Milan in Ripley County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Milan Miracle
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 19, 2022
1. Milan Miracle Marker, side one
Hoosier Hysteria reached its pinnacle in 1954, when the Milan High School boys basketball team defeated then four-time state champion Muncie Central, a school ten times its size, for the state title. Building off a successful season the previous year, Milan used a stall offense, winning 32-30 when Bobby Plump sank a shot with seconds to go to clinch the championship.
An estimated 40,000 people flocked to the small town of Milan after the title game to celebrate the Cinderella team. Milan's story inspired the 1986 movie Hoosiers, filmed throughout Indiana. After years of debate, in 1998, the IHSAA divided the single-class tournament into four classes based on enrollment, ending the chance of another underdog story of this magnitude.
Erected 2022 by Indiana Historical Bureau and Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum. (Marker Number 69.2022.1.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.
Location. 39° 7.383′ N, 85° 7.922′ W. Marker is in Milan, Indiana, in Ripley County. Marker is at the intersection of West Carr Street and Franklin Street, on the right when traveling west on West Carr Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Milan IN 47031, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8
this page online
Also see . . . Milan 1954 Museum.
On a cold March night in Butler Fieldhouse, the Indians of tiny Milan High School (enrollment 161) defeated the mighty Muncie Central Bearcats (enrollment 1,662) to win the state championship and secure their place in Hoosier Folklore.(Submitted on September 24, 2022.)
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 19, 2022
2. Milan Miracle Marker, side two
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 19, 2022
3. Milan Miracle Marker
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 19, 2022
4. 1954 Milan Indians Marker
Marker facing Franklin Street inside a window of 201 W Carr Street, cattycorner from this marker. Being inside the building, it does not qualify for its own marker page. It reads,
The only Ripley County basketball team to win the one-class state tourney. The Indians defeated the Muncie Central 32 to 30 at Butler Fieldhouse. The Indians used strong defense and Coach Marvin Wood’s “Cat and Mouse” offense to advance through the state tourney. The 1986 fictional movie “Hoosiers” was based on the Indians’ success.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 19, 2022
5. 1954 Milan Indians Marker
It is in the rightmost window.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 160 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 24, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 4, 5. submitted on October 11, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
