North Newton on rise after Evan Gagnon wins J&C Small School Player of the Year
MOROCCO — North Newton senior Evan Gagnon recalled a time when the gym for Spartans' boys basketball games were nearly empty.
With bleachers in the front section and angled to a towering pavilion with wooden bleachers with blue and orange colors across, North Newton seems like an ideal place for basketball excellence to exist.
But repeated struggles and coaching changes prevented any form of hysteria of catching on in North Newton with a stretch of losing seasons that spanned between 2004-2020.
"I remember when no one would come to our games at first," Gagnon said about the first high school games he saw in elementary school.
Gagnon changed that perception with his coach Sam Zachery starting his freshman year in 2020-2021.
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Three seasons later and Gagnon helped North Newton produce two winning seasons and finished 12-12 his senior year.
Gagnon was voted the J&C Small School Player of the Year after he averaged 24.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 3.1 steals, 1.3 blocks per game, and shooting 43% from the floor, 68% from the free throw line and 31% from 3-point range.
He developed into a pure shooter at 6-foot-5 accompanied by slender arms and soft hands that allowed him to rebound and help push the offensive advantage for the Spartans.
"It's awesome being from a small school and small town," Gagnon said. "Not many people even know about the school so to get recognized is awesome."
Gagnon recalled the days of playing pickup basketball at Morocco Elementary School starting at six years old under the deep blue farm sky.
Gagnon would use the courts as his training grounds and ran endless pickup games with his friends until the mothers and fathers would call their sons home for dinner when it became to dark.
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Even in a world obsessed with smart phones and social media, in the soiled dirt crevices of Newton County, young men like Gagnon can still grow up and find the love for basketball at its most grassroots level.
A round ball, a hoop and maybe a snack or two from home before walking down the street to fire up shots until dusk. The beginning stages of athleticism for Gagnon at Morocco Elementary School helped cultivate him into one of the best kept secrets in Indiana.
"I've put in a lot of work," Gagnon said. "But my teammates have helped me achieve any goal I've ever wanted. The coaches have been great and everyone has been supportive."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@gannett.com, on Twitter at EthanAHansonand Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Gagnon wins J&C Small School Boys Basketball Player of the Year
