Old gym floor retired, but its glory lives on

In reality, they're nothing more than strips of wood -- held together by a bunch of nails and covered with a clear lacquer finish.

But oh, the stories those gym floor boards could tell. Every piece in that hardwood collection is unique, each representing a vivid history of recollections within West Aurora High School.

That nostalgia is now on the auction block. On Friday, the West Aurora Blackhawk Sports Boosters began an online bidding process in which 25 sections of the storied floor will be offered up for bidding. The floor was removed last spring after 53 years underfoot for thousands of events.

Four, 10-day auction periods will be on ebay between now and Jan. 29 with the goal of raising $25,000. Every penny pulled in will go toward upgrades as West continues to refurbish and modernize its new-look gym.

Now, lelt's face it -- a floor is a floor. But there's a bit of romanticism and sentimental significance involved with this one. If only those boards could gather around the coffee table for a reunion and spin a few tales from yesteryear…

Better yet, they could be your table. Each piece is a five-foot by five-foot section, ideal for a wall hanging or small table. From the baselines to free throw lanes to center court, there will be various sections available during each bidding period.

Since rubber sneakers first squeaked across its surface in 1953, the gym has been the site of countless happenings and hosted several million fans in that half century. Most associate it with West's illustrious history in boys' basketball, but it's been a site for graduations, plays, award ceremonies and concerts, not to mention other sports such as wrestling, volleyball, badminton and girls basketball.

Each piece conveys a special yet different meaning or memory in the eye of the beholder. For the sake of brevity, I'll keep it on boys basketball. But I needed the perspective of two red and blue lifers -- Neal "Voice of the Blackhawks" Ormond and former Aurora sportswriter Tim Wagner.

When you look at the piece of floor where these feats took place, it's as if time stands still, the crowd roars and the moment comes to life -- almost like you're witnessing it right then and there. Again. To wit:

• In 1990 --in the greatest high school game I've seen -- West's Mario Clark scored 40 points and led the Blackhawks to an 88-85 overtime victory against East Aurora for the regional championship. East's Thomas Wyatt was every bit as spectacular, scoring 42 points, the most ever by a player in the legendary history of the East-West rivalry.

As entertaining as it was, the game was also crucial. After the narrow win, West made it all the way to the Elite Eight. Pick any section of the floor, and chances are one or both of these players scored from there that night.

• I'm figuring that a few of those shots taken by Clark and Wyatt came from the same place on the floor from where Bill Small hit the game-winning shot from the seat of his short pants to give West the regional crown over Batavia in 1958. The shot came from slightly left of the top of the circle, just beyond where the 3-point line is on today's courts.

West turned the buzzer-beater into a downstate ticket, ultimately finishing fourth in the state.

• The most famously controversial shot in East-West history occurred in 1973 on the east end of the court. As the final seconds ticked off, Craig Hardy charged toward the basket along the left baseline and tipped in a rebound as the gun (not a buzzer) sounded.

Former East Aurora coach Ernie Kivisto -- to his dying day -- insisted the shot came after time expired. It remains vivid in East-West lore, however. West went on to place third in the state.

• Ormond, before he became a 40-year mainstay behind the mike, played on the floor in the mid 1950s when it was relatively new.

"I can still tell you the exact spot on the floor where I hit my varsity basket," Neal said.

He didn't tell, of course, preferring to keep his secret until after the auction. "I know what piece of floor I want."

• Who can forget Kenny Battle? If you get a piece of the floor, chances are Battle launched one of his highlight-reel slam dunks from there. Few can compare, however, to the display he put on in 1989.

Having just graduated from Illinois, where he was a key member of the "Flyin' Illini" team that reached the Final Four, Battle and some fellow Big Ten All-Stars came to West for a benefit game. While treating fans to a high-flying show, Battle produced an aerial slamdown so spectacular that it shattered the glass backboard to pieces.

How fitting that Aurora's most famous dunker would mark his visit by becoming the only player to ever bring down a backboard. Several pieces of glass remain preserved in the school's trophy case, and if you notice a few shards in any of the keepsake floor pieces, you'll know why.

• And, finally, a mostly infamous incident occurred when Wagner was a sophomore in 1991. While jumping off the couch constitutes his vertical leap these days, Wagner could actually dunk back in the day. Nothing Battle-esque, but he could throw it down after a running start.

He was juiced up to do just that, in spectacular fashion, during a breakaway. Clear path to the basket, adrenaline flowing, ready for launch when…he plants on the wrong foot.

Rather than rocket skyward, he fell to the fabled floor in a heap and crashed into the padded standard, his hip out of joint. Fans sunk back onto their bleacher seats. And Wagner, his hip aching and his pride wounded, was carried to the bench.

If you see that piece of flooring, let Tim know. It's easy to recognize -- the one that's blushing red with embarrassment.

• To view the sections available and place a bid, visit the District 129 web site at www.sd129.org/boosters.