Milan, Indiana — A 70th anniversary celebration of Milan High School’s legendary 1954 Indiana Basketball State Championship will be held on Saturday, March 23 in the town of Milan. Festivities will take place in the Milan High School gymnasium (609 N. Warpath Drive, Milan, Indiana) beginning at 11 am and admission is free and open to the public. The celebration will include remarks from dignitaries and feature a panel discussion with the Milan players. Greg Rakestraw, of the ISC Sports Network in Indianapolis and the 2023 “Indiana Sportscaster of the Year”, will moderate the discussion. Following the formal ceremony, the Milan players and actors from the movie Hoosiers will sign autographs and food trucks will be on hand. Merchandise from the Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum will be available for purchase and the museum, located at 201 West Carr Street, will be open to the public prior to ceremony from 8 am to 10 am and then following the ceremony from 2 pm to 4 pm. *Note, those planning to attend must RSVP via the following link: https://forms.gle/WQGtzm2jMnfWCB9D7
On March 20,1954, the Milan Indians became the smallest school in Indiana history to capture the state championship. With time running out, Milan guard Bobby Plump hit the game-winning shot to defeat powerhouse Muncie Central by a score of 32-30. The following day, 40,000 people descended on Milan (population: 1,150) as the team returned home from Indianapolis, lining State Road 101 for thirteen miles to congratulate the Indians. In 2016, the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and Indiana Sports History Properties LLC – unveiled the 25 greatest stories in Indiana sports history. The “Milan Miracle” ranked number one on the list. In 1986, Milan’s state championship run was portrayed in the movie Hoosiers which is regarded as one of the best sports films ever made.
“As someone who was born and raised in Milan, Indiana, I find it hard to believe that we will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Milan Indians’ iconic victory in the 1954 Indiana State High School basketball championship game. We hope to have a tremendous crowd on hand to honor the team on March 23 in the Milan High School gymnasium. Featuring remarks from several dignitaries and interviews with players and actors from the movie Hoosiers, this day will also be a historic one for the town of Milan. We welcome all who have a love for the “Milan Miracle”, the movie Hoosiers, and Indiana basketball and look forward to seeing you on March 23!” – Tom Kohlmeier, Board Chairman of the Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum
“Indiana and basketball go hand-in-hand, and the sport is forever ingrained in our rich, historic proud past. The Milan Miracle of 1954 was key in solidifying Indiana’s reputation as the state that grew the game. From Bobby Plump to Bobby Knight, Oscar Robertson to George McGinnis and Larry Bird to Reggie Miller, Indiana’s history is full of Hoosier legends. While many theories exist on what is a Hoosier, to me the word Hoosier will always be tied a deep love and respect for the game.” Eric Holcomb, Governor of the State of Indiana
“I can recall growing up that each year, prior to the state tournament, our local newspaper would pull out the story of the mighty Milan Indians vanquishing the Muncie Central Bearcats. No doubt our paper was not unique in this regard. Most other small or medium-sized towns were doing the same. This was of course to inspire the local team that they, too, could pull off a miraculous tournament run. Of course, that game would become the core story representing the special relationship between the people of Indiana and basketball. As Milan’s mythic journey has inspired countless players and coaches in the past 70 years, it too inspired me 40 years ago to write the movie “Hoosiers.” I look forward to celebrating the 70th anniversary of the greatest game in Indiana high school history with the very special members of that team.” Angelo Pizzo, Screenwriter for the movie Hoosiers
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 70 years since we achieved our goal of winning the Indiana State High School Basketball Championship. My teammates and I are thrilled to reunite in Milan on March 23rd to relive so many great memories and celebrate with our family members, friends, dignitaries, and others who appreciate our story and the rich history of Indiana basketball. It’s most meaningful that the celebration will occur in Milan-it’s where our journey began and remains a place that we hold dear to our hearts.” Bobby Plump, Guard on the 1954 Milan Indians team
For media inquiries, email gregrakestraw@gmail.com or Greg Rakestraw 317-490-2604
