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In 1986 a movie came out that was simply called "Hoosiers."
It was a fictional movie loosely based on the 1954 Milan, IN basketball team that won the Indiana State Tournament.
In 1963 and 1964 the Dodgeville high school basketball team made back to back state tournament appearances, finishing second in 1963 and winning the gold ball in 1964.
They did it in fine Hoosiers fashion, the small school prevailing over the bigger, favored school.
In 1963 the Dodgers beat Clintonville then upset tournament favorite Eau Claire. They lost in the final game to Manitowoc.
In 1964 the Dodgers beat Merrill, Waukesha and then tournament favorite Milwaukee North.
There have been no movies made about those two teams. They didn;t need any made because they lived it.
The two teams are being featured in a book written by Rick Birk called Dodgeville Capturing Hearts. It features interviews with players from those two teams. It does not talk about winning and losing as much as it talks about TEAM.
I lived during that special time and was fortunate to have been a member of the 1963 team. I then followed my former teammates a year later.
I am proud to have known all of them. Unfortunately Dennis Morgan and Duane Honerbaum, both starters in 1963, are no longer with us.
Every so often when I feel less happy than I should I think about those years and I am instantly cheered up. I don't think so much about the games as I do how the community came together to live through it with us. To use the term "magical years" would be selling those years way too short.
What made it so special was we were one of the last eight teams in the state. Size did not matter. We faced schools with enrollment larger than the population of our community.
We were lucky to play for a coach well ahead of his time and for quite a while he was the only coach in the football, baskeball and baseball halls of fame. There are only a couple more who have been added to that list.
Back to the book.
The book will be available in November at various locations. It is a great read and I guarantee the $18 it costs is more than worth it.
While Dodgeville and other area teams have experienced great runs and state titles it will never be like it was in 1963 and 1964. If you ask why, then you better buy the book because it will explain it in full.
The book has another purpose and that is sales through DASFI (Dodgeville Area Scholarship Foundation, Inc) will return a portion of the profits to that organization for the scholarship fund.
The cutoff to order books through DASFI, shipping free, is October 10.
The books ordered will be delivered to DAFSI freight included and they will make arrangements for pick-up.
DAFSI will receive profits from every book sold.
To read about the book go to Facebook and see Dodgeville Capturing Hearts. Or, go to Go-5 website and see a brief description
To order from DAFSI contact Carrie Schroeder or Missy Hottmann at the following email.
Carrie Schroeder
Carrie Schroeder
Missy A Hottmann
Order the book and enjoy a special time in Dodgeville history.
And a deal you can't refuse.
If you buy the book and it is not everything I have said, I will buy it back from you.  No questions asked.
And I am not a rich man when it comes to money.
But I am rich in the memories from those two special teams.