Milan, IN

In the annals of Indiana basketball history, no town is prouder than Milan (pop. 1,816).

In 1954, a team from Milan High School—with an enrollment of only 161 students—held off big-city powerhouse Muncie Central, 32-30, to capture the state championship. The legendary victory inspired the 1986 movie Hoosiers and remains an enduring point of pride in the southeast Indiana community.

“The community is still celebrating,” says Roselyn McKittrick, whose antique store features a collection of autographed basketballs, letterman jackets, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia from the 1954 team and its now-famous victory. The plan is to put the collection on permanent display in the Milan ’54 Museum in the former Ripley County Bank building by 2004, the 50th anniversary of the team’s victory and the 150th birthday of the town.

“People just love the story,” McKittrick says. “Once I had people from seven different states in here at one time to see the ’54 things and talk about the game.”

The victory changed the lives of the players, the coaches, and the town. “It had a very positive influence on every player and everybody associated with that team,” says Bobby Plump, who made the game-winning shot, later played and coached in the National Industrial League, and now lives in Indianapolis. “It put us in the public eye.”

Of the 12 players of the Milan Miracle team, all but two went on to college, and several became coaches. All left Milan but return often.

“Most of us would probably not have gone to college, but most of us ended up with scholarships,” says Gene White, who teaches math at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind. “It was a dream come true.”

Almost half a century later, the story of the “Milan Miracle,” as the David vs. Goliath victory came to be called, is still the heartbeat of Hoosier hysteria. Youngsters tossing hoops in barnyards and makeshift basketball courts across the state—and country—are reared on the story. It put the town on the map.

“When you say you are from Milan, there is always somebody that says, ‘I remember that game,’” says Susan Cottingham, who was born and raised in Milan and now teaches first-grade at nearby Sunman (Ind.) Elementary School.

Milan hasn’t changed much over the years. Folks still gather at Nichols’ Barbershop, meet at the VFW Hall or American Legion, and stop by the Dairy Queen after the game to enjoy a burger or ice cream cone. Miles of cornfields surround the town, the old water tower is emblazoned with “State Champs 1954” on its side, and there’s no traffic light. Officials say the town doesn’t need one.

“They tell us our traffic isn’t heavy enough,” says Phyllis Franklin, who has spent all her 73 years in Milan. “But we do have our major claim to fame. I think that game was the biggest thing that ever happened to Milan.”

And on game nights during basketball season, supportive fans pack the new Milan High School gymnasium—where the old scoreboard is permanently frozen with the winning score from 1954—to root on the home team.

“People get really excited about basketball in Indiana; it gets crazy,” says Marty Layden, athletics director at Milan High School. “Kids are proud to be from Milan. And we’ve got a real good following. People are here to back the kids, win or lose.”

Jackie Sheckler Finch is a freelance writer living in Bloomington, Ind.

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