Hoosier Hysteria

Hey All,

There is nothing like Indiana high school basketball, aka "Hoosier Hysteria."

My son and I were able to attend the semi-state game in Seymour featuring my alma mater Washington Hatchets as they played the Rebels of Indianapolis Roncalli for the chance to move on to the State Finals in AAA high school basketball.

CLICK HERE to view the Hatchets homepage.

I live roughly two hours away from Washington, but it is a world away in most respects. With kids, activities, my own travel, etc., we make it back to Washington twice a year at the most, and most of that time is spent at my in-laws. For the most part, I have lost all regular contact with my classmates from the class of '81. It's sad, but it happens. My wife, Liz, is an '82 graduate of Washington Catholic. She is in the same boat.

Washington is a small town of 10,000 residents, fairly isolated in the sense that no major interstate comes within an hours drive. It is like most small Midwestern towns searching for an economic identity as they helplessly watch their Main Street dry up as business steadily moves to the outskirts of town where the Super Wal-Mart has been located for close to ten years.

Gone is Hagels Jewelry, Donaldson's Toggery, Murphy's Five and Dime, The Bell, Palmers, Sonny and Sis, The Wardrobe, J C Penny's, Kramers Toy Store, Raney's Shoe Store, the list goes on and on.

I worked at Donaldson's Toggery growing up, a locally owned clothier that cared for their customers and knew them by first name. Richard Donaldson, the owner, sang at my mother's funeral in 1979. He was always waiting to greet his customers with a smile and a story...his pipe always setting it's masculine mood and his quart of milk in the corner that he would occassionally take a quick swig from. Tim (his son) become one of my friends that I still stay in touch with. I was able to sit at the game with Tim and his wife, Kim.

"Ahhhh....so you don't like beans....ahhhhh????" (Private joke between Tim and I based on a Christmas movie starring Bing Crosby.)

Many young men and women worked at "The Toggery." We learned customer service, how to interact with and treat people, things that have helped all of us as we move into our own vocations. We also took with us an appreciation for small town main streets.

Washington is a town fighting economic issues whose parents realize that a majority of these kids will move away upon graduation. It is a town that loves it's basketball, drawn to it with a passion caused in part by a long tradition (state champions in 1930, 1941 and 1942) and a thirst to excel at something...a thirst to be the best.

The crowd of 8,000 was 2/3 black and gold, the colors of the Hatchets. I watched as people went by, recognizing some, but most were the faces of strangers.

I recognized Mark Arnold (an '81 grad) down on the floor keeping the kids under control. He is now Vice Principle at Washigton High School. Mark played for the Hatchets and still holds the record for highest field goal percentage. He loves what he does, and is no doubt a huge asset to Washington High School.

The game was instense and the crowd was bonkers for the entire game. We were standing for 3/4 of it. It was a classic match up. Heighth and finesse versus brut strength. Heighth and finesse won out, and the Hatchets had their semi-state championship, moving on to the state finals in Indianapolis for the first time in 63 years.

My son (Andrew) wanted to get down on the floor after the game just to soak it in. He was taken in by the atmosphere. He had never seen a high school basketball game like this. Games aren't like that where we are. Lots of entertainment options where we live with Louisville onlly 20 minutes away. High school games are not THE social happening here. That's why Washington his a gym that seats 7,200 for a town of 10,000.

Andrew loves basketball, and is a good player who looks forward to playing high school basketball at Providence High School. After the game, he told me he would remember this game for the rest of his life. I was glad he experienced it.

As we moved through the floor, I congratuated the Assistant Coach, Alan Bubalo. He is the Edward Jones Investment Representative in Washington lined me up with my first job out of college as an Investment Represnetative in Scottsburg, IN. I was with them for ten years before starting Fuzzy Zoeller Productions, with stops in Scottsburg, Kokomo and finally, New Albany.

I got a chance to greet Mark, then ran into his twin brother Mike (a.k.a "Pickle") as well as Mike Garland, who I played high school golf with, all '81 graduates. It was nice to see them, if only for a moment. There is something comforting and real about friends from that time in your life.

I also saw my brother-in-law, Jay Lengacher, as well as two of my nieces, Lindsey and Hannah.

One of the starting guards for Washington is the son of another classmate. That really hit me. Had it been that long? Am I really 41 years old?

I hope the Hatchets bring home the state championship. The town will go nuts. I also hope the kids do not view this pending accomplishment as the biggest thing they will ever do. Achieving such heighths at a young age can have a way of keeping you stuck in that moment for the rest of your life.

To the current Hatchet players, you CAN accomplish anything. Just keep growing and reaching. Your biggest achievements are still ahead of you.

All the best,

Dave