For over three-quarters of the 126-plus years since Dr. James Naismith first put a peach basket up and invented what some believe to be the greatest game ever, the Knightstown Gym, or better known as Hoosier Gym these days, has been a hot bed of basketball in Indiana.
Originally built in 1921, for an initial cost just shy of $19,000, the gymnasium served as the home court for Knightstown High School. As Knightstown grew, so did the demands for the gym. In 1936, the school board used local and federal WPA funds to make major improvements. The project included an exterior facelift with a new front entrance and lobby, and the creation of basement dressing/locker rooms. In 1952, the gym was expanded again in order to accommodate the school's growing art, music and science departments; 3 classrooms, a kitchen and restrooms were added on the east end of the building.
By 1966, the gym had become obsolete with the building of a new high school and gym and the Panthers of Knightstown played their last official regular season basketball game that February.
Following the closure of the school, the gym sat vacant for many years, and according to volunteer Bill Goodsene, it was once considered to be demolished.
That was until Hollywood came calling in 1985 and the gym became the home of the Hickory Huskers in the 1986 basketball movie, Hoosiers, featuring iconic movie stars Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper and more.
All these years later, hoops fans all know of Jimmy and Ollie as much as they do Larry and Magic.
Upon it's original construction, citizenry could've never imagined that now over 60,000 visitors flock to the historic gym all these years later, finding their way to what has become a shrine of basketball. Today, the Hoosier Gym hosts anywhere from 80-100 basketball games per season, drawing teams from all over the country, including Missouri, when the Wildcats met Lawson to tip-off on Saturday morning.
"Long story short; I had scrolled past a post of two Kansas City area schools who played at the gym in December 2023," said Warsaw coach Matt Brownsberger. "After texting a friend of mine who was on one of those coaching staff's, I knew this was something that would be great for us."
"Coach Belcher (Lawson) was the first person I reached out to. He replied almost instantly and the process of planning began," Brownsberger said.
He added, "Once we got the okay from Hoosier Gym for the dates that we agreed on, we both had to get approvals from our administration. Once that went through, it was just setting dates and times for our practices and games."
Players, coaches, other support staff, many parents and other fans joined the team on the trip and enjoyed the experience of a lifetime.
After the 7-plus hour trip and a restful night on Thursday, a very eventful Friday started early with a trip to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame where the group was provided a personal tour and viewed many displays inside the recently renovated building.
"I thought the video at the beginning of the tour was full of interesting information and thought that the interactive exhibits were fun, as well as informative," said BCE TV's Matt Dove.
Dennis Larson commented, "I liked how it (Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame) was for athletes and coaches who were from Indiana and played and/or coached in the state."
Larson chronicled the trip for the team through pictures and video.
Shawn Poyser, who actually grew up in Indiana, found special sentiment in his visit to the Hall of Fame.
"Meeting the tour guide and finding out that he was from northern Indiana (Rochester), which is very close to where the Poyser's are from, was a highlight for me," Poyser said. "I mentioned we were from Wolf Lake, and he mentioned their great tradition, including a run of 3 or 4 straight undefeated regular season teams. I said, 'I know; my dad played on those teams'!"
For the players, it was more of the interactive exhibits that caught their eyes.
"I enjoyed the basketball hoop to shoot on," said senior Logan Gemes.
Shane Poyser said, "I liked the ref(eree) simulator and the machine that tested your vertical leap."
Brownsberger was just in awe.
"The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame had me hooked from the beginning," he said. "Basketball in the state of Indiana is just different. The video was the perfect way to get our attention. It's hard to pick out a favorite exhibit. I would say that I was more amazed that it's free admission, and that every artifact in the Hall of Fame is donated. You have to see it to believe it. Hoosier Hysteria is a real thing!"
Following a frigid walk back to cars and buses, the crowd then ventured down the street to New Castle (High School) Fieldhouse, the home of Spartans basketball and the nation's largest high school gym. Though just a Class 3 school in the state, the fieldhouse, originally built in 1959, is said to seat 9,000, but has held as many as 10,000-plus visitors from time-to-time for big events and tournaments on the parquet floor. The New Castle Fieldhouse has been home to many great players over the years, including 1973 Mr. Basketball Kent Benson and 1983 Mr. Basketball Steve Alford, both who went on to play at Indiana.
A brief lunch ensued and then it was time for everyone's first glimpse at the marvelous mecca of basketball and the reason for the entire trip, Hoosier Gym for the Wildcats slotted practice time.
Nestled in the middle of the modestly populated (2,150) municipality of Knightstown, the gym and it's nostalgic vibe awaited, and stirred many emotions upon Warsaw's arrival.
"It was like stepping into a time machine," Brownsberger said. "It was 1986, and I was now living a part in the movie."
Larson's thought's echoed.
"Once we walked in, I just took it all in. Seeing the gym, the bleachers; I felt like I was in the movie."
"I couldn't believe how small it was," said Shawn Poyser.
His son, Shane thought the same, "It was way smaller than I thought it would be."
Warsaw R-IX Superintendent Scott Gemes agreed, "I knew it was small, but I did not realize just how small it was."
His son, Logan, also agreed, "It was much smaller in person than it was in the movie."
Others, like Ricky Fajen, were enamored with the construction.
"I was impressed with how well the gym and building had been taken care of," he commented.
The raftered/beamed roof, hardwood floors and wooden bleachers have all been maintained, but never altered.
Volunteers at Hoosier Gym take particular pride in the fact that the building was nearly as original today as it was "back then", and the dingey smell of the locker rooms defended that pride.
"It was just surreal," said Lawson coach Gary Belcher. "In the moment, the entire movie flashed before my eyes."
Nostalgia, original movie props and other items decorated the building throughout. Original signage and banners still hang in the gym and signed jerseys of teams who have come and gone blanket the walls of each locker room and other areas of the facility.
Larson said, "Seeing all the jerseys hanging from previous schools that have played at the gym was neat."
"Seeing all the signed jerseys was really cool," said Dove.
"Yea, the signed jerseys that every team leaves behind after playing in the gym was awesome," Shawn Poyser said. "And now we will be there too!"
The many volunteers were more than gracious in their welcome.
"I cannot say enough positive things about the people who work there," Brownsberger said. "We were excited to be there, and they seemed more excited to have us there."
Lawson coach Belcher couldn't agree more.
"The hospitality from the Hoosier Gym staff and volunteers was second to none," he commented. "Any request or suggestion was received very well."
Perhaps the highlight of the trip, for several, was the time spent with family, especially on the hardwood, following practice.
"Seeing families play 1-on-1, or just shooting around puts into perspective that basketball is generational and unifying," Brownsberger said.
Dove liked that too.
"I loved watching everyone get out on the floor and just be a kid again," he said. "I wasn't even there with a player, but they still came and got me and made me take a couple shots."
"Just being able to go out on the floor and get some shots up and then take a 3-generation picture with my dad and son was pretty special," Scott Gemes said.
The trip was a special event that provided countless special moments and memories.
"The smell of the popcorn took me back to the movie, and what my dad described growing up in a small town in Indiana and playing high school basketball was like," said Shawn Poyser.
"I really enjoyed the process of putting the trip together and then letting the players, coaches, parents and others who made the trip with us enjoy it," Brownsberger said happily.
The Warsaw junior varsity squad picked up a comeback win, defeating the Cardinals, 50-47.
The Wildcats varsity fell to Lawson by a 47-29 final.
Brownsberger concluded by saying, "Losing the varsity game kind of sours things in the present, but once there is more time to reflect, I know that the memories of the trip and the fact that we got to do something that a lot of high school teams don't will outweigh the result of the game."
