-
HickoryHusker
August 20, 2025INDIANA - Thanks to the research of good basketball steward, Pat McKee, 1974 Terre Haute North grad Nate Mills is now correctly added as the Patriot's all-time career scorer at 1643 points. This replaces previous record holder Terry Dischinger's 1455 total from now consolidated Terre Haute Garfield in 1958.
Please drop me an email if you can offer a correction or addition... This list attempts to document every Indiana high school's all time career leading scorer. Obviously this will be another evolving list that will need your input to keep it accurate. However, I think it will be a wonderful resource to refer to.
Thanks to the hundreds of email submissions I've already received. No doubt I'll be busy editing this one for a long time, but you have to start somewhere! Looking for player's name, point total, and year graduated. If they graduated from a school that was absorbed by consolidation, it is noted as well.
Schools lost to consolidation listed at bottom.
Drop me an email at HickoryHuskeratyahoodotcom if you help add to this project!
A
Adams Central(B) – Ethan Poling 1289, 2023
Adams Central(G) – Natalie Young 1516, 2004
Alexandria(B) – Chris Hahn 1790, 1996
Alexandria(G) – Jodi Howell 2026, 2005
Anderson(B) – Kojak Fuller 2060, 1993
Anderson(G) – Tyra Ford 1940, 2021
Anderson Prep(B) – Jack Scott 1155, 2021
Anderson Prep(G) – Savannah Prewett 1045, 2020
Andrean(B) – Shane Power 2110, 2000
Andrean(G) – Tori Allen 1430, 2023
Angola(B) – Charlie Wills 1602, 1997
Angola(G) – Hanna Knoll 1526, 2021
Argos(B) – Doug Jennings 1522, 1980
Argos(G) – Courtney Dunlap 1527, 2017
Attica(B) – Josh Smith 1827, 2001
Attica(G) – Brittany Rayburn 2337, 2008
Austin(B) – Anthony Winchester 2256, 2002
Austin(G) – Katy McIntosh 2195, 2010
Avon(B) – Rick Etienne 1339, 1993
Avon(G) – Heather Farrell 1322, 1990
B
Barr Reeve(B) – Addison Wagler 1527, 2015
Barr-Reeve(G) – Jennifer Wirtz 1415, 2003
Batesville(B) – Colt Ryan 1794, 2009
Batesville(G) – Cindy Lamping 2048, 1991
Bedford North Lawrence(B) – Damon Bailey 3134, 1990
Bedford North Lawrence(G) – Jorie Allen 1930, 2019
Beech Grove(B) – Mike Renfro 1855, 1995
Beech Grove(G) – Katie Gearlds 2521, 2003
Bellmont(B) – Seth Colclasure 2207, 2002
Bellmont(G) – Grace Hunter 1571, 2019
Ben Davis(B) – Damon Frierson 1452, 1995
Ben Davis(G) – Shyra Ely 2004, 2001
Benton Central(B) – Ben Anderson 1541, 1996
Benton Central(G) – Caitlyn Tolen 1648, 2013
Bethany Christian(B) – Tyson Chupp 1487, 2024
Bethany Christian(G) – Zoe Willems 1659, 2024
Bethesda Christian (B) – John Krueger 2818, 1995
Bethesda Christian (G) – Maddi Fulks 1947,2020
Blackford(B) – Luke Brown 3011, 2021
Blackford(G) – Jill Chapman 1476, 1998
Bloomfield(B) – Shane Miller 1476, 1994
Bloomfield(G) – Lindsay Secrest 1788, 2000
Bloomington North(B) – Sean May 1664, 2002
Bloomington North(G) – Mia Robbennolt 1231, 2024
Bloomington South(B) – Darwin “Dee” Davis Jr.1582, 2011
Bloomington South(G) – Beth Morgan 1645, 1993
Blue River Valley(B) – Kyle Cox 1987, 2002
Blue River Valley(G) – Ally Madden 1632, 2022
Bluffton (B)- Brad Bounds 1607, 1963
Bluffton (G)- Abby Salscheider 1917, 1998
Boone Grove(B) – Larry Kubal 1513, 1973
Boone Grove(G) — Cortney Flanigan 1328, 2007
Boonville (B)- Glen Rouch 1518, 2018
Boonville (G)- Alaysha Brandenberger 1848, 2022
Borden (B) – Kasym Nash 1627, 2024
Borden (G) – Erin Mikel 1330, 2012
Bowman Academy (B) – DeJuan Marrero 1678, 2012
Bowman Academy(G) – Princess German 1811, 2012
Brebeuf Jesuit (B) – Alan Henderson 2419, 1991
Brebeuf Jesuit (G) – Ta’Shia Phillips 1939, 2007
Bremen(B) – Corey Reed 1262, 1994
Bremen(G) – Ellia Foster 1366, 2022
Brown County(B) – Rick Hoskins 1913, 1988
Brown County(G) – Mara Freshour 1340, 2005
Brownsburg(B)- Craig Brunes 1778, 1992
Brownsburg(G)- Stephanie Mavunga 1739, 2013
Brownstown Central(B) – Jack Benter 2550, 2024
Brownstown Central(G) – Heidi Rochner 1401, 1998
c
Calumet(B) – Clarence Harper 1435,1965
Calumet(G) – Juaneice Jackson 1422, 2010
Cambridge City(B) – Ray Isom 1448, 1967
Cambridge City(G) – Jesica Hildebrand 1323, 2005
Cannelton(B) – Bill Dickerson 1544, 1975
Cannelton(G) – Kendall Hale 1523, 2023
Carmel(B) – Billy Shepherd 2465, 1968
Carmel(G) – Chrissy Steffen 1427, 2009
Carroll Ft. Wayne(B) – Chandler White 1429, 2015
Carroll Ft. Wayne(G) – Abby Noll 1417, 2003
Carroll Flora(B) – Owen Duff 1392, 2023
Carroll Flora(G) – Alli Harness 2134, 2024
Cascade(B) – Darryl Peterson 1438, 1991
Cascade(G) – Abby Parsons 1237, 2023
Castle(B) – lex Hemenway 1765, 2019
Castle(G) – Leah Phillips 1380, 2005
Caston(B) – Eric Walsh – 1437, 2002
Caston(G) – Amanda Wentzel 1541, 1996
Center Grove(B) – Trayce Jackson-Davis 1802, 2019
Center Grove(G) – Nikki Anderson 1347, 1987
Centerville(B) – Darren Lawler 1520, 1987
Centerville(G) – Kinsey Siler 1301, 2012
Central Christian Academy (B) – Michael Roberson 1744, 2018
Central Christian Academy (G) – Madison Shearer 1989, 2017
Central Noble(B) – Connor Essegian 2526, 2022
Central Noble(G) – Sydney Freeman 1741, 2019
Charlestown(B) – Jerry Johnson 1497, 1977
Charlestown(G) – Abby Conklin 2616, 1993
Chesterton(B) – Zack Novak 1791, 2008
Chesterton(G) – Jackie Campbell 1212, 1999
Christian Academy of Indiana (B) – Joshua Renfro 1485+, 2025
Christian Academy of Indiana (G) – Alli Stumler 1245, 2018
Churubusco(B) – Jeff Perlich 2019, 1988
Churubusco(G) – Tara Dice 1302, 2004
Clarksville(B) – Steve Hatton 1401, 1990
Clarksville(G) – Candice Bain 1521, 2004
Clay City(B) – John Heaton 1788, 1972
Clay City(G) – Carmela Roeschlein 1511, 2012
Clinton Central(B) – John Shoup 1477, 1987
Clinton Central(G) – Kendall Davison 1025, 2022
Clinton Prairie(B) – Jordan Brewer 1867, 2005
Clinton Prairie(G) – Kourtney Mennen 2191, 1999
Cloverdale(B) – Cooper Neese 2496, 2017
Cloverdale(G) – Ann Hutcheson 1534, 1989
Columbia City(B) – Mitchell Wilson 1769, 2020
Columbia City(G) – Connie Myers 1629, 2000
Columbus East(B) – Lance Barker 1735, 1991
Columbus East(G) – Koryn Greiwe 1656, 2022
Columbus North(B) – Josh Speidel 1512, 2015
Columbus North(G) – Ali Patberg 2026, 2015
Concord(B) – Shawn Kemp 2134, 1988
Concord(G) – Alana Burns 1440, 1993
Connersville(B) – Matt Howard 1463,2007
Connersville(G) – April McDivitt 1908, 1999
Corydon(B) – Kyle Savely 1526, 2004
Corydon(G) – Ava Weber 1849, 2023
Covenant Christian(B) – Jordan Webb 1368, 2018
Covenant Christian(G) – Kayla Thompson 1544, 2007
Covington(B) – Drew Switzer 1499, 2002
Covington(G) – Brenda Summers 1498, 1982
Cowan(B) – Rodney Thomas 1454, 1996
Cowan(G) – Carli Skinner 1215, 2017
Crawford County(B) – John Key 1538, 1978
Crawford County(G) – Bianca Haverstock 1745, 2004
Crawfordsville (B) – Matt Petty 1608, 1989
Crawfordsville (G) – Mandi Johnson 1255, 2009
Crothersville (B) – Josh Thomas 1427, 2020
Crothersville (G) – Katrina Christian 1665, 2017
Crown Point(B) – Sasha Stefanovic 1347, 2017
Crown Point(G) – Jessica Carrothers 2331, 2022
Culver(B) – John Szponar 1451, 1969
Culver(G) – Stacy Stevens 2004, 2003
Culver Academy(B) – Jackson Atoyebi 1431, 2001
Culver Academy(G) – Patricia Babcock 2199, 1990 -
HickoryHusker
August 20, 2025FRANKLIN, Ind. – Hoosiers love a good Indiana high school basketball story, and this tale from Johnson County deserves not to be forgotten. A mass, school-day, student walk-out, a homemade coffin, a power outage, and a King Arthur Trestor IHSAA team suspension. This 1918 tale had it all…
County seat and early basketball power Franklin had just made its way through a tough 1918 Sectional title only to be disqualified from the next stage of the tourney. ..But not to get ahead of the glorious details..
Shelbyville flew high into 1918 Sectional fresh-off a lopsided win over highly touted Manual Training of Indianapolis. Franklin faithful lay claim to favored status for no less than two victories over Shelby that year, and tiny Hopewell High School was enjoying a flat-out terrific season. The highlight of which included a rare regular season drubbing of that very same county seat and early basketball power, Franklin.
Other teams that cast their lot in the Franklin Sectional that year included Boggstown, Mt. Auburn, Waldron, Trafalgar, Union Township, Whiteland, Nineveh, Morristown, Fairland, and Edinburg.
Early contests were heated, but went fairly according to the dope buckets. Hopewell routed Boggstown, 33-10, Waldron made easy work of Mt. Auburn, 26-9, and Union had little trouble with Trafalgar, downing them, 27-15.
Second round and/or bye games were similarly without drama. Hopewell dispatched Edinburgh, 43-12, Morristown eliminated Nineveh, 24-16, Shelby drubbed Whiteland, 33-8, and Franklin walloped Fairland, 44-18.
In the semi-finals Franklin made it three in a row over Shelbyville for the season having little trouble downing the Bears, 38-17. Meanwhile favorite Hopewell also advanced with a rather pedestrian win over Morristown.
Standing Room Only Rematch
This set-up a rematch for the title game, and the standing-room Sectional crowd of over 1300 was finally going to see the close game they were hoping for. The Franklin Democrat newspaper declared it the largest crowd to ever watch a basketball game in the College Gym. Franklin came out swinging and grabbed a hard fought, 11-8 halftime lead. However, the favorite Hopewell Tigers stormed back in the first ten minutes of the second half to take a 15-14 advantage.
At this, Franklin called a timeout, and things got weird. The lights went out in the Franklin College Gym and would remain so for over 40 minutes. A rare windstorm with gusts reaching a reported 40-50 mph had toppled a large brick smokestack and, in the process, took out power to the gym.
Players from both squads left the floor and had even dressed back into street clothes. The game official had no sooner announced to the crowd that the game would be postponed, then the power was restored.
The Franklin squad seemed re-energized by the long intermission and ran off a string of buckets to put the championship out of reach. Hopewell would toss in a couple near the end to make it seem a bit closer, but the damage was done. Franklin had claimed the prize, 25-18.
“Hopewell played a wonderful game, and scores of persons in the crowd declared that Hopewell would have won had there been no interruption.”
The Franklin Evening Star described the final seconds and gun as pandemonium among the Franklin students and fans. The paper went on to mention, “Hopewell played a wonderful game, and scores of persons in the crowd declared that Hopewell would have won had there been no interruption.”
Things became even worse for Hopewell
Salt in the wound no doubt, but things became even worse for the blue and gold of Hopewell.
The following Monday, just twenty minutes into the school day, Franklin students declared a holiday and walked-out in mass. Their parade through the streets of Franklin was contrary to a very direct order to return to school by Principal Williams. Upon growing weary of their local avenues, the student mob then made the fateful decision to march the three miles west to recently defeated Hopewell High School.
Hopewell High School
This would turnout to be their undoing.
In addition to their “venting of joy,” it would appear by reported accounts some of the cheers should’ve been “eliminated by common sense.” Newspaper reports indicate the yells and chants were “justly resented” by the farmers and townspeople they passed.
The nail in the coffin for Franklin might have been an actual coffin. Somehow several students got their hands on a coffin, and after draping it in black crape paper, delivered it to the front lawn of Hopewell High for their “vanquished foe.”
A Cordial Reception?
The Franklin Evening Star tried to put the best possible face on this mob-like march to Hopewell, going so far as to state,” The Hopewell students showed that they are good losers with a cordial reception.”
Other accounts differ sharply. One report goes so far as to say fist fights broke out between the two schools as Hopewell students met the visitors on their school lawn. Franklin School administration wasn’t having it either as ringleaders and their parents were summoned to the school to face repercussions.
However, this was nothing compared to the authority that IHSAA Secretary King Arthur L. Trester was about to lay down.
During this era, the winner of each Sectional advanced directly to a 20-team State Finals held in Bloomington on the campus of Indiana University.
The coffin mob was on Monday, and while modern Hoosiers may think things worked slowly in those days, Franklin was notified by telegraph on Tuesday that the IHSAA was banning them from the State Finals that were to take place later that week.
By Wednesday, the Associated Press had picked-up the story with headlines in many state newspapers proclaiming rather dramatically, ”Burning Indignation in Bosom of Franklin!”
In a bit of a surprise, several schools in the Sectional field, when asked to field a replacement for the disqualified Franklin, all voted simply for Franklin. For the record those schools included, Edinburg, Union, Nineveh, Whiteland, and Hopewell.
The Franklin team did indeed travel to Bloomington hoping against hope that their administration delegation could sway King Arthur, but a three-hour Thursday night session proved fruitless.
With all other teams refusing to take Franklin’s place, Columbus was awarded a 2-0 forfeit victory.
Addendum –
Columbus, which had split regular season games with Franklin earlier in the year, would be martyred by small school hope, Montmorenci, 16-13 in the State Finals. The tiny Tippecanoe County village of just 200 inhabitants, had advanced by downing Lafayette Jefferson in Sectional. In addition to taking out Columbus, Montmorenci would go on to best Muncie, 42-16, before bowing out in the final eight to Bloomington, 23-11.
Very special thank you to good basketball gentleman, Jim Higdon for pointing me in the right direction. Without his lead, I would’ve never known what date or teams to begin researching for details!
State Finals at IU -
HickoryHusker
August 20, 2025<B>INDIANA -- </b> Below is an attempt to document all numbers/jerseys retired by Hoosier high schools. If you know of an omission or addition, please let me know - HickoryHuskeratyahoodotcom ..
Retired Numbers List
ANDERSON INDIANS
#7 'Jumpin' Johnny Wilson
#23 Troy Lewis
ANDERSON HIGHLAND SCOTS
#32 Worn by all the Gary Brothers Greg-1988, Mark-1984, Jeff-1981
ANDREAN 59'ERS
#10 Dan Dakich - IU player/coach, radio host, ESPN analyst
ARSENAL TECH TITANS
#34 Joe Sexson - Mr. Basketball, Trester Award, lead Tech to State runner-up
ATTICA RED RAMBLERS
#5 Brittany Rayburn - 2008 Miss Basketball
AUSTIN EAGLES
#13 Jeremy Holland - Indiana All-Star
#24 Mark Lueking - Indiana All-Star
#41 Anthony Winchester - 2003 IN All-Star & Mr. Basketball runner-up
BREBUEF BRAVES
#44 Alan Henderson - Mr. Basketball
#44 Vicki Hall - Miss Basketball
BROAD RIPPLE ROCKETS
#25 Steven Jamison - Passed away from cancer
CRISPUS ATTUCKS TIGERS
#43 Oscar Robertson
#44 Hallie Bryant
COLUMBUS (NORTH) BULLDOGS
#13 Bill Stearman
CONCORD MINUTEMEN
#40 Shawn Kemp
CORYDON PANTHERS
#15 (G) Kerri Windell
DALEVILLE BRONCHOS
#10 Todd Perry - all time leading scorer
DECATUR CENTRAL HAWKS
#32 Anna Munn - school's first Indiana All-Star
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL CARDINALS
#22 E'Twaun Moore - State champion and Indiana All-Star
EASTSIDE BLAZERS
#12 (G) Alison Edgar - Scored 1518 points, All-Time leading scorer, Played at Purdue
EV DAY SCHOOL EAGLES
#21 Jeremy Willis - City of Evansville's all time leading scorer with 1899 points.
GUERIN CATHOLIC GOLDEN EAGLES
#23 Xavier Murphy - the first to wear #23 school opened. Xavier passed away of leukemia while a student at Notre Dame.
HEBRON HAWKS
#21 (G) Laruen Bechtold
HERRON ACHAEANS
#22 Rico Stewart 2014
HUNTINGTON NORTH
#32 (G) Lisa Winter - Class of 1996 Miss Basketball
INDY WASHINGTON CONTINENTALS
#32 Billy Keller
#44 George McGinnis
JIMTOWN JIMMIES
#34 (G) Kim Barrier - Class of 1986 Miss Basketball
KANKAKEE VALLEY KOUGARS
#25 Worn by the five Sytsma brothers
LAFAYETTE CATHOLIC KNIGHTS
#52 Nick Weiss
LANESVILLE EAGLES
#5 Chris VanHoose
LAPEL BULLDOGS
#22 Jason Holsinger
LAWRENCE NORTH WILDCATS
#53 Eric Montross, Tom Geyer and the late John Stewart - All Indiana All-Stars
LEWISVILLE BEARS
#52 Marion Pierce - One of the state's all-time leading scorers. 1st at the time.
LOGANSPORT BERRIES
#15 Whitney Jennings - 2014 Miss Basketball
MARION GIANTS
#4 Lyndon Jones - 1987 Co-Mr. Basketball
#7 Pat Klein - 1950 Trester Winner & Mr. Basketball
#12 Jay Edwards - 1987 Co-Mr. Basketball
#20 David Colescott - 1976 Trester Winner & Mr. Basketball
#24 James Blackmon - 1983 IN All-Star & All-Time Leading Scorer
#25 (G) Trena Keys - 1982 Miss Basketball
#50 Zach Randolph - 2000 IN All-Star & All-Time Leading Rebounder
# Charles 'Stretch' Murphy - No jersey #'s in 1926, but led Marion to first state title over Martinsville. All-American at Purdue
MONROE CENTRAL GOLDEN BEARS
#43 Matt Moulton
MUNCIE CENTRAL BEARCATS
#14 Jack Moore
NOBLESVILLE MILLERS
#34 Scott Haffner - Indiana All-Star, scored 65 in game at UE, and drafted 2nd round NBA
OREGON-DAVIS BOBCATS
#33 Aubrey Minix - All-Time leading scorer (Boy or Girl) 1608 points
#44 Scott Blum - all-time leading scorer and 1988 Indiana All Star
PIKE RED DEVILS
#14 Mark Seigel - part of the UE team that was killed in plane crash
PLYMOUTH PILGRIMS
#22 Scott Skiles
PERU TIGERS
#4 Kyle Macy - Mr Basketball 1975
PRINCETON TIGERS
#3 Jackie Young - Gatorade National Player of the Year
RICHMOND RED DEVILS
#32 Woody Austin - 1988 Mr. Basketball
#20 (G) Lisa Shepherd - 1997 Miss Basketball
ROSSVILLE HORNETS
#32 Mike Gallipo - killed 2/3/95 in a car wreck
#50 & 51 Tom Knapp - killed 1/9/67 in a car wreck
SCOTTSBURG WARRIORS
#4 Renee Westmoreland - Miss Basketball 1989
#41 Bill James - Runner-Up Mr. Basketball in 1969 (lost to McGinnis)
SEEGER PATRIOTS
#22 Stephanie White - Miss Basketball
SHORTRIDGE BLUE DEVILS
#22 George Pillow - Indiana All-Star
SOUTH BEND ADAMS
# 44 Jimmy Webb - Leading scorer in South Bend history-all schools
SOUTHPORT CARDINAL
#32 Louie Dampier
SOUTHWESTERN REBELS
#31 Steve Collier - Mr. Basketball
TELL CITY MARKSMEN
#42 Brian Taylor - Member of UE team killed in plane crash
TERRE HAUTE NORTH PATRIOTS
#34 Nate Mills
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH BRAVES
#10 Cam Cameron - Indiana All-Star
#42 Mike Joyner - Member of UE team killed in plane crash
#50 Brian Evans
#52 Kevin Thompson - Indiana All-Star
WARSAW TIGERS
#42 Kevin Ault - Mr. Basketball
#43 Jeff Grose - Mr. Basketball
WASHINGTON HATCHETS
#10 Craig Neal - IN All-Star
#40 Luke, Tyler, and Cody Zeller - each was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball, a McDonald's All-American and combined to win four Class 3A state championships
#44 (G) Julie Helm
#54 Steve Bouchie
WASHINGTON CATHOLIC CARDINALS
#3 Toby Madison - 1993 IN All-Star and state's leading scorer -
HickoryHusker
August 20, 2025BUTLERVILLE, Ind -- One of the most storied tales of Hoosier Hysteria folklore, and one of my personal favorites, took place during sectional week way back during the 1922-23 season. Think today's controversies make news? If the Internet would've been around back then, you can best bet your last Hoosier nickel that the Butlerville Squirrel Stunt would've been burning up the message boards...
Butlerville Squirrel Stunt 1923
Butlerville High School's Raymond "Fats" Rees was as big as Butlerville was small. Standing 6-4 and weighing 240 pounds, this center was truly a big man for that day and age. After reading an account of a similar story in a Michigan paper and speaking to his coach, Herb Whitcomb, the team began practicing the 'play.'
These Bulldogs also sported a 5 foot 110 point forward named Merlin Swarthout. This rather odd couple made up the components for what turned out to be a game winning and very controversial strategy.
Fats Rees would station himself near the front of the rim as the rest of the squad worked the ball around the outside. Little man Swarthout would then make a bee line for a crouching Rees and scramble up his back, ending up on his shoulders. Another Butlerville Bulldog would then throw the lob pass to the towering duo. Swarthout would catch the pas and score easily from his lofty position.
Of note was the fact that the goal was always scored on a bank shot as Coach Whitcomb thought a dunk 'unfair.'
The first time the play was used was in a regular season tilt against Jennings County rival, Scipio. The played worked to perfection and the Scipio contingent, certain that the play was legal, never argued the point.
However, the real news came when the Bulldogs used it a second time - in the Seymour Sectional vs. the Hayden Haymakers. They wasted little time as they unveiled their secret in the first half. The Haymakers were so upset and argued so fervently that they let the rest of the game slip away, losing 36-16.
The very next day Butlerville found themselves down 14-15 in the waning moments of their game against heavily favored Vernon. Rees and Swarthout unleashed the play in the closing seconds. The squirrel stunt ended Vernon's season 16-15.
Sectional officials were aware of the play since the Hayden win. They had hurriedly called IHSAA commissioner Arthur Trester in Indianapolis to inquire about the play's legality. However, since nothing in the rule book addressed such things specifically, the play was allowed to stand.
Butlerville was pretty much outgunned in the sectional final against mighty Seymour. The Bulldogs never even attempted to use their trick play. ..And that was the last of the Squirrel Stunt. During the off season, the IHSAA changed the rules to disallow "player assisted" field goals.
Word at that time was that the Squirrel Stunt brought newspaper accounts from as far away as San Francisco. Both Rees and Coach Whitcomb retired to farms in Jennings County. Swarthout would move out to Oklahoma. And the rest, as they say, is history. -
HickoryHusker
August 20, 2025BIRDSEYE, Ind. — Stories or folklore about the unusual and odd help to make our great game what it is today. With this in mind, I set about looking to turn over the details of a tale that has long been told. The lantern game at Birdseye High School…
Photo I was able to attain of inside of gym that I believe this game took place in. This photo was taken at Birdseye homecoming late in 1940’s. The ‘gym’ was called Stevens Station and/or Stevens Junction. It served as gym for Bristow High as well for a time and a roller skating rink among other things. Structure is no longer there.
When I first began trying to research this story, I was operating without much guidance. I’d heard rumors and fragments of the story, but getting someone to name specifics would prove difficult to say the least.
I spoke with Birdseye Yellow Jackets that played in the 1950’s, and 60’s. None could point to a game they were involved in during their era. However, I was able to piece together enough details that I’m convinced the story is real. Most likely taking place in the 1930’s.
So as many legends are passed along as oral history, I, too, became familiar with this rich story in much the same manner.
Here’s what I’ve been able to determine by compiling and comparing the various accounts. As you might imagine, newspaper reports of regular season Birdseye basketball games during the depression age were pretty much nonexistent.
Sometime during the decade of the 1930’s, the Birdseye Yellow Jackets played host to the Marengo Cavemen. Birdseye is now a part of Forest Park, and Marengo kids now attend Crawford County. The two communities are separated by about 25 miles on old Hwy 64 in Southern Indiana.
To say that these two schools were basketball rivals would be an understatement. While both had other schools and communities that might be considered more despised, there was little love shared between Yellow Jackets and Cavemen.
As far as basketball prowess goes, neither was ever considered a world beater. However, Marengo owned a sizeable advantage in this particular rivalry. Birdseye never did capture a Sectional, but Marengo was able to take titles in 1947 and 1957.
As this particular late February contest approached, Birdseye was again mired in a less than stellar campaign. Marengo on the other hand came to town with a winning docket and every reason to feel confident of capturing the bragging rights of the hollow for the coming year. The Cavemen and their fans also enjoyed an unseasonably warm day for their road trip.
However, as the game went on, the locals were hanging tough. According to accounts passed down through the ages, homestanding Birdseye led at the half – much to the chagrin of the favored visitors.
This upset in the making must have not set well with the basketball gods, because as the third quarter clicked along, the warm evening gave way to a building storm outside.
Lightning boomed and water poured on the old gym roof. As the fourth quarter began with the upstarts still ahead on the scoreboard, the power went out. Marengo called for a forfeit on the part of Birdseye since they couldn’t provide a lit gym to finish he game.
Yellow Jacket backers weren’t about to let a rare win against Marengo slip through their grasp on account of an act of nature. A quick mid-court meeting of Birdseye town leaders, lit only by occasional lightening flashes, derived a solution. The men of the town were sent to their homes to retrieve their kerosene lanterns.
They returned within minutes and took up places precariously sitting along the rafter that ran the length of the gym ceiling.
The concept of playing in such dim light may seem difficult to fathom, but it must be remembered that the electric lights of the day were not much brighter than the primitive lanterns used that evening.
The remainder of the game was played under the light of kerosene lamps with the locals hanging on (in more ways than one) for a narrow, if hard earned win over Marengo. The score and the names of the players are long lost to history, but the Birdseye Lantern game will forever be a part of the Indiana high school basketball lore.
Welcome to the HickoryHusker Varsity Club!
A thinking man's place to discuss Indiana's great game since 1998.
Author
Active Discussions
-
Girls teams off to great and horrid starts this season Hanover1989,
-
OT: Purdue's Coach Painter on playing Freshmen Hanover1989,
-
Longest Running Rivalries Updated: Still Boone Grove vs. Hebron! HickoryHusker,
-
Transfer Portal in high gear as Two more now depart Chatard.. xnd,
-
Warsaw's Jason Zimmerman 18 Assist game added to Record Book HickoryHusker,
- Terms of Service
- Useful Hints and Tips
- Sign In
- © 2025 HickoryHusker.com