in Newton County. It felt that way again that Saturday Sportswriter, (published Dec. 19, In the decade after it was built, night. Dubbed the "Throwback 2018 in the Indianapolis Star) Morocco hosted the sectional six Basketball Experience," the game Morocco, Ind.--On one Saturday times. started as an idea from Gonczy, a night in this quiet community of Stewart Hammel does not go back Social Studies teacher at North 1,100, an individual could grab a quite that far. But he proudly wore Newton and former boys (2004-08) IHSBHS 2019 WINTER ISSUE Page 2 and girls (2011-15) coach at the team, was in attendance that night coach Steve Brunes who went on to school. Gonczy is a Morocco native with many of his former players. a long career in coaching. North who grew up playing games at the "With all due respect, they were Newton has struggled mightily in old gym when he was an elementary probably going to fire me that year," recent years, winning just 33 games pupil. The elementary school sits Hoover said. "Then we won the first total since the 2006-07 season. A next to the old gym. "When I got sectional championship in the home game at North Newton, located into coaching, I'd walk into this gym school's history and it probably 7 miles north of Morocco on U.S. and it would just feel like delayed that." Hoover said he Route 41, might normally draw 250 "Hoosiers," said Gonczy, referring to coached only one game at Morocco, or 300 people. "We are not a strong the 1986 movie on Indiana high but he enjoyed the throwback basketball school, but we are a school basketball in the 1950s." "I atmosphere present that night. He strong community," Gonczy said. always wanted to play here, but it also enjoyed the chance to visit with "That's why we wanted to give the was hard to get another coach to some of the first players he coached, kids a taste of what this is like." agree. 'It is a shorter court, which who are now in their early 70s. "I Casey Ehlinger, a 1995 North can be kind of an equalizer." think of them every day," Hoover Newton graduate, was coaching the Paul Norwine, a social studies said. "They've all done very well in Spartans on an interim basis in 2018- teacher at Kankakee Valley, e- their lives." 'In Indiana at that time 19. North Newton, a class 2A mailed Gonczy in June last year to in coaching, if you didn't have some school, lost its fifth straight game of inquire about the possibility of success in your first or second time the season (86-39) to class 4A playing a varsity game in the around, you didn't get hired again. Kankakee Valley just before this Morocco gym. Norwine coordinated 'Winning that first sectional kept me article appeared in the Star. Like the side for Kankakee Valley, a 1970 going for a long time." Ehlinger, most of the North Newton consolidation of DeMotte and Wheatfield. Players from the 1950, '65, and '67 Wheatfield Red Devil sectional champions were in attendance, along with the 1964 and '70 DeMotte Indians sectional title teams. Graduates from the Fair Oaks Cherokees and Tefft Tigers were also invited to join the "red out" on the Kankakee Valley side. Two players from Wheatfield's 1950 sectional title team, Hank Ganzeveld and Firman Walker, watched the junior varsity game from a corner of the gym that Saturday night. Walker, a junior on its team in 1950, reached into his letterman jacket Gymnasium holds first varsity game in over fifty years. pocket and pulled out a pack of Juicy (Photo: Clark Wade /IndyStar) Fruit with two sticks of gum. "That's Morocco won only one sectional players grew up playing elementary been hanging in there for 50- {in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s-Ed.}, ball games in the old Morocco gym. something years," Walker said with a taking the 1956 title at Rensselaer It was saved in 2009 when the school laugh as the North Newton band with a win over the host in the board voted to build a new played on the stage at the other end championship game. Morocco elementary school at the site of the of the court. consolidated with Mount Ayr to old school in Morocco instead of Jerry Hoover, 85 years old and form North Newton in 1967. North next to the high school. "This is still coaching at Blackford High Newton has struggled in basketball where they cut their teeth playing School, was inducted into the over the years, winning only a single basketball," Ehlinger explained. Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame last sectional title in 1978. Those "The atmosphere was awesome. 'If March. Hoover, coach of the 1964 Spartans were in attendance also that your blood isn't pumping on a night DeMotte sectional championship Saturday night, along with then- like that, you don't have a heartbeat." IHSBHS 2019 WINTER ISSUE Page 3 Kankakee Valley coach Bill my destination took me to the much- state, but never as many as 1,400(!) Shepherd stood in the visitors' locker touted Walter P.