Sunday, November 23, 2025
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20 Years Later, Shelbyville’s 2005–06 Golden Bears Still Stand Tall
Shelbyville High School’s Gavin Hall looks to pass during yesterday’s scrimmage against Bloomington North. The season opens Wednesday with a game against Rushville and recognition of the 2005-06 Bears squad. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
When Shelbyville High School recognizes the 2005-06 boys basketball team on Wednesday night, the reception will double as a reunion and a reminder of the rarity of that team’s feats.
The Golden Bears opened the 2005–06 season with confidence, but no one could have predicted what followed. “Let’s really be honest,” head coach Harry Larrabee told The Shelbyville News at the time. “If anybody, even our best fans who sometimes are blinded, would have predicted this team was 23-1, let me tell you they could have put a lot of money in Vegas and be retiring someplace where the sun shines 365 days out of the year. This is a remarkable season. It will go down in history as one of the best basketball teams ever that Shelbyville has produced.”
The Bears authored one of the most memorable runs in program history:
21-0 regular season
23-game winning streak
Hoosier Heritage Conference champions
Shelby Shootout champions
Second-best record in Indiana (23–1)
Top-five finishes in both the final AP and Coaches polls
Jeff Brown of The Shelbyville News captured the mood after the sectional final loss, calling the program “sectionally frustrated” after decades of heartbreak, but also noting that this team had rewritten the record book. He listed three team records that “wouldn’t be appreciated for years to come.” Two decades later, they finally are.
Behind seniors Sean Drake, James Douglas, Jim Peck, Cory Sitton, Donte Thomas, and others, the Bears not only won, but they also drew crowds reminiscent of earlier eras. Larrabee said the home atmosphere “was like 1963… fans lined up since 4 o’clock to get a seat.”
Shelbyville finished the regular season ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, back when SHS played at the state’s highest level. The Bears ultimately fell to Bloomington South in the sectional title game, a 46–45 heartbreaker.
“We had a couple of shots in our last two possessions,” Larrabee said then. “Instead of dropping in, they dropped out.” It was the team’s only loss.
The Bears’ success sparked a wave of school spirit. Students painted temporary walls inside the high school, which were a byproduct of major construction that year, after each class was given permission to decorate the building “spirit week-style” in honor of the team.
On Wednesday, the 20-year celebration begins with a 6 p.m. reception in the SHS cafeteria for players and families. The team will be recognized at halftime of the varsity game vs. Rushville at Garrett Gymnasium.
Fans from every era are encouraged to attend Wednesday’s opener and help welcome back one of the most celebrated teams in Golden Bear history.
Those seeking additional information can contact the Shelbyville High School Athletic Department at 317-398-9731, ext. 2050.
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NOTEBOOK:
HOOSIER NEWS: Henry County’s planning commission approved a rezoning plan that could pave the way for a 500-acre data center near State Road 109 and I-70. Chris King, representing Surge, told commissioners the firm pledged to exceed environmental standards, including avoiding on-site water wells. Supporters cited the potential for hundreds of union construction jobs, while some nearby property owners objected. Commission president Marsha Gratner called the proposal potentially “an example for the whole state.” The rezoning now moves to the Henry County Commissioners for consideration. (IBJ)
NATIONAL NEWS: “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot has returned to the Billboard charts, reaching No. 15 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The spike in listenership coincided with the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior. The song racked up 3.7 million official U.S. streams, up 140 percent week over week. This implies, of course, that the song does, in fact, pull hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of listens in a typical week. (Billboard/Numlock)
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SQUIB LOOK-BACK: 1986
This Day in Shelby County History
Local headlines reported on or around this date in Shelby County history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2005: J.P. Morgan Chase Bank completed its transition at 49 Public Square, replacing the former Bank One name and introducing new vice president Terry Ploetz, who moved to Shelbyville to lead the branch.
1995: Shelbyville officials proposed a plan to reuse wastewater bio-solids by applying treated sludge to farmland instead of sending it to the landfill. The Board of Public Works and Safety reviewed the idea as a cost-saving measure, noting that several Indiana communities had already adopted similar practices. State regulators said the process was permissible if monitored, though fees for disposal varied widely across treatment plants.
1985: Dr. Eliseo T. Banguis announced the relocation of his general surgery practice to the Whitcomb Building at 120 West Jackson Street in Shelbyville. The move was scheduled to take effect on January 6, 1986, with the office maintaining the same phone number for patients.
St. Joseph’s captured the city sixth-grade volleyball title with a 5–1 record. Team members included Christi Bushfield, Emily Creel, Trisha Crosby, Amy Wickizer, Margie Chesebrough, Joan Sanders, Rae Ann Lee, Jenny Ford, Cathy Huesman, Jeanette Thornburg and Becky James. The team was coached by Kathy Creel, Ann Stieneker and Jan Itce.
1975: Ruth Tucker of Center Street rescued a baby screech owl after finding it in traffic on Old Road 421 near the county highway garage. A veterinarian treated the owl’s broken leg and expected a full recovery, after which Tucker planned to release it. She noted the family’s cat was jealous of the bird, while their poodle kept guard over it.
1965: A police officer chased a car thief on foot after spotting a stolen vehicle on Miller Avenue. The suspect fled after jumping from the moving car, which then struck a small tree; the officer fired one shot but missed as the man escaped through backyards. Police continued investigating after Joe Willard Johnson, the vehicle’s owner, reported he had given the men a ride before they struck him and hijacked the vehicle.
1955: Shelbyville prepared for a special census after officials requested a new count from the U.S. Bureau of Census, noting the 1950 total of 11,734 residents was likely outdated. Mayor Philip Banawitz said an accurate population figure was important because the city’s gasoline tax allotment was based on a per-capita formula, and an undercount could cost Shelbyville as much as $4,000 a year. Census workers were set to begin canvassing neighborhoods, with local residents encouraged to cooperate fully.
William L. Brown, 21, of Waldron died at Major Hospital after his car was struck by a southeast-bound New York Central freight train at the East Broadway crossing. His death marked Shelby County’s eighth traffic fatality of 1955 and the first in the city in 393 days, since October 1954. The incident contributed to Indiana’s statewide toll, which had just passed 1,000 fatalities for the year.
1945: Families in Shelby County received word that Pvt. James V. Kaster and five other local soldiers had arrived on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. The group - Pvt. Emerson E. Pike, Pvt. Robert A. Shaw, Pvt. Robert L. Reuter, Pvt. Robert W. Pike and Pvt. Donald I. Muldoon - had trained together at Camp Maxey in Texas after being inducted in April and were assigned to the 77th Division.
1935: Union Township approved plans for a new consolidated school to be built as a one-story structure of brick and stone with an elevated basement. The building was designed to include four classrooms, an auditorium, several smaller rooms and a future sixth-grade gymnasium, and would sit on a five-acre tract on the Michael Kney farm north of Rays Crossing. The advisory board accepted architectural plans from McGuire & Shook of Indianapolis and moved the project forward for state review.
1925: Guild Grain Company of Fairland purchased the London elevator building and planned to reopen it within about ten days. Merrill Guild was set to remodel and supervise the operation, with a manager to be stationed in London once the business was underway.
1915: Oysters briefly became the cheapest meat in Shelbyville, selling for 23 to 30 cents a quart and described by newspapers as a better value than any other option. The cause of the so-called “oyster war” was unclear, but merchants had dropped prices sharply and continued competing enthusiastically.
Hotel Shelby advertised a Thanksgiving dinner offering a full noon and evening menu. Diners could choose dishes such as roast beef with gravy, roast young turkey with oyster dressing, fried oysters, roast pork with apple sauce, and sides ranging from candied sweets to Southern corn bread. The 50-cent meal also included desserts like hot mince pie, pumpkin pie, peach roll and maple ice cream and cake.
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