Peru (New) (3,500) Built 1990
December 27, 2023: Maconaquah vs. Caston (Boys)
December 27, 2023: Maconaquah vs. Caston (Boys)
Ears popping from drastically changing elevations is not something I've ever associated with traveling to a basketball game in Indiana, yet that is exactly what my brother and I experienced as we made our way to a part of the state I have not often frequented. Peru was our destination for the Miami County Invitational. There were a lot of rolling hills and winding roads on our way in, but the intensity of the undulating landscape was clearly more than I anticipated. Peru is known for their circus performers, but they have a storied basketball tradition as well. Being one of the small number of schools in the state that never faced consolidation, it has a plethora of sectional championships dating back to the 1920s. It also has a fairly famous old gym that is now the headquarters for the Miami Nation of Indians in Indiana. We were entering the newer multpurpose facility built in 1990 that is attached to the high school. Expectations were not high, but they managed to be exceeded in the end.
Like most gyms built right before the turn of the century, Peru has two matching sections of bleachers along each sideline that go straight up with no division of levels. The seats are a classic medium wood hue. They do have a unique font that is featured on both the bleachers and the steps making their way to the top. Weirdly, some of the steps are the old, narrow variety, while others are the wider, modern kind with handrails. It's like they decided to make everything ADA compliant but only had the funds to do a single set of steps each year. The playing floor is a classic lighter color. At center court is a giant "P" that has been copy and pasted right from a Google search of Purdue's logo. This sort of lazy graphic design is highly frowned upon by this evaluator. At the top of one baseline wall is a standard athletic accomplishment banner section with font so small an eagle would have a hard time reading it. Underneath is a decent tiger graphic which should probably be at center court instead of the stolen "P." One side of bleachers also sets about 5 feet further away from the out of bounds line than it should ala Lapel, only it's not as egregious. While not much that I've described really stands out, the gym does have a few redeeming qualities. The gym showcases two big press boxes sitting high above the playing floor in two corners of the gym. They are inaccessible by any fan and have an air of importance. I've never seen anything quite like it before. On the other baseline wall is a fantastic display of the school's past Indiana All-Stars in giant frames. It's one of the best presentations to honor past greats that I've seen at a school. There is a very small set of removable bleachers underneath. The lighting is properly dark near the top of the stands, and there are nets hanging at eye level at the very top that are presumably used for batting practice during the cold winter months. In the hallway you can find more great displays honoring the past, including some really cool sectional champion pictures from nearly 90 years ago.
New isn't always bad... new isn't always bad... That's what I try to remind myself when I'm walking into any gym built from 1990 and on. It's odd to think of something 33 years old as "new," but that's pretty young in gym years. Most designs from this era are not very imaginative, but a couple standout features here keep Peru from being a total afterthought. I'm probably not going to be telling my grandkids about it, but it's still a pretty good place to watch a basketball game. If anyone has a hookup and can get me into that sweet press box, let me know and I'll definitely make a return trip.
