BORN IN THE BARN: PART 1 - "The Barn"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- "BORN IN THE BARN" is an 8 part docu-series.
Like the landscape in much of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Ewen-Trout Creek school district is a quintessential rural setting, dotted with the weathered structures of once-bustling family farms. One of these buildings is anything but typical; it’s where a decades-long dynasty of championship-caliber high school basketball teams began. This multi-part docu-series explores how this western U.P. high school with fewer than two dozen students per grade has built a basketball tradition that has captured the eyes of sportswriters and the dreams of young ballplayers for generations - and it all began in a unique gymnasium known as “The Barn.”
Part 1: The Barn (13 minutes)
Part 1 begins in “The Barn” - the original home of Ewen-Trout Creek basketball legends - now owned by 1972 All-Star center Gary Fors - where the hardwood still shines, and kids still learn the game.
Part 2: Small Town to State Champs (Coming December 2022)
In 1972, a small-town boys basketball team won the state championship and 50 years later their grandsons are on their way to possibly do it again.
Part 3: Girl Power (February 2023)
Not to be outdone by the boys, the 1973 E-TC girls basketball team wins the first ever Michigan High School Girls State Championship. Girls basketball stays strong in Ewen-Trout Creek.
Part 4: The 80’s Boys
10 years after the 1972 boys championship, the next round of basketball legends emerges on the hardwood floor to capture the sports headlines and hearts of the community. And they watch proudly as today’s generation makes those same headlines.
Part 5: The 80’s Girls
In E-TC tradition, the girls of the 80’s still can’t be outdone. Undefeated seasons and a bus ride to the State Final.
Part 6: The Dynasty Continues & The End of an Era
The 90’s bring another generation of Panther ballers together on the court for many titles, hard losses, and a lifetime of memories. The Last Game in the Barn is played. The 2022 boys continue to dominate the tournaments with an easy win.
Part 7: The Bench Bosses
Two of the winningest coaches in Michigan high school sports history, Nancy Osier and Tom Caudill share decades of stats and memories. Inspired by their former coaches and their time in the Barn, the current E-TC coaches have a legacy to continue.
Part 8: The 2022 Season5 Seniors who have played ball together since youngsters, and who’s previous 2 seasons were cut short due to Covid, prove to the U.P. and the State, that E-TC basketball is still at the top of its game, and inspires a new generation of Panther hoopsters.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. It's great that Gary has kept this museum of basketball history going. Looking forward to future episodes.
What great memories of all the hours sitting on those bleachers watching basketball! Started watching Dave Besonen when he was in junior high. My husband at the time told me to keep an eye on that kid, that he was gonna be great!! He wasn't wrong! Bessie was my hero!! Followed the team all the way down state in '82, and still remember the miles of cars waiting on the sides of the road outside Trout Creek, waiting for their bus to return and follow them back to school. So glad Gary has taken control of the barn and more generations can spend their free time shooting hoops. Will be a sad day if she ever gets torn down. Can't wait to watch the next parts.
Great job, Kristen. Brings back so many memories. Can't wait til part 2.
Beautiful job, Kristen. Brought a tear or two to my eyes. Happy tears.😎 Can't wait to watch the rest. Thank you!
Its so cool to know that part 4 is coming soon, I love this series! I also go to ewen im in 6th rn lol. -Zyra Miller
Great job Kristin!! Can't wait for the rest of it!
Very well done! Looking forward to the rest of the episodes.
Thanks! Hope to have another one done every two months!
My dad used to drive me and him 60 miles after work so we could go watch games in the Barn. So many good memories, golden age of HS basketball in the UP.
Played many times at the Barn ! Great atmosphere …. Some good Bessemer vs Ewen games over the years !
Trout Creek is the place where was many Finnish immigrants. Names Besonen and Bessen exists in my family tree, originally from Utajärvi Finland immigrating Michigan about 1890- 1907. I wonder if some those basketball players are my relatives. It is amazing how good they are .
Great job! This brings back so many memories!
Fantastic! Looking forward to the rest! A special place and reminds me there were many great little gyms scattered throughout the small UP towns for a time.
Glad you enjoyed it! There were. I'd like to get into some of the old ones.
Excellent! Looking forward to next installment.
So fun to watch! Can't wait for the subsequent episodes.
As a life long Hoosier I sat the bench for the '94 and '95 teams. Hoosiers believe basketball is the home in Indiana, the heart is in Ewen, Michigan. We learned to be better people, sons, fathers (even before we were), and teammates in this gym. I've been to schools with 10k students but this school is very different in how they make kids into adults.
I love it!
My father and uncles and many other relatives played and coached at Ewen High and then ETC. Franti legacy.
This is great stuff! My recollection of E-TC's basketball history goes back even further than the time period covered here. This would have been the decade of the 60's when I was in elementary school and junior high in Manistique. I remember a great player by the name of Bob something. He had a classic crew cut as I recall and the team had very unique uniforms. E-TC have always been giant killers. I hope the documentary includes more of the older history too.
Thanks! In Part 2 I'll go back to the 60's briefly but not spending much time there. Mainly to mention before E-TC there was Ewen and Trout Creek and they were both powerhouses before the consolidation (mainly TC). Consolidation definitely strengthened the program. You are probably thinking of Bob Gale who played on the 1966 team for Trout Creek.
@@KristinOjaniemi Yes, Bob Gale! Was my memory correct about their uniforms during that era?
Yes! They did have quite the uniforms that season. I think it was the striped socks that made them unique from the photos I've seen!
looks like a wall blocking off the old stage lol. i played piano a lot on that stage. man when i played the song from peanuts charlie brown christmas the kids went wild.
Easier to heat with old stage blocked off!
does that scoreboard sound a buzzer as most do the one in the barn?
the scoreboard no longer works sadly