Maconaquah (3,485) Built 1965
February 14, 2024: Southwood vs. Maconaquah (Boys)
February 14, 2024: Southwood vs. Maconaquah (Boys)
Do you ever have that feeling when you walk into a building and you instantly are transported back in time to either some place from your past or a place that even predates you, but you feel a strong connection to it? A lot of times a certain scent can be the reason for it, but I think objects or even people can cause this to happen. One instance for me that comes to mind is whenever I go into someone's house that is a little brick ranch that smells like nothing has been moved in thirty years. It immediately takes me back to when I was a kid and my mom would take us to visit elderly people in the church on a weekend and we would just sit on the couch quietly while she loudly (so they could hear) asked them questions about random members of their family who we knew nothing about. Another example is how the sight and smell of hot asphalt in the summer makes me think about tennis two-a-days in the summer that I hated more than life itself. A more recent example was last Friday when I visited Maconaquah High School for the first time. This was one of the times it transported me to a place that was before my time, but I felt a real connection to for a variety of reasoons. I felt like I stepped through a door and right into 1968. From the wonderful lady taking the tickets, to the 70s era concession window, to the dark brick everywhere, to the bathrooms that probably haven't been upgraded since the Nixon administration, to the old murals on the wall, to the very faded picture of an old sectional championship team, to the gym itself, I was in consolidation-era heaven. It was just everything you want a down-home rural school gym to be.
This was all a wonderful surprise in the way it made me feel, because I was admittedly a little miffed in the days leading up to the game after I decided that's where I wanted to go Friday night. A little Googling revealed that not only did the gym used to have beautiful, golden, wood bleachers, but the court used to be painted a magnificent shade of baby blue that just looked incredible in old pictures. I also saw recent pictures after the gym had gone through a pretty sizeable remodel and it was like a knife went through my chest. The vibe given off in the old pictures matched everything else I described feeling when I walked in the gym. I honestly wasn't expecting that after seeing the newer pictures. It definitely didn't look bad, just modern and not necessarily anything special. It ended up being a great reminder to not form opinions on a gym before you get there, because experiencing it in person is an entirely different dynamic. Yes I would've loved to see it in its older glory, but the new design really didn't take away from the overall effect it had on me. It's still magnificent.
The one thing that did get permanently impacted with the remodel was that the upper level sideline sections of bleachers no longer go wall to wall. I'm not sure why they decided to shorten them when they put the plastic ones in, but there is about 20 feet of space between the bleachers and end walls up there. It's a weird choice that definitely reduced seating capacity by a decent amount. That's really my only gripe here though. The second level seating sections go up 12 rows, and the bottom about 10. All the bleachers are new red plastic. Along the lower baseline wall between the two doors that serve as the main entrance is the narrowest section of bleachers you will ever see that goes up 7 rows. It's labeled as a staff area, which is neat that they thought about that. The upper bleachers reach well into the rafters and they keep the lights off in the upper seating sections which always creates a cool effect. The bleachers all lead down to the court which has a new and shiny look. I preferred the retro, basic, look I saw in the old pictures, but in terms of new designs, they did a pretty good job. Most of the court is a nice light-tan color, but the insides of the three-point wings are a dark greyish blue. It's a hard color to describe, but it looks neat. "MHS" is written in red letters against a baby blue shape of Indiana inside the free throw line. Not sure why they decided on that, but again I like how it looks! The center court logo of a giant Brave with a classic Native American headdress is huge and looks pretty good as well. "Braves" is written in beautiful cursive script inside the sidelines. "Maconaquah" is written across the baselines in that stunning baby blue color as well.
What really brings this gym home for me is the incredible use of wall space. Nothing is wasted. In the center of the baseline wall above the entrance to the gym is a very well put together track and field record display. I really like when schools put these in the gym where everyone can see. Flanking this display on both sides are some of the most unique athletic accomplishment banners I have ever seen. Each sport has an old 1970s style red and baby blue painting of athletes in action to show what the sport is, and then the accomplishments are listed on one side or the other for the boys and girls teams respectively. I just love them. They are retro, distinctive, and everything you want from a gym design in terms of creativity. Every school that slaps some cheap vinyl print up for their own displays should take note. This baseline wall is almost impossible to beat, but the opposing one somehow comes close. In the center is a beautiful mural of the Brave mascot with "Maconaquah Braves" written above and below it. It's a heck of a centerpiece. A nice scoreboard that includes the points and fouls for the players on the floor sits right beside it. To the right of that is a really nice, colorful conference team display that is laid out in a pyramid with Maconaquah's square at the very top. In the far corner is a projection screen that runs advertisements for sponsors, but it doesn't ruin the aesthetic as it's tucked far enough away from everything else. Every detail here has been thought out so well. There's a really nice Maconaquah mat running along the bottom of the baseline wall here too. It's really not needed though as there is a ton of floor space between the baseline out of bounds line and the wall itself.
As I've said before, one of the best parts of visiting these gyms and sharing the blogs with people is when people share their own connections to the gyms. Some of are very personal, others are just random associations. I had a couple of my own to Maconaquah before I visited. My best friend growing up was a youth pastor in the community right out of college and had many students who attended the school. My brother's college teammate at Huntington University also played at Maconaquah. It's these little things that make you feel ever so slightly connected to the gyms and makes it all a little more personal. These connections really coalesced with the overall spirit of the gym this cold Friday night as my youngest son and I watched Maconaquah take on Southwood. The place just struck me in my very core that gets so nostalgic about these old places. I'm not from here, but I didn't have to be to know that it's a special place for those in the community, and has been for a long time.
