The Book
In the summer of 1957, the Indiana towns of French Lick and West Baden decided to merge two high schools that had been fierce rivals for decades. It was a decision that did not go over well in those divided communities.
Timothy Wright weaves the gripping story here, chronicling the events that followed the fateful consolidation of two schools and two basketball teams. But an extraordinary first season slowly revealed the team’s fierce determination to win, and the players became a microcosm of the two towns, teaching its citizens how to come together as one united community. As these ten boys and their coaches embarked on an epic journey, filled with valuable life lessons, they had no idea they were about to record one of the most unforgettable chapters in Indiana high school basketball.
The Valley Boys shares a story of a special high school basketball team that came together for an unbelievable, unexpected, and historic season.
Timothy Wright presents a great cast of characters as he skillfully captures real events of 60 years ago that took place in Indiana high school basketball. Reading this book awakens my fond memories of coaching the Springs Valley Black Hawks first team, which had a rendezvous with destiny during that bygone era of “Hoosier Hysteria” in small- town U.S.A.
—Rex Wells, coach of the 1957 – ‘58 Springs Valley Black Hawks
The ‘58 Black Hawks were a true inspiration and motivation for me and completed my love for the Hoosier game! It is also true that after spending 50 years in the college and NBA games, nothing has matched that magical time for me.
—Jerry Reynolds –Former head coach, general manager and
current TV analyst for the NBA Sacramento Kings
Tim Wright weaves the story of how this unusually successful basketball season brought two towns together. People told me they thought the days of the “David vs Goliath” Indiana tournament basketball games could never happen again. But only four years after Milan won it all, here comes little Springs Valley to the state tournament Final Four.
The writer takes you on the journey with folks across the state who thought that the “Milan Miracle” would be repeated with another small town team.
—Bobby Plump – who hit the winning shot for the Milan Indians, the team featured in the movie “Hoosiers.”
