Hampshire High School to honor former athletes

As the basketball season winds to a close, the Hampshire High School athletic department is looking for some closure as well.

Closure, as in closing down the Purple Palace.

While Hampshire's quaint gym will remain standing for middle school activities, high school winter sports at Hampshire will move to a new building next year, and a field house that seats 2,500.

The banners that now hang in the gym will serve as a memory to all the state teams the Whip-Purs have produced in the last 32 years, and Hampshire will honor those teams and athletes on two separate dates.

On Thursday, Jan. 24, Hampshire will honor past female athletes at its girls basketball game. The school has produced six state final teams in girls sports -- the 2002, 2003 and 2004 girls basketball teams, the 2006 and 2007 girls soccer teams and the 2007 girls volleyball team. Four of those six have brought home state hardware.

Then, on Feb. 2 at the boys basketball game, Hampshire will acknowledge its male athletes who were state qualifiers. The school has produced three state football champions -- in 1976, 1979 and 1995 -- as well as the 1978 football team that finished second.

On both dates, the school will also honor individual athletes who were state qualifiers.

"We wanted to bring some closure to the fact it's our last games in the building," said Hampshire athletic director Dave Hicks. "This will help us bring some closure to the building."

Hicks also said he's in the preliminary stages of forming a Hampshire Athletic Hall of Fame.

"We want to bring some kids back and take some pictures for the new state trophy case in the new building, and we want to get a hall of fame going here," Hicks said. "We just want to bring as many former athletes back as we can and honor them."

Former Hampshire athletes who would like to attend, or need more information, can contact Hicks at (847) 683-2522, ext. 17, or Rose Bihun at ext. 16.