Taylor (2,500) Built 1999
February 19, 2024: Carroll (Flora) vs. Taylor (Boys)
February 19, 2024: Carroll (Flora) vs. Taylor (Boys)
Taylor High School is one of a few suburban to rural schools that are dotted around Howard County outside of Kokomo. They are the only one of these schools that were thoughtful enough not to name themselves after a direction and only a direction. Props to them for really thinking outside the box. They have a relatively new gym that feels more like an old one that's merely been remodeled. I found out after the fact from some helpful community members on Facebook that's actually kind of what happened. A tornado hit the school in 1998 that badly damaged the gym. It was largely rebuilt at that time, though in the same place as the original. It's home to a storied girls program that's had a lot of success and a boys program that's had almost none. I watched a team full of underclassman tonight take it right at a talented Carroll (Flora) team and was really impressed. Maybe they have a chance to turn the tide of the program over the next few years. If they can actually get people to show up to the games, their gym wouldn't be a half-bad place to do it.
Walking into the gym at Taylor was a little surprising because of how big it felt. I was expecting something smaller based on the listed capacity and the few photos I had seen prior. It has the standard two-level northern Indiana set up. There are no seats along the baselines. The home side of the bleachers though feel massive for a capacity that's under 3,000. The bottom level has about 10 rows of red plastic bleachers that are so faded they look pink. The upper level is the twice the size with wall to wall black plastic bleachers. The top section looks significantly better than the bottom (I've realized that if you're going to roll with plastic bleachers, black is definitely the way to go). One small detail to note here is that these are not retractable bleachers, but permanent concrete all the way up. That is not common for this type of general setup. The wall at the very top here is completely bare which feels like a missed opportunity. In the bottom corner of this section is a door on the wall with a tiny ladder leading up to it. That's unique on its own, but what makes it funny are the two exit signs pointing right at it with another sign underneath stating "To exit use stairs." So basically "Exit here! Exit here! Except don't actually exit here!"
The opposing side of bleachers is a mirror image of the aforementioned one, only the top section only goes up about 8 rows which makes the whole thing feel very unbalanced. Another difference is the top level is retractable. It's an interesting choice because there's a large empty space behind these bleachers that is just really dirty and used for random storage it looks like. I'm not sure why they wouldn't just add another 7 rows and built it back to the wall. People never consult me on these matters though unfortunately. I'm always fascinated by catwalks up in the rafters. There are a few here that go aroung the huge HVAC systems on both sides of the gym. There don't appear to be any doors, so they are presumably accessed by gigantic JLG lifts. There is not enough Mountain Dew Code Red on the planet to convince me to take that job. The stairs to the upper levels are a little unique in that on one baseline side you access them from the gym, and on the other you take them into the exterior hallway.
The baseline wall opposite of the main entrance has a lot going on. There is a huge Hoosier Heartland Conference banner going across the middle of it. It has a nice logo, but all the teams are then just listed boringly underneath. The wall juts out a few feet towards the bottom and "Welcome to Taylor High School" is written on that section which is kind of neat. To the left are a bunch of athletic accomplishment banners hung vertically for a variety of sports. The way they are written straight down is interesting. What's even more odd is that a few more of the same banners are hung directly above the sidelines on both sides of the court way up in the rafters. They aren't special state championship banners though or anything like that, just more of the same that is on the wall. It's very weird. The opposing baseline wall actually has a few state championship banners by the scoreboard which just about makes this a full-blown mystery. Also on that wall is one of the cooler 1,000 point club displays I've seen for a school. Right next to it is a great old mural of a male and female titan which is the school mascot. You can also find a large, handpainted homage to longtime coach Mike Ward which was really well done.in one corner of the wall. Both baseline walls really use their space well. Finally, the court itself is modern and a little boring. Not a lot going on, but not in a classic way that looks especially good. The titan logo at center court is small, understated, and pretty bland.
One of the most overused cliches in sports is some version of "a phoenix rising from the ashes." I'm not sure if there's one for a tornado, but for Taylor's sake I think there should be. I really didn't know that to expect walking in tonight. Taylor is one of the few high schools I had never even heard of before I started this project. It does have a history, albeit not a very successful one when it comes to boys basketball. They do a great job of displaying that heritage and tradition out in the hallway by the concession stand. I learned a lot more than I imagined I would. They have a story to tell through their gym, even if it was interrupted by a twister halfway through. I was happy to get the chance to listen to it tonight.
