Monroe Central (2,250) Built 1978
December 4, 2024: Union City vs. Monroe Central (Girls)
December 4, 2024: Union City vs. Monroe Central (Girls)
Throughout history, gold has always been the most coveted and revered material on earth. In modern times, we consider the "gold standard" to be the best in whatever field is being considered. In sports, schools have often slapped "golden" in front of whatever their normal boring mascot is to give it a little extra air of importance. There are Golden Eagles (by far my least favorite), Golden Gophers (at least unique), and even Golden Bulls. Taking a common animal and sticking "golden" in front of it to choose a mascot feels a little lazy, but it can be effective if the environment around it matches. This is the case at Monroe Central, where the entire gym takes on the ambience of the Golden Bears (bears definitely feel the most regal of the bunch). It isn't huge, there aren't a ton of quirky features, but the whole place glimmers like the sun setting over desert sand.
A little while back I found a document that lists the entire history of IHSAA member schools going all the way back to the earliest days of Indiana high school basketball around 1910. It's laid out by county which makes it really nice when researching consolidation history. Looking at Randolph County's section feels like unfurling an ancient scroll that hits the ground and rolls across the floor. 26 different schools in the county have participated in Hoosier Hysteria over the last century. A few of them were feeder schools for Monroe Central when it was born in 1963. In the upper corners of the gym, there are large window box displays for four of these schools: Stoney Creek, Farmland (the ruralest of all the rural schools), Green, and Parker. They're extremely well done, complete with old letter jackets, newspaper clippings, team photos, school photos, and some really cool documents displaying the cost it took to build each school. Everything is intentionally laid out, which is true for the entire gym.
When I said earlier that the gym and mascot align beautifully, I wasn't kidding. The entire place feels like it's been sprinkled with gold dust. Let's start with the court. There are three very subtly different shades of golden brown used here. Most of the court is the lighter hue, a medium one is used inside the foul lane, and the interior of the wings are stained the darkest. They meld perfectly together. At center court is a large silhouette of the state of Indiana with a big "MC" Monroe Central logo overlayed on it. I love it. Along each sideline is a little logo of the Golden Bear climbing over script that says "The Den." "Monroe Central" is also written in light gold script along one sideline while "Golden Bears" is written in burgundy along both baselines in large block letters. Inside the foul lane is also a Mid-Eastern Conference logo. There is a lot going on here all over the court, but it doesn't feel crowded at all. This is one of the best put together court designs from top to bottom that I've seen anywhere in the state. It's the centerpiece of the whole gym, and the rest of the facility does a great job accenting it.
The gym is laid out in your classic upper/lower structure. There are ten rows of golden colored plastic bleachers that are fine, but would look so much better if they were wood. It's one of the very few complaints I have about the place. The upper levels have twelve rows of gorgeous wood retractable bleachers. The grain in them reminds me of the old Westview gym. Are they really unique in any way? Probably not, but that's what immediately came to mind. This upper section of seats doesn't quite reach the whole length of the sideline, so they're not as big as they look from across the gym. In fact the whole place feels a lot bigger than the actual seating capacity would suggest. The very upper walls above these sections are painted burgundy with "Monroe Central" written in big gold letters on one side and "Golden Bears" on the other.
The baseline walls have both bland and exciting things going on. The side that you enter from has pretty boring athletic accomplishment banners hanging on both ends. In the middle though is an absolutely majestic mural of a golden bear that looks both friendly in its face while also slashing an intimidating claw that looks like it's coming out of the wall. It's massive. It hangs over another "Monroe Central" sign and a beautiful mat design that runs along the bottom of the wall. A track and field record board also hangs prominently here. The opposite wall has another large section of boring athletic accomplishment banners on one side. The far side has an equally uninspiring conference team display that is just a giant conglomeration of logos printed onto a vinyl banner. The middle of the wall redeems it all again though with a huge "MC" school logo.
Walking up and down the back stairs that lead to the upper levels, you will find big picture displays for each graduating class the school has sent forth into the world. It gives off a real sense of community that was often lost when all these county schools consolidated 60 years ago. Beyond doing a fantastic job of planning and executing the aesthetic details of their gym, Monroe Central has done a great job honoring their community legacy as well. Leaving the gym, I just had an itch to get home and start researching more about the old schools I learned during my visit. That's just the nerd in me, but I bet the people who still feel a personal connection to these old small town schools appreciate the reminders whenever they visit the gym. These midsized rural schools that were a byproduct of the difficult legislative decisions that rocked small towns in Indiana in the 60s can be very hit or miss when it comes to their multipurpose gyms. Monroe Central has displayed a true Midas touch in making theirs stand out.
