Joe DeHart observed boys basketball from two entirely different perspectives prior to the formation of Indian Creek High School.
A 5-foot-10 guard/forward for the Trafalgar Redbirds from 1950-54, DeHart went on to serve as head coach of the rival Morgantown Trojans during the early 1960s.
These schools, along with Nineveh, consolidated to form Indian Creek in the fall of 1967.
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As part of the 50th-year celebration, the Braves boys basketball squad will wear throwback uniforms with NHJ (Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson) on the front of each jersey on three separate occasions.
On Jan. 27, Indian Creek players are wearing purple Morgantown T-shirts complete with the Trojans logo during pregame and halftime warmups at the 12-team Western Indiana Conference Tournament.
When Indianapolis Herron visits on Feb. 10, red warmup shirts will promote the Trafalgar Redbirds. On Feb. 17, it’s Nineveh’s turn, as Indian Creek players don blue warmup T-shirts carrying the Eagles logo for the game against Central Christian.
Braves coach Derek Perry, a 1997 Indian Creek graduate, is confident residents in all three communities will show up to show their support.
“I think it’s going to draw big crowds,” Perry said. “It’s something we’ve never done before, and hopefully we get some of the old-school guys back and involved.
“I bet a lot of our kids don’t know three schools existed back in the day. We’re going to use it as a teaching point and educate them a little bit on how it all came about and how it evolved to where we are now.”
Back in the day
DeHart, a Trafalgar resident, fondly recalls the environment anytime two of the three programs faced each other.“It was very competitive, and we usually packed the gyms because the communities were so close together,” said DeHart, 81. “Most years the games were very competitive.
“Back then, basketball was it. You were geared up toward those local schools. You wanted to beat your neighbor, and then you bragged about it all summer long.”
From 1920-67, Morgantown, Nineveh and Trafalgar were members of the Johnson County Conference.
In its heyday, the league included the likes of Franklin (exited in 1936 for the South Central Conference), Greenwood (1942, Mid-State), Center Grove (1956, Mid-State), Clark Township (1965, consolidated into Whiteland) and Edinburgh (1967, Mid-Hoosier).
Morgantown won its lone sectional title in 1956; Trafalgar picked up the last two of the school’s three Johnson County tournament titles in 1957 and ’58.
Less than a decade later, the rivalries among the three small schools ceased to exist.
Hoops diehards from Trafalgar, Morgantown and Nineveh were forced to adapt to a new way of life as part of Indiana’s consolidation boom.
Over the course of three decades, the number of teams taking part in the annual state tournament dropped from an all-time high of 787 (1937-38) to 488 the season Indian Creek opened.
Seven Braves ballclubs have claimed sectional supremacy — six over a particularly memorable 10-year stretch (1978-87) in the old single-class format. The 1983 team qualified for the Sweet 16 after winning the Columbus North Regional.
Rockin’ the throwbacks
Perry won’t have to plead with his players to take a three-game hiatus from the traditional home uniforms.They look forward to wearing the different warmup T-shirts every bit as much.
“I think the team is definitely excited because there are a lot of older guys around who played at those schools or attended one of those schools,” senior guard Tim Abel said. “It’s a special opportunity for us to remember those old schools that made Indian Creek.”
Senior forward Bryce Hogue admits to not knowing much when it comes to the respective basketball histories of Morgantown, Nineveh and Trafalgar.
Nonetheless, he feels the tribute is well deserved.
“I think it’s important just to see the tradition that we have,” Hogue said. “It’s nice to celebrate that.”
Joe DeHart’s family is one of many in the area whose lineage includes multiple boys basketball players from either Indian Creek or one of its predecessors.
Joe, along with four of his five brothers suited up for Trafalgar, the first being oldest sibling, Russell, a 1944 graduate.
“When I was in school there were times me, my older brother, George, and younger brother, Donald, would be on the floor at the same time. About drove my mother (Theresa) crazy,” Joe DeHart said with a laugh.
The next generation of DeHart boys basketball players (Scott, Steve, Mike and Mark) made their mark during the 1980s for Indian Creek.
Most recently, Steve’s son, Brett, was a three-year starting point guard for the Braves from 2010-13.
Scott DeHart’s son, Jared, is presently a junior point guard who has been a starter basically from the moment he entered high school.
Joe, who attends the majority of Indian Creek games to watch his grandson, plans to be there when Jared does his part to honor those who played for Trafalgar, Morgantown and Nineveh.
“My grandpa played here, and my dad played here, so it’s kind of cool to put on the throwbacks,” Jared said. “It’s fun to play in this gym when it’s filled up.”
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Indian Creek High School . . .
• Opened the start of 1967-68 school year.
• Sits on 79 acres of land purchased June 15, 1965.
• Is a building that upon purchase cost an estimated $1.5 million.
• Was given the name ‘Indian Creek’ on May 29, 1966 by John Wilkerson, then an eighth-grade student at Trafalgar.
• Officially adopted blue, white and scarlet as school colors on February 21, 1967.
• Attracted a crowd of approximately 2,000 persons for the school’s official dedication on Dec. 9, 1967.
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