TERRE HAUTE —
When one thinks of pioneers, one might think covered wagons, log cabins or coonskins caps. But high school boys basketball players? Not likely.
When school consolidation occurred in 1971, four familiar high schools were transformed into Terre Haute North (Garfield/Gerstmeyer) and Terre Haute South (Wiley/Honey Creek).
When the two teams met for the first time on Feb. 3, 1972, at North’s gym, there was an anticipation as to how this series would unfold. Not just for that night, but for the future as well. The fans were not disappointed.
A pioneer is defined as “one who goes before, preparing the way for others”. Those North and South players and coaches laid the foundation for what quickly became one of the best rivalries in the state of Indiana.
When the series resumes on Friday, it will be marking its 40th birthday on the hardwood. Here’s a look back at those roundball pioneers.
North was led by former Tech players Larry Deakins, Bert Ladd, Dan Erwin, Jerry Fuller, Nate Mills, Matt Branam and Kenny Phillips. Sharpe blended in former Garfield players Jerry Fuller, Roger Crisp and Tom Duling.
“We were more or less set … we knew what we were all about,” Phillips recalled. “We had won the sectional the previous year.”
Gordon Neff was head coach at Honey Creek prior to coaching the first South team. This future Hall of Famer also had a Wiley connection, previously serving as an assistant to Curly Halt.
Neff merged Honey Creek players Dan Debard, Jim Lee and Mark Uhl along with Wiley players Sylvester Wilson, Curtis Lyle, Floyd Lewis and Alan Gurman.
“It was whole new ballgame,” Lyle said. “Coach Neff came in and it turned out OK. We all got along and we stay in touch even today.”
Lyle and his wife own Cowan & Cook Florists in Terre Haute.
“We were fortunate to have a good group of guys and people that cared about us coming together,” Debard noted. “The coaches got us together in the summer and we built relationships … which are now lifelong friendships.”
Debard was in banking for about 30 years, the past 10 years owning a financial advising company and still lives in Terre Haute.
“A country school coming together with the Wiley kids, but we meshed pretty good,” Uhl added.
Uhl has been an art teacher for 36 years, currently at Doe Creek Middle School in New Palestine, Ind.
The inaugural game
South entered the game with a 13-2 record, North at 13-3. Both teams featured good size and outstanding guards. Deakins, Ladd and Erwin were averaging in double figures for the Patriots, Lee, Lyle and Wilson likewise for the Braves.
For the record, North won the debut outing 71-60, but it was a tense two-point game until the final 90 seconds.
“We wanted to come out dominate South,” Phillips said. “Show them who was boss of the town. It was a fun game.”
“Exciting, emotional … for the players and the city of Terre Haute,” Ladd noted. “I also got to up against my cousin Curtis Lyle. South had a very good team that year too. It was close, but we overcame.”
Phillips and Ladd both reside in Terre Haute.
“Practices leading up to the game were intense,” Branam recalled. “The buildup was the whole week, a week-long thing that culminated in a game.”
“For me, it was particularly poignant game,” he laughed. “I had started every game to that point, I recall. Sharpe was so good at telling us what would happen … told us [South] would fall back on Deakins [6-foot-7 center and North’s leading scorer and rebounder].
“Sharpe had the guards practicing all week. When South fell back in on our front line, we were instructed to penetrate the top of the key, split the defense and pop it [shoot],” Branam said.
“The first play of the game, I brought the ball into the key and was wide open. I felt almost stiff, I remember. So I shot the ball and it banged off the rim. Sharpe popped up off the bench and next thing I knew, I was sitting down next to him.
“It was split the defense, throw a brick, sit down … that was my night,” he chuckled.
Branam is now president of Rose-Hulman University.
“Our defense was to stop [Deakins], Debard had him in his pocket all night,” Lyle recalled. “From start to end [the game] was very exciting. The two teams had to play above the rim. After 40 years, I still feel the electricity … it’s something I’ll cherish all my life.
“We had a roll going when I turned my ankle at the start of the fourth quarter,” Lyle said. “I was at the free throw line, but had to come out of the game.”
Lyle, who still attends most of South’s home games, didn’t say so in so many words, but the competitor in him still feels the outcome might have been different if he hadn’t left the game when he did.
Uhl pointed out he also left the game in the fourth quarter with a similar ankle injury and Debard fouled out, further exacerbating the Braves’ chances.
“We had every expectation of winning that game,” Debard stated.
Ladd led North with 24 points and 10 rebounds, Erwin added 19 points. Deakins had 12 points and 15 rebounds, despite being triple-teamed. Lee paced South with 17 points and 18 rebounds, Lyle with 15 points.
“The game was very close, I remember,” South coach Neff said. “Close all the way until we had to start fouling at the end. Both teams were pretty well-matched.”
Neff is now retired and living in Houston, Tex.
“This was the most tension-filled game since 1958,” Sharpe told the Terre Haute Tribune after the game. Sharpe was referring to Gerstmeyer’s sectional win over heavily-favored Garfield, led by future NBA player Terry Dischinger.
The series had begun
Three weeks later, the two teams met for a second time — again at North — in the first round of the Terre Haute Sectional. The Patriots won again by 11 points, 64-53 this time.
This time though, Deakins erupted for 24 points and 17 boards, with Mills and Ladd adding 14 and 10 points, respectively. For South, Lyle had 13 points and 16 rebounds, with Debard, Lewis and Lee tallying 13, 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Mills, just a sophomore that year, would be a future standout player at the University of New Orleans.
“In the sectional game, [North] just overpowered us,” Lyle admitted.
“Our win over South was a great one, counting the other one too,” Sharpe told the Tribune this time. “It was two of the finest [games] we’ve had in a long time.”
North went on to win the sectional, regional and a semistate game before falling to Jeffersonville in a heartbreaking 62-60 loss in the Evansville Semistate championship game. North finished its inaugural season 23-4, South at 15-6.
Sharpe left North after the 1981-82 season, finishing his career at North Knox. Neff was at South through the 1979-80 season. He succeeded Sharpe for three years at North, finishing his career in Florida.
Two more Hall of Fame coaches were soon woven into the fabric of the rivalry, Jim Jones (North) and Pat Rady (South) — both succeeded Neff at their respective schools.
Time has marched on, Sharpe and Erwin have passed away, but the series continues to resonate with players, fans and coaches. Thanks to these basketball pioneers.
High School
Related Photos
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First in line: South point guard Mark Uhl (11) goes in for a shot at a home game during the Braves’ first season of high school basketball. Friday’s game marks the 40th anniversary of the North-South boys rivalry. Submitted photo
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Engineer: Matt Branam, a contributor for North during the 1971-72 season, is now the president at Rose-Hulman University.
Discussion
An ageless wonder: North-South rivalry celebrates 40th birthday this week
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