Mark Bennett: 23 years later, Classic still going strong, in Gary Fears' eyes

Dec. 22—In 1960, Gary Fears took the court with his Honey Creek High School teammates in the old Wabash Valley Tournament.

He was a pass-oriented guard on that team. "I was more of an assist man," Fears recalled this month. He dished assists to higher scorers like Ron Wey and Dale Rogers. Fears and his fellow Bees came within one game of championship round in '60.

The memory of that season didn't fade for Fears.

Forty years later, he led the organization of a new midseason high school boys basketball tournament — the Wabash Valley Classic.

As an operator of Terre Haute Pizza Huts, Fears successfully enlisted other area Pizza Hut franchisees to begin a 15-year run as sponsor of the classic. That sponsorship continued until 2015, when First Financial Bank assumed that role. It started in 2000 with a 12-team format, and then transitioned to the current arrangement. Sixteen teams play a total of 28 games over four days at one site.

It rekindled not only memories of the old Wabash Valley Tournament, which ran from 1916 to 1972 and at one time featured a 124-team field, but it also offered hints of Indiana's bygone one-class basketball postseason tournament. That format, known as "Hoosier Hysteria," featured schools of all sizes vying for the same titles. It ended in 1997, giving way to the present four-class system.

The change involved a passionate debate that split Indiana even more so than the state's adoption of Daylight Saving Time a decade later.

Just three years after single-class basketball ended in Indiana, the Wabash Valley Classic debuted in Terre Haute. It became the most well-attended and largest holiday tournament in the state. Fears continued to help with the Classic for a few years after the Pizza Huts bowed out. Since then, Fears — now 81 — has watched the tournament games avidly.

"I was always a big fan of the Wabash Valley Tournament," Fears said. "It's been kind of a look-back for me. It's been a fun trip."

This year's First Financial Wabash Valley Classic tips off at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26 and concludes with the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29. All games will be played at Terre Haute South.

Like other seasons, this year's Classic features a variety of schools, enrollment-wise. They range from Terre Haute South with 1,463 students to Terre Haute North with 1,432; Northview 995; Edgewood 765; South Vermillion 535; West Vigo 518; Sullivan 514; Greencastle 484; Robinson, Ill., 477; Linton 425; Bloomfield 375; Parke Heritage 351; Marshall, Ill., 350; Cloverdale 310; Casey, Ill., 231 and Shakamak 197.

From its beginning, even diehard one-class basketball backers had to wonder if Terre Haute North and South would dominate the event. Indeed, those two largest schools have won a combined 14 Classics — North with 11 titles and South with three. But, as Fears emphasized, Northview won it twice, and seven other schools have won the Classic. One, inaugural champ Hamilton Southeastern has an enrollment larger than North and South combined. But Marshall, Sullivan, Rockville, Edgewood, Greencastle and Linton have also won titles.

"There's definitely been some small schools [winning] and some surprises," Fears said.

He believes such small-school breakthroughs are possible in any Classic.

"That's one thing about basketball. If you have one or two [standout] players, you can just about compete with anybody," Fears said.

That inspiration — embodied in Indiana basketball lore by tiny Milan's 1954 state championship — was present as Fears teamed with former coaches Pat Rady of Terre Haute South and Jim Jones of Terre Haute North, along with Terre Haute advertising executive Brian Miller and then-South Athletic Director Deb Webster to craft the first Wabash Valley Classic 23 years ago.

Given its enduring popularity, the Classic should continue for many years. "I see no reason why it wouldn't," Fears said.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.