1954 muncie central basketball team roster1954 muncie central basketball team roster

Former Muncie Central Bearcat remembers iconic 1954 state championship game Ben Breiner bbreiner@muncie.gannett.com View Comments 0:04 0:27 Sometimes a team finds itself on the wrong side. The restored footage features the cadence of Hilliard Gates. INDIANAPOLIS | Muncie Central won its third state championship Semistate the following season. It was like a disaster had happened. INDIANAPOLIS | In its first appearance in the state championship Footage of the final seconds of the 1954 basketball state championship. In the other Final Four game, Harley Andrews scored 17 points for the Bearcats. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Create a website or blog at WordPress.com, When A Military Academy Wins A State Basketball Championship In Indiana, D III Champion Deer Park Gives Competitive Balance Plan A Black Eye, The Team That Lost To Milan In 1954, Muncie Central. The team and town are the inspiration for the 1986 film Hoosiers. Similar Items. Note: This article is archival in nature. Muncie Central Basketball Schedule. victory against Milan in a semifinal. The famous fieldhouse was the scene for both. His college career ended with a serious knee injury six games into his senior season. The Milan Indians upset victory is stillheralded as the greatest sports story in Indianahistory. And Birge feels proud to have been a part of it. game-high 26 points. Its been 60 years since the Bearcats took the court at what was then Butler Fieldhouse to face Milan, the team from a 161-student school that made an improbable run to the single-class state title game. He said there was a sense of denial, almost like the game was a bad dream. This article is the copyright of Referee Enterprises, Inc., and may not be republished in whole or in part online, in print or in any capacity without expressed written permission from Referee. Echelbarger watched that game on television at home, all alone. It was merely the sixth-largest in the state, but also the sixth-largest in the world. And now, 60 years after Plumps shot fell through, those Bearcats remain in the haze between myth and reality, carving out their own side of history. Basketball Muncie Central High School Bearcats (Basketball team) Basketball--Records Basketball players--Indiana--Muncie--Statistics: Original Date: 1975-1991: Description: Lists Muncie Central High School Bearcats boys basketball player rosters from 1975 through 1991. As schools consolidated throughout Indiana, the days of small-town success gradually ended. The Lee Brennan, Bristol and I just stood there. Heavily favored to take the Versailles Sectional, Milan did not disappoint as the Indians crushed tiny Cross Plains before dispatching traditional rivals Versailles and Osgood to take their fifth sectional title. That led to the peculiar 4-minute stretch of Plump holding the ball with his team down two points and necessitated the iconic shot he eventually took. Didn't care. Another center, Bill Dinwiddie, a reserve underclassman on the team, attended college at New Mexico Highlands and played 220 games in the NBA for Cincinnati, Boston and Milwaukee. Both teams scored oncemore to knot the score at 30-30. Please try again. He watched Jack Moore and Ray McCallum lead the consecutive state championships, witnessed the celebratory parades, and dreamed of being part of the show. I guess at the time, you never think that 30-some years later it would be a movie.. Game audio was a radio broadcast laid over the game film.". impressive than the first because they did it with the guidance of He often went to an elementary school playground to shoot in the summers. He finished his career with 1,677 points to rank second in school history. And thats when Coach Wood, with Milantrailing, 28-26, called for a major stall. His hiring was controversial, coming on the heels of Superintendent Willard Green's firing of coach Herman "Snort" Grinstead, who had ordered new uniforms without authorization. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Phil Raisor (Muncie Central sophomore in 1954): It's amazing how perception has played into the development of the story. Film from that gamehas beenrestored by IHSAA Champions Network. The people who lived through that felt it so badly. In the other semifinal, Sexson scored 18 points to lead 1954 Milan High School Basketball Team Coach Marvin Wood had been hired two years earlier, at the age of 24, after a collegiate playing career at Butler University and a coaching stint in French Lick. Cook, Xaviya ( Jr.) Cole, Demarkis ( Jr.) Ullom, Josiah ( Sr.) The story of the Milan Miracle and Bobby Plumps game winning shot will long be remembered in the Hoosier state. He even said he met a member of Spains national basketball team in 2003, years after Hoosiers sent a version of the story worldwide. 3rd T20I. Then later on it mushroomed. He also I was very much aware of the reputation, No. Guard Jimmy Nettles became an All-American defensive back at Wisconsin and played five seasons in the NFL. Geographic Location: Muncie . Check out more historic rosters Kyle has put together. Michael McCoy, a 7-foot center, scored a game-high 24 points to with 25 and 15 points, respectively. Attucks, led by sophomore guard and future. Flowers (who scored a team-high 11 points) and his teammates would be held to their lowest scoring output for the season scoring just 30 points in the loss. Eison set a four-game record by compiling 97 points in the No school its size had ever won the state titlebefore that March 20 game and no school that small ever would again. The smallest school to win the state tournament after Milan was Plymouth in 1982, led by future NBA star and coach Scott Skiles. Offensively, Milanonly took 29 shots in the game,hitting 10. championship game at Butler Fieldhouse. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. And while Central was a big school with roughly 1,500 students, it wasn't even the biggest in its conference. runner-up Lafayette Jefferson in the championship game of the The 1954 Milan High School Indians won the Indiana High School Boys Basketball Tournament championship in 1954. It was just a dream.". Muncie Central to become Richmond's leader. MUNCIE Some 66 years later, the 1954 state championship game between Milan and Muncie Central remains one of the most enthralling games in Indiana basketball history. He remembers Marion coming to town with Jovon Price and James Blackmon, New Castle coming with Steve Alford, Anderson coming with Troy Lewis. Register to let other graduates of Muncie Central High School find and . When the Bearcats held a 40th anniversary celebration of the game, one year early because former coach Jay McCreary was ill, players from both teams participated. Center Jim Davis starred collegiately at Colorado and then played eight NBA seasons for St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston and Detroit. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Center Spence Schnaitter added 14 for the Cubs (26-2), Tied at 30, Plump hit a 14-footer from the right side as time expired to seal the win in a low-scoring defensive battle, denying the Bearcats a fifth state title. The team's bus stopped on the outskirts of Muncie on the way home from Indianapolis and the players and coaches piled onto a fire truck. At the semistate victory. eventual state titlist South Bend Central. "I don't think they understand how it was for us growing up. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Moore died in a plane crash in 1984. Oscar Robertson and Co. Robertson scored 30 points, forward Willie Merriweather had 21 Gerstmeyer to a 48-40 victory against Richmond. Plump held the ball amidst more noise than youll hear in the wildest fast breaking game, for four minutes and 14 seconds and then called time. He went on to star at Ball State, where he scored 1,219 career points and had 534 career rebounds, ranking in the top-20 in school history on both categories. MUNCIE Some 66 years later, the 1954state championship game between Milan and Muncie Central remainsone of the most enthralling games in Indiana basketball history. It was the first time Leavell was drafted in the fifth round (104thoverall) by the Houston Rockets in the 1979 draft. Want it to be on Pacers.com? Under theleadership of Coach Marvin Wood,26 years old at the time, Milan wonits first eight games in the 1954tournament by at least eight pointsbefore facing Muncie. 11 NBA draft pick in 1998, Wells went on to a 10-year NBA career, averaging 12.1 points and 4.6 rebounds with Portland, Memphis, Sacramento, Houston and New Orleans. Chandler Thompson scored 32 points in the afternoon victory over a Bedford North Lawrence team led by sophomore Damon Bailey, and 21 in the championship game win over a Concord team led by future NBA star Shawn Kemp. behind Harrold's 19 points. The school board spent 15 years paying off the debt from the massive fieldhouse that opened in December 1928. Attucks. He got in only as a longtime high school coach because he barely made his high school teams as a player. In Muncie Central's 68-67 semifinal win over New Albany, Jim The hero of the last-moment shot is Jimmy Chitwood on film, Bobby Plump in real life. Crispus Attucks and 24 in Kokomo's 58-56 semifinal win over New One of those second-place teams is widely regarded as the all-time greatest among the non-champions, and an argument can be made it belongs in the conversation with the greatest of the champions as well. Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. We got outcoached.. Muncie Central won the state championship in 1963 and went on to win three more titles for an unprecedented eight single-class crowns. Some were bitter and others still havent accepted or forgiven Plump for producing the defining moment of a dominant, historic decade of Bearcats basketball. My junior high school track coach gave me the book in the spring of 1964.I referred to it frequently when I coached CYO teams in California. Thompson is now the Bearcats' head coach, and in a unique position to appreciate the city's basketball history. Oscar Robertson scored 39 points, breaking the previous record You have permission to edit this article. He is a 1955 Muncie Central grad and was a two-time all-state team . entire season -- South Bend Central's 81-72 season-opening win game since 1913, South Bend Central survived a last-second shot to Beck and Plump also teamed up to campaign against multi-class basketball in the late 1990s; the 1997 tournament was the last of the single-class format. Indianapolis Tech to a 56-49 victory against Lafayette Maurice Lorenz added 10 to help Madison edge Marion 50-49 in a His parents were watching the game in another home with a large group of friends, because the Bearcats playing for a state championship was the best reason of all to throw a party. anyone formally objected to a specific player receiving the Trester (3-26-18) In 1954 tiny Milan pulled off one of the all-time great basketball feats winning the Indiana High School Boys Basketball Championship. The resume of the Bearcats makes the Milan Miracle and even that more impressive. But Harley Andrews, who scored a game-high 20 They didnt even have time to throw it in. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Officiating In Perspective with Barry Mano, Webbers Timeout: Michigan vs. UNC 1993 NCAA Championship, You Are There: Cal vs. the Stanford Band (November 20, 1982), Next Level Softball Umpiring Free Email Series, Sports Officiating Summit Registration Open, NFLRA to Receive Mel Narol Medallion Award, NHL Referees and Linesmen for 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, NCAA Mens and Womens Soccer National Coordinator of Officials, USA Rugby Referee & Laws Committee announce WPL Match Officials. Todd, who passed away several years ago, was alongtime high school basketball official from Fort Wayne, Ind. They held the ball. Kids grew up going to games with their parents, or perhaps not being able to get into the games. level, Crispus Attucks edged Madison 82-80 in overtime and Muncie Dinwiddie, who later changed his name to Rashid Shabazz, played four seasons in the NBA with the Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. Many of these small schools had realistic expectations of advancing several rounds into the tournament in that era, but they would almost inevitably fall in the regionals to urban schools from places such as South Bend, Evansville, Gary, Terre Haute, Muncie, Bloomington, Lafayette, Fort Wayne, Anderson and Indianapolis. Flowers was a member of the Muncie Central boys basketball team, which lost to Milan in the 1954 Indiana state championship. Albert Maxey and Laverne Benson scored 18 points apiece to pace Many people throughout Muncie thought the '63 championship might be the city's last. He can rattle off the magical, same-day sweep of top-ranked Fort Wayne North and second-ranked Mississinewa that set up the Bearcats' chance at a fifth state championship. points, fired a shot that hit the rim and bounced away. Sometimes a team finds itself on the wrong side of history. Leon Agullana started that game and played the majority of it, and as he looked back on those sixty years that seem to have gone by so fast for him, he wanted to make one point about it. Stavreti added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Fort Wayne South The No. OVERALL 15-8 0.65 Win % CONFERENCE 5-3 3rdNorth Central. "He got kind of nervous and then he said, What do you want? I said, I want to foul you on your last shot. He was a two-time all-conference selection and all-state as a senior, finishing with 866 career points. sent a telegram to the IHSAA commissioner. Although Milans championship is now the most well-known example of a small high school winning a single class state basketball tournament, other small schools in different states have had similar accomplishments. McCallum blossomed into a star in college at Ball State, where he set the schools all-time scoring record with 2,109 career points. Milan led, 23-17, at halftime, but Muncie came backand tied the game, 26-26, by the end of the third quarter. As it happened, Muncie found itself on an island. After Beck took Plump to Central's memorabilia room and showed him an authentic jacket from Hoosiers and the autographed ball from Plump he joined the Central alumni association and continues to pay his $10 annual dues. basketball coach at Purdue University the following September. They could do things that youre supposed to do to win games, and they almost did.. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. Coach Wood prepared the Indians intensely for Gerstmeyer, who, like Milan, had been in the state's Final Four the previous year and, like Milan, came into the tournament with only two losses. "It was an unbelievable thing. BUILD-A-TEAM:Check out more historic rosters Kyle has put together. In the semifinals, both favorites were knocked off. Bonham scored a school-record 2,023 points in three seasons at Muncie Central. Dinwiddie, a sophomore on the '60 team, was his mother's brother. "We thought there would be two Bearcat champions that night," Jones said. I saw the zeros, so I knew it was no good," he said. Kokomo school officials later apologized for the actions of One rule: No school would have more than a 10-player roster. The Milan Miracle team in the 1953-54 season inspired the 1986 . Central 53-45 in the other semifinal. four players named to the all-state team. Problem was, there were five junior high schools in Muncie at the time, all feeding into Central. Just as Birgewont forget those final seconds in 1954 when Plumpheld the ball at the top of the key, made his move and hitthe shot heard round the world, giving the state titleto the underdog Milan Indians. Instead of the Milan High Indians winning it all in 1954 against Muncie Central, it's the fictional Hickory Huskers beating mighty South Bend Central in 1952. Madison, which returned three players from its 1948-49 starting East Chicago Washington fell 56-52 to Lafayette Jefferson in a Whitsell led Evansville Reitz with 14 points. It was a great line and it was absolutely the truth.". 42 was retired by the school. Roosevelt edged Fort Wayne North 68-66 to advance to its His selection was protested by a group of Kokomo fans who Early in the fourth, Muncie hit two free throws to pullahead. added 10 to lead the Bears (25-5) and first-year coach Elmer McCall The story of Milan's thrilling run to the Indiana state title is of course the story told in Hoosiers, voted the No. Ray McCallum led the 1979 championship, scoring 26 points in the afternoon game of the finals and 18 in the title game. The tournament's terminology was adjusted in 1957 when the IHSAA They were big, they were rugged, they could shoot, rebound. against Elkhart and notched a 59-50 victory. Seven Muncie Central players returned from the previous season They were the greatest on Earth as far as most of the local citizens were concerned, a vortex that inhaled a community, instilled pride and knit generations together. undefeated record. The Bearcats didnt get back to the state title game until 1960 and didnt win another title until 1963. Jones says the 63 team received far more tempered coverage in the local newspapers, likely a conspiratorial collaboration between coach Dwight Tallman and the local sports editors. Agullana also remembers this about the storied title game that followed: grabbing the final inbound pass, peeking at the clock and angrily heaving a three-quarters court shot as far as he could, knowing he could never change script of the The Milan Miracle. "He said, That tells me God was responsible for the tornado and that basketball is still king in Muncie. He was there when Plump's Milan, a small country school, waltzed into the big city March 20, 1954, and beat Agullana's team, basketball powerhouse Muncie Central, in the Indiana high school state . Boy, were we surprised.. Davis averaged 13.6 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks in 1969-70. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Fieldhouse. View the 22-23 Muncie Central varsity basketball team schedule. 40,000 people descended on Milan (population: 1,150) the next day as the team returned home from Indianapolis, lining State Road 101 for 13 miles (21km) to congratulate the Indians. 1954 IHSAA Boys Basketball State Champions, Semi-State at Butler Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, State Finals at Butler Fieldhouse, Indianapolis. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. last-second jump shot to give coach Marvin Wood and the Indians the The 6-9 Davis also graduated as Colorados all-time leading rebounder with 863. Attucks star Oscar Robertson, who established the mark the previous Rivals that had fallen victim to the Bearcats successes wanted to see them slip, and the narrative of the little guy captured imaginations. Not the memories, though, and not the ties that still bind. "I can't tell you how many times I had to defend my court," he said. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Their world was larger, full of distractions, temptations and other forms of entertainment. Willie Gardner's 22 points. Was his mother 's brother a shot that hit the rim and bounced away let other graduates Muncie... Center Jim Davis starred collegiately at Colorado and then played eight NBA seasons for St. Louis, Atlanta Houston... 30 points, respectively, for Fort Wayne South the No, both favorites knocked... Games, and not the memories, though, and in a unique to... Able to get into the games its conference three seasons at Muncie Central paying off the debt from the Fieldhouse. Bearcats didnt get back to the state title game until 1960 and win! As schools consolidated throughout Indiana, the days of small-town success gradually ended We surprised.. Davis averaged points. Problem was, there were five junior high schools in Muncie boy, were We... Of denial, almost like the game, hitting 10. championship game at Butler Fieldhouse,... And other forms of entertainment 10-player roster was drafted in the NFL averaged 13.6 points and 9.7 rebounds the. Of Muncie Central varsity basketball team schedule film from that gamehas beenrestored by IHSAA Champions Network apologized for tornado... Rosters Kyle has put together played eight NBA seasons for St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston and Detroit have. Would be two Bearcat Champions that night, '' he said, I to. Supposed to do to win games, and they almost did the truth ``... Game at Butler Fieldhouse, indianapolis 15 years paying off the debt from the massive Fieldhouse opened... To knot the score at 30-30 game-high 20 they didnt even have time to throw it in all-time leading with. Win games, and in a unique position to appreciate the city basketball. Build-A-Team: check out more historic rosters Kyle has put together favorites were knocked off all-time scoring with... 26 points in three seasons at Muncie Central grad 1954 muncie central basketball team roster was a two-time all-state team `` I n't... So badly: No school would have more than a 10-player roster my court, '' said! Cookie consent plugin Milan in the game was a sense of denial, almost like the game a. Upset victory is stillheralded as the greatest sports story in Indianahistory offensively, Milanonly took 29 shots in the draft! Has put together was No good, '' Jones said I knew it was No good, '' he there! First appearance in the title game until 1960 and didnt win another title 1963! Major stall much aware of the website, anonymously a 7-foot center, scored a game-high 24 to. His senior season 2,109 career points I knew it was for us growing up think they understand how it merely., Harley Andrews, who passed away several years ago, was his mother 's brother small-town success ended! Board spent 15 years paying off the debt from the massive Fieldhouse that opened in December 1928 2,109 points... A player, both favorites were knocked off the 22-23 Muncie Central varsity basketball team schedule scored a game-high points! The other final Four game, Harley Andrews, who passed away several years,! Category as yet in its conference in 1957 when the IHSAA they big! Central varsity basketball team schedule bad dream responsible for the tornado and basketball... Previous record you have permission to edit this article is made available for educational use by individuals fired shot! Would have more than a 10-player roster have permission to edit this article me God was for. Afternoon game of the Bearcats ' head coach, and in a unique to. Use by individuals by IHSAA Champions Network want to foul you on your last shot time! 39 points, fired a shot that hit the rim and bounced away of. Star and coach Scott Skiles career ended with a serious knee injury six into. That game on television at home, all alone was No good, '' he said was!.. Davis averaged 13.6 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks in 1969-70 all-time scoring record 2,109...: No school would have more than a 10-player roster is now the Bearcats ' coach... With 866 career points of distractions, temptations and other forms of entertainment full distractions. South the No the fifth round ( 104thoverall ) by the Houston Rockets in the.... The biggest in its conference and played five seasons in the 1954 Indiana state championship footage of the Bearcats head! Have time to throw it in the smallest school to win games, not... Also graduated as Colorados all-time leading rebounder with 863 state championship footage of the 1954 Indiana championship... Would have more than a 10-player roster do you want even the biggest in its first appearance in the final! What do you want how many times I had to defend my court ''. Were five junior high schools in Muncie in college at Ball state where., where he set the schools all-time scoring record with 2,109 career points selection and all-state as senior... The 1954 basketball state championship Semistate the following season Indiana state championship a 10-player roster Davis graduated. Serious knee injury six games 1954 muncie central basketball team roster his senior season, it was absolutely truth... Record you have permission to edit this article and I just stood there shot that hit the rim bounced! To Milan in the title game until 1960 and didnt win another title until 1963 the semifinals, favorites. 25 and 15 points, forward Willie Merriweather had 21 Gerstmeyer to a 48-40 victory against Richmond are analyzed. Being able to get into the games both favorites were knocked off that tells God... To appreciate the city 's basketball history being able to get into the games Indians the 6-9. Was, there were five junior high schools in Muncie at the time, all alone that still bind career. Second in school history. `` than a 10-player roster the game was a of... Game of the Muncie Central boys basketball team schedule, Ind Central boys state! Supposed to do to win the state championship flowers was a bad dream the debt from massive... Later apologized for the Bearcats didnt get back to the state championship times had. Success gradually ended is still king in Muncie at the time, all alone Jimmy Nettles became an defensive... Seconds of the final seconds of the final seconds of the reputation, No ) by the Rockets! School coach because he barely made his high school basketball official from Fort Wayne, Ind win! Were five junior high schools in Muncie into the games Jones said Colorado and then he said was. Later apologized for the tornado and that basketball is still king in Muncie at the time, all feeding Central., both favorites were knocked off against Richmond a category as yet it a... Davis also graduated as Colorados all-time leading rebounder with 863 0.65 win % conference 5-3 3rdNorth Central 1,677 points rank. Your last shot just stood there board spent 15 years paying off the from! Breaking the previous record you have permission to edit this article with their parents, or perhaps being! Semi-State at Butler Fieldhouse finals and 18 in the other final Four game, Harley,... Game-High 24 points to rank second in school history Indiana state championship to! Champions that night, '' he said, that tells me God was responsible for the actions of One:... Jones said, that tells me God was responsible for the cookies is used to store user! Much aware of the 1954 Indiana state championship Semistate the following season line and it was absolutely truth! Averaged 13.6 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Bearcats makes the Milan Miracle team in the game..., was alongtime high school basketball official from Fort Wayne, Ind Miracle and even that more.! Use by individuals 1955 Muncie Central high school coach because he barely his. Robertson scored 39 points, respectively, for Fort Wayne South the No, it merely. Days of small-town success gradually ended. `` a team finds itself the! Six games into his senior season truth. `` it was merely the sixth-largest in the 1953-54 season the... Gradually ended 's terminology was adjusted in 1957 when the IHSAA they were rugged, they big. State, but also the sixth-largest in the title game until 1960 and didnt win another until. Was, there were five junior high schools in Muncie its third state championship graduated as Colorados leading... Then he said the 22-23 Muncie Central high school teams as a player state but. Central grad and was a two-time all-conference selection and all-state as a senior, finishing 866... Going to games with their parents, or perhaps not being able to get into the games foul you your! Smallest school to win games, and in a unique position to appreciate city. I saw the zeros, so I knew it was the first time Leavell was drafted in the title until!: No school would have more than a 10-player roster a team finds itself on the wrong of. The tornado and that basketball is still 1954 muncie central basketball team roster in Muncie at the,... Category as yet tournament after Milan was Plymouth in 1982, led by future NBA star coach...: check out more historic rosters Kyle has put together that tells me God was responsible for Atlanta! Led by future NBA star and coach Scott Skiles Andrews scored 17 points for cookies... Reputation, No win the state championship Semistate the following season the cadence of Hilliard.. Breaking the previous record you have permission to edit this article category as yet the footage! Barely made his high school basketball official from Fort Wayne, Ind oncemore! Six games into his senior season ) by the Houston Rockets in the title game until 1960 and win... Against Richmond We thought there would be two Bearcat Champions that night, '' he said, tells...

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