By RICHIE HALL
The legend of the Milan Miracle never gets old.
Four members of that historic 1954 Milan High School basketball team came to the Lions Club of Noblesville’s “Grillin on the Square” event Friday, where they posed for pictures and signed autographed copies of the team photo. Several people stood in line during the autograph session to meet Rollin Cutter, Bobby Plump, Roger Schroder and Gene White.
The Milan team won the 1954 IHSAA state championship by beating Muncie Central – the classic small school (enrollment 161) versus large school (enrollment 1,662) battle. Milan won on Plump’s now-iconic last-second basket at the Butler (now Hinkle) Fieldhouse. That caused a celebration in the small town; Plump said the Indiana State Police “estimated between 30 and 40 thousand people tried to get in Milan that day, and they came from four surrounding states.”
Milan’s feat inspired the 1986 movie Hoosiers, just one of many instances where it has made a cultural impact. Plump noted while speaking with The Reporter that there is even international interest.
“Three years ago, I got three letters from kids in Paris, France asking for my autograph,” said Plump. “A year and a half ago, a sports announcer called and wanted to know if I’d be on his program.”
A museum celebrating the Milan Miracle opened in 1998 (milan54.org) and features memorabilia and information about the team. The legend continues to grow, which Plump said is “not up to us. That’s up to the fans.”
“I’ve been interviewed for the past 20 years by fourth graders,” said Plump. Fourth grade is when Indiana students learn about their state, including famous Hoosiers.
“They have to pick somebody they want to represent,” said Plump. “If they continue teaching it in fourth grade, maybe it’ll last forever.”
Rollin Cutter (left) and Gene White sign autographed photos. (Richie Hall)
Roger Schroder signs an autographed picture of the Milan basketball team. (Richie Hall)
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