Smallest High School

I read the other day that Carr Creek,1956, is the smallest high school to win the KHSAA basketball title. I was wondering if anyone knew this for sure? I know Cuba and Brewers won in the late 40's and they had to be small schools. Any thoughts?

Go Creekers!

I've often wondered why the Carr Creek story wasn't as big or bigger than the Milan High Indiana story.

I've often wondered why the Carr Creek story wasn't as big or bigger than the Milan High Indiana story.

Because of the movie, Hoosiers.

Because of the movie, Hoosiers.

But I think Milan was the small school basketball state tournament David/Goliath representative even before the movie was released in the 1980's.

What most people don't know is the Milan team didn't really surprise anyone with their great play in the '53-'54 season and state tournament that year. They were in the Final Four of the state tournament the year before and were highly ranked in the state before the championship season began. Probably no one thought that they would win the state title though, but I've seen interviews with people that were in that tournament that said everyone knew Milan would be a difficult game to win.

Some of the Knott County folk on here probably know more about the Carr Creek story than me, but I seriously doubt anyone felt that the Indians were a threat to win the Kentucky state title in 1956. That story would have made a great movie also, with an Appalachian background substituted for corn fields.

Well I can't get it to post right but Carr Creek was actually the favorite according to the Litkenhous ratings going into the 1956 state tournament. By the time of the 1956 the Indians were a fairly known commodity state-wide. The bigger surprise from Carr Creek was likely in 1928 when they went to the region tournament in Richmond without having so much as uniforms, ended up winning that tournament and then progressing to the state finals where they lost to eventual national champion Ashland in four overtimes.

Well I can't get it to post right but Carr Creek was actually the favorite according to the Litkenhous ratings going into the 1956 state tournament. By the time of the 1956 the Indians were a fairly known commodity state-wide. The bigger surprise from Carr Creek was likely in 1928 when they went to the region tournament in Richmond without having so much as uniforms, ended up winning that tournament and then progressing to the state finals where they lost to eventual national champion Ashland in four overtimes.

I didn't realize they were the favorites to win it in 1956. That's a surprise to me.

You're right about their 1928 team. That story is legendary and would make for a great movie with the right director in control. They played the region in cutoff pants and I don't know what kind of shirt. I think after they won someone helped raise money to buy them uniforms for the state tournament. I believe they also played in some type of national tournament in Chicago after the state tournament.

What are the enrollments of these schools?

Well I can't get it to post right but Carr Creek was actually the favorite according to the Litkenhous ratings going into the 1956 state tournament. By the time of the 1956 the Indians were a fairly known commodity state-wide. The bigger surprise from Carr Creek was likely in 1928 when they went to the region tournament in Richmond without having so much as uniforms, ended up winning that tournament and then progressing to the state finals where they lost to eventual national champion Ashland in four overtimes.

Thanks for posting those Lit-Ratings GC; I always enjoy that kind of stuff.

Because of the 1928 team, Carr Creek was a legendary name. But I'm not sure the Creekers were the "favorite" in 1956. True they were (barely) #1 according to Lit, but the favorite tended to be a big school like Lafayette. Or perhaps 4th region champion Central City, which had been there three years in a row with a combined record of 99-10. And then there was King Kelly Coleman's team--Wayland.

How fun would it have been to broadcast THAT state tourney?!

I Googled "Carr Creek basketball 1928" and found a ton of stuff. Lots of it has been written based on past accounts...with varying degrees of accuracy. The most fun article was in the Chicago Tribune...where the Creekers were playing in the 32-team National Tournament. Ashland, the state champion that year, also won the National with a 5-0 record; Carr Creek won its first three games, before losing in the quarter-finals.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1928/04/05/page/23/article/carr-creek-upsets-texas-quintet-25-18

If you Google "Milan-1954," several stories say "enrollment was 161." Muncie Central, the state runner-up, was 2,200.

Well I can't get it to post right but Carr Creek was actually the favorite according to the Litkenhous ratings going into the 1956 state tournament. By the time of the 1956 the Indians were a fairly known commodity state-wide. The bigger surprise from Carr Creek was likely in 1928 when they went to the region tournament in Richmond without having so much as uniforms, ended up winning that tournament and then progressing to the state finals where they lost to eventual national champion Ashland in four overtimes.

 

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I've got your back.

Cuba and Brewers in Far WKY winning it were incredibly small schools. Again, no idea on exact enrollment though. Modern day, university Heights is probably the smallest to win it.

Not sure of enrollment but Corinth High School who won it all in 1930 and came in 3rd in the national tournament that year was a very small school also.