The 1954 Milan High School State Championship team will be honored on February 23 during the Butler v. Providence men’s game to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the “Milan Miracle”. The tip-off is at 6pm.
The team will be honored on the same court at Hinkle Fieldhouse (then Butler Fieldhouse) where they claimed the championship in a classic David vs. Goliath tilt that thrilled an entire state and served as the inspiration for the iconic sports movie “Hoosiers”.
The day has also been designated as “Milan Community Day”, and residents of the area are encouraged to join the celebration. Discounted tickets can be purchased online at: https://butlergroupsales.com/milan/
A fan bus will be available at no charge for Milan and area residents who want to go to the game. It will leave from the Milan High School parking lot at 3pm. To reserve a spot on the bus, call the Ripley County Tourism Bureau (812) 689-7431 by noon Friday.
Milan team members currently scheduled to attend are:
Bobby Plump
Ray Craft
Rollin Cutter
Roger Schroder
Gene White
Mary Lou Wood—Coach Marvin Wood’s wife
Jinky Craft—cheerleader
Team members will be available to greet the public during halftime of the game.
Three of the team members, Plump, Craft and Cutter, all went on to play for Butler University under the legendary coach Tony Hinkle. On January 26, it was announced that a $50,000 gift from a combined 13 donors to the Hinkle Fieldhouse Campaign, would be named the “Bobby Plump Ramp” to commemorate his career both as a Milan and Butler player.