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South Putnam gym floor pieces on sale Friday evening
Fans of South Putnam or local sports in general have the chance to own a piece of Eagle history beginning at 5 p.m. Friday.
Athletic Director Tom Starnes made the announcement via social media Thursday morning.
“Starting at 5 p.m. tomorrow (Friday), people can come out and get portions of the old game floor (within reason) for a voluntary donation,” Starnes wrote.
The voluntary donations will go to the South Putnam Alumni Association. Anyone with question may email Starnes at tstarnes@sputnam.k12.in.us.
A roof leak this summer severely damaged the floor. After trying for much of the summer to dry out the existing floor, the decision was made to replace it.
Crews from Cincinnati Floor Co., which installed the floor almost half a century ago, have been at South Putnam this week tearing out the old floor and preparing the gym for a new installation.
While the Eagle volleyball team has been forced to host home games at Central Elementary this season, school officials are optimistic that the floor will be done in time for basketball season.
South Putnam opens its girls’ basketball season on Tuesday, Oct. 30 against rival Cloverdale.
Although the Eagles will be playing their 50th season of boys’ high school basketball in 2018-19, it will only be their 49th in the South Putnam gym, meaning 48 seasons of Eagle basketball took place on the old floor.
That first year, 1969-70, full consolidation Fillmore and Reelsville high schools did not take place until after Christmas. They played as South Putnam throughout the year, but did not utilize their brand new gym.
“They didn’t come together at South Putnam until Christmas that year,” recalls Kieth Puckett. “They had a ball team that year but they played their home games at Fillmore. They had a really good team.”
Puckett’s older brother Dan was on that first team, so he recalls a number of the details very well.
When it was finally time to use the new gym and floor, they had to decide who got to make the first bucket.
“The kids on the team drew straws to see who got to make the first basket,” Puckett said. “Jerry Custis made the first basket.”
As a South Putnam student who later became a teacher, coach and administrator at his alma mater, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who walked more miles on the old floor than Puckett.
He remembers a number of boys’ and girls’ basketball sectionals hosted, as well as the girls’ county tournament.
“I think South Putnam is the only host of the girls’ county,” Puckett said.
The most vivid memories are of the 10 years Puckett helmed the Eagle boys’ program in the 1980s and 1990s. With some bigger schools in the old West Central Conference, remaining competitive in the conference was a challenge for a smaller school like South Putnam.
“Probably the highlight was in the old days of the conference with Edgewood and Danville,” Puckett said. “We beat Edgewood the final night to earn a share of the title.
“For anyone that was there, that was a really fun night. I believe that was 1990.”
Now anyone wanting a reminder of that night and others like it can now have a conversation starter right their in their rec room.