WILKES-BARRE — With this week’s death of legendary actor Gene Hackman, one of his roles will forever be embedded in my soul — that of Coach Norman Dale in “Hoosiers.”
The first time I saw Hoosiers, I was taken back to 1965-66, the year Plymouth High School’s basketball team won the Wyoming Valley Championship and the District 2 title.
The similarities between Coach Dale and his Hickory squad and Plymouth’s Shawnee Indians are remarkable — the small gyms, the uniforms, the sneakers, the hometown support and the locker room.
The scenes in the Hickory Huskers’ locker room were almost as if they were taken from that 1965-66 Plymouth team. The towels, the small gym bags, the basement-like dreary room, the lockers, the benches — all brought back so many memories it was uncanny.
It was as if in 1986, Hackman and the entire cast had taken the Way Back Machine to Plymouth, PA, of 1965-66, for research.
Mr. Hackman had an iconic career — every role was magnificent and he truly is one of the very best actors Hollywood ever produced.
But his Coach Norman Dale portrayal will always be my favorite because it really hit “hometown” with me and all who grew up in much simpler times.
In the season of 1965-66, after the Plymouth High basketball team won District 2. So heralded were we that the town held an appreciation rally at the Shawnee Theater. We were put on the stage and we were cheered by a capacity crowd.
It was small town pride at its very best.
It was also the year of Plymouth Borough’s Centennial celebration. The town was alive with pride and we were right in the middle of it all.
With the theater packed, we stood on stage wearing our championship jackets — red with black leather sleeves with a basketball logo that declared our District 2 and Wyoming Valley League titles.
It was a very big deal.
Our coach was Joe Evan, assisted by John “Snoggy” — a Plymouth legend.
The 1965-66 school year was the last for Plymouth High School. In fact, it marked the end of small town America, as hometown schools were merged to become larger, more efficient, school-busing systems.
Each town of what was now Wyoming Valley West had rich histories, especially in athletics — Plymouth, Edwardsville, Larksville, Forty Fort, Swoyersville, Luzerne, Kingston, Pringle, Courtdale.
With consolidations, So many rivalries just disappeared — on both sides of the Susquehanna River. And now the kids from the small towns were expected to come together at a “monster” school, wearing different colors and dealing with a much more competitive process in even making the team.
In 1966, Plymouth, like most town in Wyoming Valley, epitomised small-town America. Every Main Street was lined with thriving businesses.
There were parades for the opening of Little Leagues and for Halloween, as storefront windows were painted in festive scenes. Towns were safe and fun was everywhere.
In Plymouth, the high school/junior high campus was magnificent with its beautiful brick buildings, winding sidewalks and tall shade trees. And Huber Stadium and its amazing wall and the Plymouth Little League right next to it.
Watching Hoosiers again the other night made me long to visit all those great places that I have written about before — Golden Quality for a CMP tops the list, followed by Mergo’s hot dogs and Joe’s Pizza. I thought about how great it would be to watch “A Complete Unknown” at the Shawnee Theater, then go to Rea & Derick for a cherry Coke.
I thought about those 9-ball games at C. Matus News and the parking meters out front that we used to hold up as we watched the world go by.
Now 59 years later, we still remember and enjoy those days of our youth — of growing up and celebrating our town. Those memories never die.
Coach Norman Dale and his Hickory Huskers take me back to those days every time I watch Hoosiers.
Hoosiers was all about heart and determination and overcoming the odds.
And it celebrates small town pride.