From the sidelines
For 57 years it has been home to Marion High School winter sports.
In its 58th and final year, the current MHS gymnasium has one last season to create memories for a lifetime.
One year from now the MHS basketball and wrestling teams will be preparing to play and compete in the new gymnasium for the first time.
While it was obvious new facilities were needed, it can be hard to say goodbye to a building that has been special for so many people.
Whether it's remembering the first game played in the gym, the first pin recorded by a MHS wrestler, or an upset victory against a top-ranked team, it can be hard to move on.
But it was time, and the new facility that will include a sunken gym floor with an indoor track above will be great for the teams.
According to MHS wrestling coach Chad Adkins, his new practice room will be twice the size of the current room the team uses now.
There will be more room in the new gym, more comfortable bleachers, and more handicap accessible.
While the seniors at MHS might be disappointed to just miss out on playing in the new building, they will leave as the final class to play in the gym.
But sentimentalists need not worry. The building won't be knocked to the ground or sit empty. In fact, the district installed a new floor for practices and gym class.
Once the basketball season is under way Friday, it will be the final opening game in the gym.
The senior night basketball and wrestling competitions this year also will be the final ones, as will the last shot, free throw, rebound, takedown, or pin of the season.
Every "last" this season can be turned into a trivia question: Who scored the final basket in the old gym? Who earned the final wrestling victory for Marion in the old gym? Who ate the final hot dog served in the concession stand?
Anyone affiliated with the basketball the past 57 years, or the wrestling team since it inception in the '90s, has his or her own memory.
It will be neat to see which ones are added to the list this year.
