The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Sunset Park Reunion to feature hoop greats, stories

Trial set in scuffle involving councilman
New 24 min. ago
Youth leadership conference next week
New 25 min. ago
Hispanic rights group rallies against Arizona-like law here
12:45 a.m.
Murder suspect arrested
9:31 p.m.
Tearful, final farewells given to former editor
6:05 p.m.
> More headlines

E-mail this page

By Rick McCrabb, Staff Writer 8:30 PM Wednesday, July 22, 2009

While there’s no debating Jerry Lucas is basketball royalty in Middletown, Don “Woody” Withrow — his close friend then and now — calls himself “The King” of the Sunset Park basketball court.

“Nobody,” Withrow said, pausing for affect, “spent more time at Sunset back in the day.”

Now, more than 40 years after those glory days, Withrow, with assistance from several friends, hopes to reminisce about those summers when Sunset Park and basketball were synonymous.

Withrow has organized a Sunset Park Reunion for noon Saturday, July 25, at Sunset Park. He has phoned about 150 former players and adults who spent their summers from 1955 to the late 1960s at the Sunset Park basketball court.

Withrow, 73, and a 1953 Middletown High School graduate, started dreaming about the Sunset reunion 15 years ago when he retired from Armco Steel.

He has confirmations from Lucas, whose MHS number was retired last winter, and numerous other standout basketball players from Middletown, Fenwick, Franklin, Lebanon and Waynesville high schools.

Some of the most recognizable players include Owen Lawson, Bob Cole, Skeeter Wallace, Ron Dykes, Doug Jemison, Jim Nein, Ken Cohen, Justin Holweger and Tom “Beans” Augsburger.

About 40 former Middies have responded, he said.

As folklore goes, during its heyday, Sunset Park drew some of the greatest high school and college players in the area. The winning team remained on the court, and losing team sometimes never got back on the court.

Withrow remembers those rare days when Oscar Robertson, the University of Cincinnati great, showed up unannounced, and Lucas wasn’t at Sunset.

Withrow drove to Lucas’ house on Hughes Street.

Why?

“Would you play Oscar without Lucas on your team?” Withrow asked.

He’s expecting between 125 to 150 people — some from neighboring states — for the reunion, which will run for about three hours or until “people are tired of talking.”

He said hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans and drinks will be available. He has rented a large tent, tables and chairs. He said donations will be accepted.

If the weather is inclement, the event will be moved to Wade E. Miller Gym.

Regardless of the site, Withrow is predicting a “great time” Saturday.

In fact, he said, “I’ve already had a great time just talking to the guys on the phone.”

Share this article