MILAN WINS STATE NET TITLE!

 

The following account of the 1954 state championship game appeared in The Indianapolis Star on Sunday, March 21, 1954.

 

By Bob Collins

 

1954 State Finals Program Cover

����������� Bobby Plump drove a jump shot home with three seconds remaining and � just like that � the �Mighty Men� of Milan became high school champions of this state.� Muncie Central was vanquished.� The score was 32-30.

����������� And the game well, it was one of the greatest this state tourney ever has seen and the Butler Fieldhouse was a madhouse as the final gun sounded last night.

����������� What a night for Milan.� Not only did this school, with an enrollment of 162 (73 boys) become the smallest school to win this title since Thorntown licked the field in 1915, it now is the only school ever to win and still get a mental attitude award recipient.����������

����������� The Trester Medal kid was, of course, Plump�the mightiest Redskin of all.� The award gave Robert a grip on just about everything but the fieldhouse doorknobs.� He also was the best scorer in the semi-finals and finals with 81 points � the last two of which will not be forgotten in Indiana for years.

����������� Milan called time with 18 seconds remaining and not one of the 15,000 souls in the fieldhouse doubted that Bobby was going to shoot.

����������� After Milan threw the ball in, Plump took it in midcourt and started the slow drag dribble, his face an inscrutable mask.� With eight seconds remaining he cut to his right and headed for home.

Milan�s Ray Craft goes up for two of his game-high 14 points in the championship game. Jim Hinds (40) is the Bearcat defender.

����������� It was the tried and proven Plump formula.� Three steps down, lean forward, fake pull back, jump and shoot.� With a great deliberation, Plump jumped cocked his right arm and watched the ball sail through with just three seconds showing on the clock.

����������� And Cinderella marched proudly off the floor her slippers intact and her coach � a shiny Cadillac � in no danger of turning into a pumpkin shell.

����������� The nice thing about watching Milan is that everyone is in on the secret.� The Redskins work patiently for a lead and then try to hide the ball.

����������� Only difference this time was the cat almost swallowed the mouse.

����������� �This time the Indians got their lead at 14-11 just at the end of the first quarter.� Ray Craft took over Plump�s driving chores since every move Robert made was watched by 10 Muncie eyes.

����������� Craft and Ronnie Truitt ran the count to 19-11 with 5:56 minutes left to play in the half.� But the untiring Gene Flowers who kept Muncie�s heart pounding all the way picked up the sagging Bearcats, and took on the Indians single-handed.

����������� He had the score respectable at 23-17 when the protagonist went below for a short rest.

Came the third quarter and Milan had a new, hungry Muncie team on its hands.

����������� A pair of free throws by Bob Crawford cut two more points off Muncie�s agony and a long one-hander by the ever-present Flowers� made the score 23-21, Milan.� Less than two minutes of the third quarter had been played. �

����������� Plump�s free throw gave Milan a better working margin and the Redskins, playing calmly and deliberately, managed to hold the Bearcats, at bay until Leon Agullana tied the score at 26-26 just as the third quarter ended.

�����������

Bobby Plump (obscured from view) hit the game-winner with three seconds remaining.

����������� Truitt fouled Muncie�s Jim Hinds at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Jim dropped both free throws to give the Bearcats the first lead since way back when.� And this is the point where the field house really started going wild.

����������� Plump dribbled up over mid-court pulled the ball up against his stomach, and stood still.� Muncie waited and if you think you gotta have motion to generate excitement, you should have been there.

Plump held the ball amidst more noise than you�ll hear in the wildest fast breaking game, for four minutes and 14 seconds and then called time.�

Only 3:38 remained to be played.

Then with 2:55 remaining, Plump shot and missed and Muncie grabbed the rebound.�

����������� A bad pass gave the ball back to the Indians and Craft tied the score at 28-28 with only 2:12 showing on the clock.�

����������� With 1:42 to play Jimmy Barnes fouled Plump.� Naturally he hit both free throws.� Muncie lost the ball again and when Milan got possession again with a 30-28 bulge, it looked like it was all over.� But Craft�s clincher attempt rolled in and out and Flowers almost tore the nets off with a driving one-hander.� This one arrived with but 48 seconds left and tied the score at 30-30.

At game�s end, disappointed Muncie Central players are consoled by their coaches and school administrators.

����������� The rest now is one of the finest parts of Indiana high school tournament history.� The Tribe held the ball until 18 seconds remained, called time and then Plump sailed into the clouds, taking Milan�s mighty metropolis population of 1,150. right along with him.

����������� Milan canned 10 of 29 shots for a .345 average, Muncie made 11 of 44 for a .250 percent.� The 5-7 Craft was the night�s top scorer with 14 points.� Flowers had 11, Plump and Hinds each scored 10.

����������� It was a disappointing defeat for Jay McCreary and the Muncie lads seeking to make their school the first ever to win five state titles.

����������� It was just their misfortune to run head on into Destiny�s grandchildren at the wrong time.�

����������� And truthfully now, who on this broad earth will begrudge little Marvin Wood and those wonderful, men of Milan that trophy?

 

The newly-crowned state champs posed for this photo in the locker room after the game.

MILAN (32)

FG

FT

R

TP

E

Engel, F

1

0

2

2

0

Cutter, F

0

0

2

0

0

Wendelman, F

0

0

0

0

0

Truitt, F

2

1

3

5

0

White, C

0

1

2

1

0

Craft, G

4

6

2

14

1

Plump, G

3

4

6

10

2

Totals

10

12

17

32

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

MUNCIE (30)

FG

FT

R

TP

E

Hinds, F

3

4

9

10

0

Flowers, F

5

1

5

11

3

Casterlow, C

0

0

0

0

0

Crawford, C

0

2

2

2

0

Raisor, G

0

0

3

0

0

Agullana, G

1

0

3

2

1

Barnes, G

2

1

2

5

0

Totals

11

8

24

30

4

 

 

 

 

Scoring by Quarters

 

 

 

 

 

Total

Milan

14

9

3

6

32

Muncie

11

6

9

4

30

 

Errors by Quarters

 

 

 

 

 

Total

Milan

2

0

1

0

3

Muncie

0

1

1

2

4

 

Shooting by Quarters

Milan

.455

.375

.000

.500

Muncie

.190

.300

.333

.200

 

 

 

At game�s end, disappointed Muncie Central players are consoled by their coaches and school administrators.