Plainfield (3,520) Built 2008
March 6, 2026: Pike vs. Plainfield (Boys)
March 6, 2026: Pike vs. Plainfield (Boys)
I grew up in a community known for its vast Amish population and supposedly slow pace of life (if you know the Amish in Shipshewana, you know this isn't necessarily true). A popular musical was even regularly performed in our area about the Amish and their culture called Plain and Fancy. Growing up my parents took us to see it a handful of times because there aren't a lot of other entertainment options in northeast Indiana. This was on my mind as I was researching and looking for old gyms in Plainfield. Where did Plainfield get its name? Was there a secret Amish community right outside Indianapolis I wasn't aware of? Not quite, but Plainfield did get its name from a different pacifist community: the Quakers. While not the same as the Amish, they did share many of the same beliefs back in the day, including a desire for a simple life, a plain one, unfettered by technological advances and modern marvels. This tells the story of how Plainfield got its name, and how their basketball team got its mascot. The Plainfield Quakers, maybe not the most intimidating moniker, but one that has connoted basketball excellence for decades.
The Quakers have been battling (or peacefully protesting?) their opponents in the state tournament since 1914. They won their first sectional in 1918 against Amo before falling to Rochester in the state final. Since then they've tacked on another 22 sectionals (the vast majority in the single class era), 3 regionals, and a 1999 3A semistate and state championship. The 60s, 70s, and 80s, were a particularly fruitful time for the program. During my initial research a couple years ago I found that the old Central School gym that they played in dating back to the 50s was still intact. I thought that they had been playing at their current gym since 1968. I had no clue until about 30 minutes ago that the 1968 gym is actually their current middle school gym, and their current high school gym was built in 2008. Every time I feel like I've upped my research game and really figured this historical gym stuff out, I get humbled pretty quickly. On the bright side, now I have two old gyms in town to go visit! While I didn't realize their current gym is less than 20 years old when I visited it back in March, I should have been a little suspicious. There are certain aspects to it that definitely don't jive with a typical multipurpose gym from the 60s. In fact, this may be my favorite gym built since the turn of the century. I came to watch the Friday night sectional matchups that Plainfield was hosting, and it just happened to fall on my 32nd birthday. I was treated to the best environment I experienced all year. While a lot of that had to do with the crowd and high level game that was happening on the court, the gym did a great job facilitating it all.
I'm not really sure how to best describe the overall vibe Plainfield's gym gives off. I kind of want to use the word "airy," but I'm not sure if that makes sense or really does it justice. The ceilings feel as high as any place I've ever been. It's not like the walls are all glass, but the high windows at the very top of the sideline bleachers and behind the baseline opposite of the main entrance make it feel really light and opulent. It's like if someone turned a modern mansion into a gym. Again, I'm not sure that makes sense. You'd think I'd be better at putting my thoughts into words by now. This is what I was talking about though when I said it feels different from gyms that are a lot older, even ones with a similar setup. And the setup itself isn't anything crazy, but it works. Each sideline only has one level, but it travels up plenty far: 23 rows on each side! That's up there with Westview and Lawrence Central as the single biggest sections of uninterruped bleachers I've seen. They're recessed into the side walls which make them feel even higher. What's also unique about them is that at the very top of the bleachers are little landings where you can stand behind a barrier and watch the game from the very top. This extra space was actually needed with how packed the the Pike/Plainfield game was. On the side opposite of the scorer's bench, there are also two really nice pressboxes at the very top of the bleachers. It's an unusual place for them to be, but as someone who almost always watches games from the top row, I can appreciate the view. There are also tall but narrow seating sections behind the baselines. These go up 16 rows, which is also really high for baseline bleachers. All the bleachers here are a shiny bright red plastic. If they're original to the gym, they've held up much better than most plastic bleachers that are almost 20 years old.
High above these baseline bleachers on one side are pretty standard Mid-State Conference team banners. In between them hangs a big red and blue 1999 state championship banner that isn't my favorite. The walls around the baseline where you enter the gym has a lot more going on. Because the sideline bleachers are recessed into the wall, there are little side walls by the baseline bleachers. Here you will find modern athletic accomplishment banners for each sport. Girls are on one side in red, the boys are on the other side in blue. It's a cool set up (though there are a couple that they've had to curve around to the other side of the wall which looks kind of weird). On the back baseline wall hanging above the doors are standard Indiana All-Star jersey plaques which are always nice to see. Moving from the walls down to the floor design, there's a lot to take in. Most of the floor is stained a medium-tan color that looks a bit heathered. Inside the three-point arcs it is just slightly darker. At center-court is a big silhouette of what I think is supposed to be a Quaker character. Inside that is a sort of Plainfield crest that says "Red Pride" at the top, sitting over a white "P" that's against a red and blue background. Certainly not your typical center-court emblem. Half of the court perimeter is blue and the other half is red, which is certainly uncommon. "Plainfield" is written across each baseline in clear lettering. Overall I think the design fits together cohesively even though it has a lot going on.
I got to the game about 20 minutes before tipoff, and I instantly knew I was in trouble. While I love a packed gym, it makes taking decent pictures very difficult. I don't want to be the weirdo standing in the aisle holding up the line as I try and get a steady picture of a pressbox from across the gym. The place was probably 75% full, and by tipoff it was legitimately standing room only in there. I write so much about the fervor that used to live in small town gyms and the NCC monoliths. The fact of that matter is that fervor is still alive and well in pockets of the state. The greater Indianapolis area has always gotten a bad reputation for low fan support and apathetic basketball programs. While much of that reputation is earned, the flip side is that some of the best basketball environments today also reside in and around Indy as well, especially come tournament time. Pike and Plainfield both had high level talents playing, Plainfield was playing on their home court (even though it was technically a sectional game), and the game completely lived up to the hype. I was buzzing when I walked out of that gym. It was everything Indiana high school is supposed to be, and everything some of the old guard claims doesn't exist anymore. I wanted to inject it straight into my veins. This gym may have been built in 2008, but it delivered in a way that many say is impossible in the age of class basketball. For one night at least, it was great to prove those people wrong.
