I don’t know about 96 but the 2011 team was one of the best in the state for most of the season.Probably either LaSalle in 1996 or LaSalle in 2011.
The little engine that could of the high school basketball world, shocks the world not once but twice!!
I don’t know about 96 but the 2011 team was one of the best in the state for most of the season.
Here is a great note I ran across on the internet about the Ft. Jennings championship. It's a personal recounting of the tournament by a fan who came back from Oregon to watch the team play. This let's you know how much the title and that team meant to him and to the City.Ft. Jennings 2000
In 1993 Cinderella Wore Orange And BlackI always feel like any MAC team in any sport always has a fighting chance at any given time haha. So while that '93 Coldwater team put together an amazing post season run, that sort of story could only come out of the MAC.
I was a freshman in high school that year and lived in NW Indiana (The Region). My dad was the superintendent of schools where we lived so he had dibs on tickets. We went early and were blown away with Assembly Hall. Had vertigo in empty arena from our nosebleed seats. I remember being impressed that Loogootee had even made it that far given they seemed very short. But they played with a lot of heart and discipline. My dad went to high school in the area and at the same time where Milan (Hoosiers) were from, but strangely he never tried to sway our allegiance to the smaller school. I was blown away by the entire 3 games of the day. My brother and I went there naturally.1975 Loogootee...The Small School Power From Indiana
1975 Loogootee…The Small School Power From Indiana
The 1975 Lions made a lasting impact as one of the best ever to represent small schools in Indianastatelinesportsnetwork.net
He’s from South Webster but transferred to Ironton and then back to South Webster. Nick Aldridge and Waginger were almost unfair in D4Good team also but I remember rumblings about Brigham Waginger transferring in from Ironton after he lost to OJ Mayo and North College Hill the year before.
Thank you for the clarification. Thought he was from one of those places.He’s from South Webster but transferred to Ironton and then back to South Webster. Nick Aldridge and Waginger were almost unfair in D4
I got the real Hoosier Hysteria when Bailey hit the scene and BK scouting him on the 8tu grade. Over 40k was at the finals when his Bedford north Lawrence, believe that was the school, went to the finals.I was a freshman in high school that year and lived in NW Indiana (The Region). My dad was the superintendent of schools where we lived so he had dibs on tickets. We went early and were blown away with Assembly Hall. Had vertigo in empty arena from our nosebleed seats. I remember being impressed that Loogootee had even made it that far given they seemed very short. But they played with a lot of heart and discipline. My dad went to high school in the area and at the same time where Milan (Hoosiers) were from, but strangely he never tried to sway our allegiance to the smaller school. I was blown away by the entire 3 games of the day. My brother and I went there naturally.
FWIW, I became an Indiana diehard fan when I was 10 years old watching the George McGinnis team in the old Fieldhouse when my dad was finishing his doctorate on campus. Once saw George make a behind the back pass to the left on a 2 on 1 break. Unfortunately, the other half of the 2 was on the right . lol. He definitely would have clashed with Coach Knight who arrived the next year after George went pro.
I agree, the 1950 Miller City Team, is the closest thing to Hoosiers. New coach, bunch of farm boys, rag tag uniforms. I have read Hanneman's book. In those days of 2 Division basketball Ohio had 1,200 high schools. The divisions were not equally divided. There were approx. 800 Class B (small schools) and 400 Class A (big schools). There were more schools in Class B that year than the entire number of all schools in all divisions today. Miller City had around 50 boys in the whole HS. My second choice would be the 1946 Farmer Tigers. Under 30 boys in the HS. Farmer is currently part of the Fairview (Defiance County) School District. The Senior Class at Farmer that year won over 100 games in their 4 years.1949-50 Miller City Wildcats.
Went 29-0 and won the Class B state title, which included an 11-0 run through the tournament.
Town had about 150 people.
Home court was called "The Barn" and was heated by two pot-bellied stoves.
Sports writer Dave Hanneman of The Courier in Findlay wrote a book in 2007 called "Wildcats: The Story of Miller City's Unbeaten State Championship Team Of 1950 " about the season.
If I recall correctly from the book, the champion and runner-up at each postseason level both advanced to the next round at the time, which would help explain how the Wildcats went 11-0 in the postseason. It's been a while since I read the book, though.
Interesting side note: John Born and William Dailey officiated both Class B semifinals and the state final, while Mack Schaffer and Andy Lindsay did the same in Class A.
Good Choice. One of my favorite small school champions.Ft. Jennings 2000
Here's an article on the "Dirty Shirts" championship game written on the 40th anniversary of the game. Courtesy of Defiance County Genealogical Society and The Bryan Times.I agree, the 1950 Miller City Team, is the closest thing to Hoosiers. New coach, bunch of farm boys, rag tag uniforms. I have read Hanneman's book. In those days of 2 Division basketball Ohio had 1,200 high schools. The divisions were not equally divided. There were approx. 800 Class B (small schools) and 400 Class A (big schools). There were more schools in Class B that year than the entire number of all schools in all divisions today. Miller City had around 50 boys in the whole HS. My second choice would be the 1946 Farmer Tigers. Under 30 boys in the HS. Farmer is currently part of the Fairview (Defiance County) School District. The Senior Class at Farmer that year won over 100 games in their 4 years.
So are we talking "long shot underdog teams" or big schools from a big city that are D1 and had a bad regular season but won a state championship? If so, I can say Dayton Colonel White 90', lost 8 straight regular season games and still won state, 4 of starting 5 went D1 state POY went D2 and won a national championship or if the topic is small town "longshot, underdog" D4 teams I'll go with 2008 Jefferson Township with Adrien Payne(5 yr. NBA and currently overseas pro) and Cody Latimer(Washington Redskins) along with D4 1998 Jefferson Township team.I know, I was kidding.
The 1996 team was last in the GCL though, and I believe had 7 losses.
Waterloo no longer exists.Only one of these is a school no longer in existence.
Farmer it is.
Farmer's population is 963....in the entire township.
Waterloo no longer exists.
You really get a sense of the differences in Ohio and Indiana and football and basketball when you look at the broadcasting interests and just the general excitement of the sports.
I was born and raised in Indiana, played basketball and the one class system. I supported that to a certain degree, but after being in Ohio for more of my adult life, the multi class system is better, IMO. Indiana has obviously had class basketball now for years and I just think you have to have a sense of at least being able to fathom a state title. In the old Indiana one class system the chances were about 0. Yes, there was Milan but that was in the 50's
Here's an article about the 2007 Georgetown team being inducted into the Brown County Athletic Hall of Fame; courtesy of The News Democrat. Knocking off Harvest Prep is not an easy thing to do and SHOULD be remembered!Georgetown's undefeated state title run has to be one of the most underrated out there...no one saw it coming...few even noticed they were unbeaten in the regular season....and no one's really mentioned it since.
That's true. I was at that same state tournament to watch Upper Sandusky play and just remember both games for the G-Men being exciting and close but for whatever reason just kinda ho-hum for that tournament. Compared to seeing the 08 New Knoxville and 18 Marion Local from just as small as town and had some incredible players play for both of those. I'm not sure if that made sense but just my thoughts.Georgetown's undefeated state title run has to be one of the most underrated out there...no one saw it coming...few even noticed they were unbeaten in the regular season....and no one's really mentioned it since.
Scott Skiles team which won multiple tight / overtime games along the way. Including winning the rubber match vs. Lasalle who was the only team to beat them in the regular season.And Plymouth in the early 80s.
That's true. I was at that same state tournament to watch Upper Sandusky play and just remember both games for the G-Men being exciting and close but for whatever reason just kinda ho-hum for that tournament. Compared to seeing the 08 New Knoxville and 18 Marion Local from just as small as town and had some incredible players play for both of those. I'm not sure if that made sense but just my thoughts.