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'HOOSIERS' REVISITED INDIANAJUMPS OVER HOOPS

By MARK ZEIGLER

March 9, 1992

Publication: San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA)

is a tall man with graying hair. He graduated from North Judson in '57 and played on a sectional championship team. He is wearing a blue coat and yellow tie.

wearing the new uniforms it got the day before, leads, 42-36.

NORTHJUDSON, IND. — If this is God's country, then the northwest section of Indiana is His pool table. Green. Flat. Multicolored water towers. Pockets of tiny, tidy towns.

Most of the residents of Starke County are farmers, and most grow mint. The leaves are bought by the Wrigley company to flavor its gum. If you drive through in the summer, they say it smells like the whole world is chewing.

On this Saturday afternoon, the first in March, God's pool table is wet. God's spray bottle is on the mist setting, and a heavy fog hangs over the frozen fields, enshrouding the bare trees and hiding the gray barns that have survived too many winters.

No matter, and the game here is basketball anyway. Afather and son go one-on-one in a driveway, their hair matted by sweat and the mist, muddy hand prints and ball marks on the white garage door. In a carport down the gravel road, a boy no more than 5 or 6 has one of those little adjustable hoops and a little rubber ball. He is wearing a hooded parka -- his mother made him wear it -- and he is dribbling and shooting and dreaming. One day, maybe.

Tonight is the sectional final of the Indiana High School Basketball Tournament. Tonight.

In Indiana, high schools are not separated by class in the state tournament. Everyone plays together, 20 wins or zero, conference champions or last place, urban campus or country schoolhouse. You play in a six-team sectional, and the 64 champions advance to regionals. The 16 regional winners go to semi-states, and the survivors to the final four in the big city, Indianapolis. Two years ago, the finals were moved from Market Square Arena (capacity 16,912) to the Hoosier Dome. Forty-one thousand showed up for the championship game. North Judson has a population of 1,600 and a high school enrollment of 450. The high school gym seats 3,516. It will be packed tonight. This is basketball. This is Indiana.

North Judson is two hours and one dream from the Hoosier Dome. The Bluejays never will get there, except every time they close their eyes. In the 23 years that the North Judson sectional winner has advanced to the Michigan City regional, the mint farmers never have won even one game there. But ... "You get to the regional and maybe win the regional," one player rationalized, "then you go the semi-state and at the semi-state anything can happen, and ..."

Tonight North Judson is playing Knox in the sectional final. North Judson and Knox are rivals. Bitter rivals. There are stories of grownups betting hundreds of dollars on their games. One North Judson graduate who runs a business in town says gambling is illegal in Indiana, particularly on sporting events involving teen-agers. Then he smiles. "I've got North Judson and 10 points."

In the early '70s, before North Judson built its new gym and the sectional was held at Knox, a North Judson fan thought the Knox clock operator was cheating. He had had enough. He walked over and took a swing. Astate trooper intervened before it landed.

"I've matured since then," the man says. He is in his 50s now and has a white beard. He is a local fireman.

North Judson lies between the Kankakee and Tippecanoe rivers, about 75 miles southeast of Chicago and 130 miles north of Indianapolis. It is a small town. The only stoplight is a flashing red light -- no yellow, no green. There is a main street with some shops and bars and a bank.

There is a country kitchen serving biscuits and gravy for $1.99.

On the far end of town, a few blocks past the flashing red light, is the Family Pantry, which, according to its sign, is the "World's Smallest Supermarket." Across the street is Doug's Restaurant and Lounge. Today's special is a sloppy Joe with french fries for $2.95.

There is no South Judson. "You're in West Judson," Doug says.

There are no tanning salons or sushi bars, or even a movie theater. When "Hoosiers," the Gene Hackman film chronicling the 1954 state championship season of little Milan High in southeast Indiana, was released a few years back, people had to drive 45 minutes to see it.

Funny. They could have driven around the corner to the North Judson High gym and lived it.

TWENTYMINUTES

TO ABIG MAC

Knox is about 20 minutes away. "It's bigger," a North Judson cheerleader says. "It has a McDonald's. We don't have a McDonald's."

Knox has a population of about 3,900 and a high-school enrollment of nearly 600. It has a half-dozen traditional stoplights, a Walgreen's, a Kentucky Fried Chicken, a Dairy Queen, a window factory and a trophy factory. The county seat, Knox has a monument in the town square honoring the 37 Starke residents who gave their lives in World War II, the five who died in the Korean War, the 10 in Vietnam.

Carol Skibbe sits in the McDonald's wearing a red and gray Knox basketball sweatshirt. She takes the last bite of a hamburger, pushes up her sleeve and looks at her watch. 6:20 p.m. Time to go.

Skibbe, Knox class of '66, will drive the team bus to North Judson tonight. She spent an hour this afternoon decorating it, writing each player's name on the windows and hanging streamers and taping "Kick Butt Knox" signs on the ceiling. The cheerleaders already have decorated each player's house.

Skibbe drives the bus to the back door of the gym, and the players solemnly board. At 6:45, the bus pulls out. Two police cars and a fire truck, lights whirring, lead the procession. Then comes the team bus, then the rooter bus, then the cars.

They turn right on Highway 35, a four-lane street. As the caravan leaves town and the road narrows to two lanes, day surrenders to night and the mist hangs even lower over the frozen fields. It is cold enough to see the car exhaust.

Inside the team bus, the radio is on.

"They'll get on the bus and thank me for the decorations," Skibbe said. "Then they'll say, 'Mrs. Skibbe, could you put the radio on, please?' I'll put on the radio. Then when we get about 10 minutes away, they'll ask me to turn it off and they'll go into a deep concentration."

The caravan turns right on Highway 10 and proceeds past Russ's Tires and Deb's Roadside Groceries, past Grandpa's Country Store, past the New Judson sign proclaiming it a "Town with a Future." On consecutive telephone poles are three hand-made placards:

WE.

WANT.

KNOX.

The players arrive at the gym about 7:15. It is filling fast, Knox fans on the south side and the North Judson fans on the north. The court is empty except for the sectional trophy, which sits in the jump circle.

HOOSIER HYSTERIA

James Scutchfield, the North Judson principal,

He owns a '49 Mercury that James Dean used in "Rebel Without a Cause," and takes it to car shows around the state, but he doesn't tell anyone it's the actual car Dean used in the film for fear someone will steal it.

Scutchfield is asked to explain Hoosier Hysteria, to put into words what the sectional means to the players, the schools, the towns. As he opens his mouth, the teams take the floor for warm-ups.

Scutchfield stops, smiles and waits for the gym to stop shaking. "Does that answer your question?" he says.

The bleachers at the North Judson gym rise from both sidelines; there are no end-zone seats. Standing behind one baseline are the football coach, a few teachers and Doug, who gets to stand there because his brother, Dave Vessely, is the athletic director. Standing at the other end are the local police and firemen, all in uniform.

What happens if someone tries to rob the bank?

"They get the money," a history teacher says. No one has to stand up for the national anthem because no one ever sat down. It gets very quiet. Robb Vessely, Dave's son who played on North Judson's 1990 sectional champions, leans over and whispers: "This is where you really get nervous."

For a high school basketball player in Indiana, especially for one in a small town, this is it. This is the zenith of your athletic career, maybe of your life. You would think being just one of the 64 remaining teams in the state tournament would not be a big deal. It is a big deal.

Most of these players learned how to play basketball on baskets in gravel driveways, or in haylofts when it got too cold outside. The Jordans (no relation to Michael) probably have the best hayloft in town. It has two hoops.

All your life you dream of making any basketball team -- everybody tries out. Then you dream of making the varsity. Then you dream of playing in a sectional final. Behind the Knox bench, little kids sit on the floor, wearing the oversized warm-ups of the varsity players, their heroes, their idols.

The day of the game, about half the North Judson players watched the "Hoosiers" video on a VCR. Watched between trips to the bathroom.

"That's where my brother was all day," said Robb Vessely, whose brother, Michael, is a sophomore on the North Judson varsity. "Back and forth. Every five minutes ... Maalox time."

The game starts, and it is right out of "Hoosiers." Crew cuts. Man-to-man defense. Two-handed chest passes. When a foul is called, no matter how questionable, players pick up the ball and hand it to the official. What's wrong with this picture are the leather sneakers.

Knox (18-3) is the favorite. It played North Judson (15-7) twice at home and won by 20 and 14. The night before, in the sectional semifinal, it blew out defending champ LaCrosse, 102-52, after the LaCrosse bus was delayed by a reported funnel cloud.

The Redskins haven't won the sectional in 19 years. They haven't even been in the championship game. Two years ago, they were 2-19.

"We're hungry for this. Real hungry," Skibbe said. "Short of killing, we'll do just about anything to win."

Avictory assembly already has been planned back at the Knox gym after the game, after the fire trucks and police cars escort the team bus around town a few times.

But the Redskins are tight. Nervous. They miss layups. They miss free throws. They can't get their running game going. They get into foul trouble, and at halftime North Judson,

Fifty-four seconds into the third quarter, Knox calls timeout with North Judson ahead by 11; by the end of the quarter the Bluejays' lead is down to three. The fireman who went after the clock operator crams popcorn in his mouth. The football coach, whose son is a starting forward, squats and runs his hand through his hair. Doug, who was student body president when the gym was built, was supposed to call back to the lounge every so often to see if he were needed. He never calls.

With 48 seconds left, the North Judson lead is five. Senior Kelly Shepherd is fouled and goes to the line for one-and-one. He makes both -81-74, North Judson. With 40 seconds left, forward Shannon Brown is fouled and goes to the line. Brown is a freshman.

"This," Robb Vessely says, "is why it's worth practicing in the back yard every day." Brown makes both free throws -- 83-74. The Bluejays fans start celebrating.

The public-address announcer begs the fans not to run on the court, but they do anyway when the final buzzer sounds and North Judson is an 83-76 winner. Aladder is removed from an equipment closet, and one by one the players cut down the nets, each taking a strand for themselves, forever. They pose for a team photo with the sectional trophy and the cheerleaders. They sign autographs.

"We just turned a good season into a great season, just by winning one ballgame," coach David McCullough tells reporters. "I'm so happy for these kids, I can't tell you. I feel like I'm 18 years old again."

Fans line up to congratulate McCullough, to shake his hand, to, well, hug the man. One guy carrying an infant says, "I turned down $107 in overtime work so I could come tonight. I told them, 'Hey, I don't care what you have to do, but I'm not working.' It was worth it."

Meantime, behind the bleachers, in the visitor's locker room, the Knox players bury their heads in towels and cry. "For the seniors, there are a lot of tears, a lot of hurt," Redskins coach Michael Lord says, loosening his red tie. "This was their last chance."

One of them is Jeremy Crittendon, a 6-foot-4 guard who is an all-state candidate. With 27 points tonight, he broke the Knox career scoring record. He doesn't care.

"The whole season don't mean nothing until the sectionals," Crittendon mumbles, staring at the floor. "That means everything. You don't have to win a game all season. All that matters is the sectional."

Out on the floor, Harold Welter, a longtime radio announcer, is finishing his broadcast, which was heard on WKVI, the local countrywestern station. Welter takes off his headphones and says: "We sit here before the game on the radio and talk about the last 37 years of this sectional. We talk about names and everything. Everybody here remembers. Everybody probably can name you the starters on the 1958 team that won the regional.

"In the movie, 'Hoosiers,' the gal talks about how, 'I don't want this to be the high point of his life when he's just 17 or 18 years old.' For some kids, it is."

The crowd is beginning to thin out. Until the Indiana state school board changed the rules, it used be that if you won the sectional there was no school Monday and there was a town parade. Instead, there will be an all-school assembly.

Five Bluejays players climb to the top row of bleachers and sit there, side by side. Below them on the court, little kids shoot wads of paper into rims without nets. "Just savoring it," one of the players yells down.

Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the mint leaves.

PHILIPANTHONY NUEST

FORMERLYOF MEDARYVILLE, IN - Philip Anthony Nuest, 37, died Sunday, February 19, 2023. He was born January 19, 1986, in Hammond, Indiana.

Philip was friendly to all. He loved to play games with his family and was a jokester who made everyone smile. He loved to sing and dance and enjoyed fishing, cooking, playing basketball, woodworking and salvaging and he loved Jesus.

He is survived by his finacée, Yolanda Reyes, one daughter, Aleiya Schneider, his parents, Dan A. and Catherine M. (Doll) Nuest, one sister, Felicia (Eric) Huber and grandparents: Elvin and Janet (Lowry) Nuest and Mary (Shandick) Blanchard.

Services were held Monday, February 27, at Frain Mortuary Querry-Ulbricht Chapel, with Tony Schabel officiating. Private burial will be held at a later date at the Roseland Cemetery in Francesville, Indiana. Memorial contributions may be made to Men of Nehemiah or Trinity Life Ministry.

Arrangements were made by FrainMortuary Querry Ulbricht Chapel in Francesville.

JOHN DANIEL

MATTHEWS, JR.

WINAMAC, IN - John Daniel Matthews, Jr., 55, died Monday, February 20, 2023, at his home. He was born May 16, 1967, in Hammond, Indiana, to John D. “JD” and Reathey (Flippo) Matthews.

Junior drove semi most of his life and loved fishing, hunting and spending time with his family.

He is survived by his beloved friend, Connie (Grigsby) Clemans of Winamac, six daughters: Kimberly (Travis) Doedan, Natasha Matthews, Shiann Clemans and Samantha (John) Scripter, all of Winamac, Katie Matthews of Medaryville, Indiana and Danielle (Patrick) Melton of London, Kentucky and two sons: Tyson Matthews of Winamac and Elijah Matthews of Medaryville, sixteen grandchildren, his mother, Reathey M. Matthews of Knox, Indiana and one brother, Charles (Al) Stamper of Winamac. He was preceded in death by his father, JD Matthews, three grandchildren: Infant Bentley Wayne Button, Leyton Leroy Matthews and Infant Isabella Sue Ann Day, and two brothers: Terry Lee and James Walton “Jim” Matthews.

Services were held Friday, Feburary 24, at Frain Mortuary Querry-Ulbricht Chapel, with Pastor James Rowe officiating. Burial was in the Alexander Heinemann Memorial Cemetery in Ora, Indiana. Memorial contributions may be made to the funeral home to assist with expenses.

Arrangements were made by Frain Mortuary Querry-Ulbricht Chapel, Medaryville.

DIANAJ. ARNOLD

KNOX, IN - Diana J. Arnold, 83, died Thursday, February 16, 2023. She was born January 26, 1940 in Harvey, Illinois.

Diana had worked many years as a real estate agent.

She is survived by her children: Dan Zimbrich and Kathy Campbell, both of Florida, Ed McGowan and Matt McGowan, both of Knox, one step son, Will Arnold of Illinois and five grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Irene Kausal, her husband, William “Bill” Arnold, one sister, Barbara Cornwell and three brothers: Wayne, Bill and Bob Kausal.

Amemorial service will be held Saturday, March 4, at 1pm CT, with visitation two hours prior to services at M.C. Smith Funeral Home.

Arrangements were made by M.C. Smith Funeral Home, Knox.

WAYNE L. BUTLER

GROVERTOWN, IN - Wayne L. Butler, 71, died Sunday, February 19, 2023, in Portage, Indiana. He was born November 30, 1951, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the late Harold and Betty (Havens) Butler. On March 2, 1991, in Knox, Indiana, he married Diana Minix. Wayne was a member of the Cross Roads Church. He loved listening to music, playing the guitar, fishing, collecting guns and spending time with his family. He had a passion for old cars and Ford trucks. He had worked as a machinist for Braun.

He is survived by his wife, Diana, one son, Brandon Haddix of Knox, three daughters: Christine Wyatt of Walkerton, Indiana, Audrey Raymond of South Bend, Indiana and Wendy (Tim) Glatzer of Powell, Wyoming, one grandson, and one sister, Rita (Rick) Binford of Escanaba, Michigan. He was preceded in death by one sister, Darleen Butler.

Services were held Friday, February 24, at Braman &Son Memorial Chapel, with Pastor Scott Yoder officiating. Burial was in the Eagle Creek Cemetery, Knox. Memorials may be made to Turkey Tracks Hunt Eric Corey Foundation.

Arrangements were made by Braman & Son Memorial Chapel, Knox.

DONNAA.

YOUNG

KNOX, IN - Donna A. Young, 72, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023. She was born April 8, 1950, in Chicago, Illinois. On November 5, 1983, she married Roger R. Young.

She is survived by her husband, Roger, two sons: Phillip Sosnowski and Roger R. (Gina Giancarlo-Young) Young, Jr., two daughters: Julie (George) Pappas and Angela (Brian) Little, ten grandchildren, two great grandchildren, one brother, Dennis (Debra) Burke and one sister, Janis (Richard) Rampage. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Elayne (Kopulous)Burke and two brothers: William and Michael Burke.

The family will host a memorial service at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Arrangements were made by Frain Mortuary in Winamac, Indiana.

JUDITH MAE WHITLOW

KNOX, IN - Judith Mae (Chaja) Whitlow, 79, died Friday, February 17, 2023, after a brief and courageous battle with cancer. She was born September 9, 1943, in Gary, Indiana, to Mary and Stanley Chaja. On November 23, 1963, she married Patrick Whitlow.

Judie graduated from Wirt High School in Gary and received her Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Degree from Purdue University extension. She loved to read, go to the movies, play cards and bingo, spend time with her family, count her winnings from the casino and vacationing in Las Vegas, Nevada and Maui, Hawaii.

She is survived by her husband, Patrick, three children: Julanne Whitlow, Patrick (Nicole) Whitlow Jr. and Jennifer Whitlow, five grandchildren, four great grandchildren and siblings: Walt and Patricia. She was preceded in death by her mother and step father, Mary Virgo and Sam Virgo and one sister, Samela Nagle.

Amemorial service will be held Sunday, March 5, at 1pm (CT), with visitation two hours prior to services at M.C. Smith Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Arrangements were made by M.C. Smith Funeral Home, Knox.

KATHRYN LEE BENKIE

MICHIGAN CITY, IN - FORMERLYOF NORTH JUDSON, INKathryn Lee “Sus” or “Kitty” (Podell) Benkie, 83, died Thursday, February 23, 2023, at the home of her daughter in Fairbanks, Indiana. She was born September 25, 1939, in Winamac, Indiana, to the late Arthur and Alice (Danford) Podell.

Kitty started her career in banking at the American State Bank in North Judson and retired from the Horizon Bank in Michigan City, Indiana.

She is survived by her children: Michael Benkie of Florida and Shelley (Kirt) Flesher of Fairbanks, three grandchildren, two great grandchildren and siblings: Cherryl (Tom) Bothwell of Hebron, Indiana, Linda Kumpula of North Judson and Janet (Al) Holke of Bass Lake, Indiana. she was preceded in death by one son, Roger, and siblings: Robert, Don and Billy Podell.

Acelebration of life service will be held Saturday, March 4, at 1pm CTat St. John Lutheran Church in Wanatah, Indiana, with Pastor Joel Zipay officiating.

BILLYG. FRITZ

LAFAYETTE, IN - Billy G. Fritz, 84, died Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at Creasy springs Health Campus in Lafayette, Indiana. He was born July 1, 1938, in Winamac, Indiana, to the late Raymond E. and Opal R. (White) Fritz. On February 23, 1974, in Monticello, Indiana, he married Barbara A. Bisher.

Billy owned and operated Bill’s Auto Body in rural Beaver Township and did body work for nearly 40 years. He was a member of the Northern Indiana Power from the Past and enjoyed rebuilding and displaying antique engines. He enjoyed traveling and spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara, one son, Dwayne A. Fritz and one daughter, Angela L. (Aaron Sprout) Fritz, all of Lafayette. He was preceded in death by one infant brother, Larry Fritz. Services were held Tuesday, February 28, at Frain Mortuary, with Rev. Edward Clark officiating. Burial was in Paul’s Chapel Cemetery in Winamac. Memorials may be made to Almost Home Humane Society or Northern Indiana Power from the Past. Arrangements were made by Frain Mortuary, Winamac.

RONALD K. WARNER

KNOX, IN - Ronald K. Warner, 76, died Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Catherine Kasper Life Center in Donaldson, Indiana. He was born February 25, 1947, in Knox, to the late Reuben and Vera (Webb) Warner. On March 30, 1970, he married Glenda Howard. She died November 1, 2020.

Ronald was a veteran of the US Army, having served in Germany during the Vietnam War. He was an electrician and had owned Warner Electric for 52 years. He was also past president and a 40 year member of the Bass Lake Lions.

He is survived by two daughters: Rebecca “Becky” (Jason) Cornelius and Wendy (Paul) Korp, both of Knox, four grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and one sister, Delores (Russell) Smith of Knox. He was preceded in death by one grandson, J.D. Cornelius and two brothers: Roger and Richard Warner.

Afuneral service will take place on Wednesday, March 1, at 1pm CT, with visitation 2 hours prior to services at M.C. Smith Funeral Home. Burial will follow at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Knox.

Arrangements were made by M.C. Smith Funeral Home, Knox.

DONALD R. OKELEY

KNOX, IN - Donald R. Okeley, 74, died Sunday, February 26, 2023. He was born January 4, 1949, in rural Pulaski County, Indiana. On February 25, 1967, he married Catherine “Cathy” Bradley.

Don was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was also an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching all sports teams on ESPN, but especially liked the Cubs, Bears and Bulls. He loved his family very much and enjoyed spending time with them.

He is survived by his wife, Cathy, his children: Annette (David)Wojcik of Plymouth, Indiana, Donald L. (Heather) Okeley and Deann Okeley, both of Knox and Shane Okeley of Hamlet, Indiana, nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren (with one more on the way), one brother, Charles (Orpha)Okeley of Bluffton, Indiana and three sisters: Lila (Calvin) Rudd of Valparaiso, Indiana and Alice Miller and Joyce Bailey, both of Knox.

Afuneral service will be held at 1pm, Friday, March 3, with visitation two hours prior to service (11am-1pm).

Arrangements were made by M.C. Smith Funeral Home, Knox.

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