Ask anyone who is a native of Evansville the question, "tell me about yourself" and their response will likely begin with what High School they attended. It's in the city's DNA and it's the result of two philosophies that took hold in Evansville metropolitan officials in the 1950's.
FIRST CRITICAL CHOICE
The first was to oppose inclusion of Evansville in the footprint of the budding Interstate Highway System. Newspaper reports and opinion pages of the era describe how the mayor at the time along with top precinct leaders from both parties felt that Evansville was self-sufficient, that its manufacturing base was varied and transportation needs were met by the river and the rail roads, and that inclusion in the interstate network would bring more negatives (i.e. organized crime and drug traffic) with it than positives.
As a result, Evansville became comparatively more expensive for other schools to travel to in order to compete on a regular basis and reporters from outside the region traveled here less frequently. Southwestern Indiana's presence in the athletic polls and season ending recognition began to wane.
SECOND CRITICAL CHOICE
The second decision made in the 50's was to sustain the philosophy of neighborhood high schools. Where nearby areas like Terre Haute and southeastern Indiana engaged in consolidation, Evansville continued to grow and maintain high schools targeting 1,250 students or less. As a result of its gradual isolation from the rest of the state, the city's rich environment of seven (and for a period of time, eight) competitive athletic departments created a talent laden but evenly distributed "league" of its own. With the growth of Castle on Evansville's far east side, the area developed a natural, self-sufficient, city-wide "league" that could provide significant, balanced competition without having to leave the area surrounding Vanderburgh County.
RISE OF GIRLS’ SPORTS
The advent and sanctioning of girls’ sports, the rise of soccer, and the development of 'feeder' programs to support eight separate but nearly equal distributions of local interest, funding, and infrastructure produced a Southern Indiana Athletic Conference that produces more than its share of talent to college programs across the Midwest.
HISTORY IS BEING LOST
Alas, history is disappearing before our eyes. The rise of the internet has had the byproduct of diminishing print communication. The 'storage house' for the results of Evansville's athletic records is being reduced. Finding post-season accolades for the era from the late 00's to current day requires contacting individual nominating agencies, subscriptions to multiple sites, and a desire to dig for data that is becoming more stubbornly hidden.
WHY THESE SPORTS?
There are currently 19 sports the Indiana High School Athletic Association sanctions. In two thirds of those, a competitor can win an Individual Title like a Sectional or a City championship. In eight of those sports, an athlete can be the very best at their craft (e.g. best guard, best spiker, best mid-fielder, best second baseman, etc.) but if surrounded by a team of lesser caliber, that athlete has little chance at winning games, let alone Championships.
Their only recognition comes in the form of Post Season Honors.
And those Post Season Honors have become increasingly difficult to locate.
Until this website.
For any Evansville high school athlete who was ever named Honorable Mention, Second Team, or First Team to any post season honors in Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, or Football, your accomplishment and anything else we can still find in the record books about that mention, will be recorded herein at Evansville Sports Archive.
This is our love letter to Evansville High School Sports. Long may you continue to provide enjoyment to the thousands who take pleasure in your competition.
Thank you to the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Athletic Department and the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference for your invaluable assistance in putting this website together.