bru•in (ˈbru ɪn) -
n.
a bear, esp. a Hartford City black and red bear with an unwavering tenacity and willingness to win…
…the Legendary Blackout
It takes years for a cub to learn the ways of a full-grown Blackford Bruin. Often many and sometimes hard, but countless lessons are learned along the way. Through those challenging years the cubs grow and eat their way through Hartford City devouring local favorites like Pizza King and Richards Restaurant to name a few. And without a doubt, the last several years has produced some of the hungriest, most competitive, unwavering, talented and driven Bruins the town has ever seen.
Tucked in central northeast Indiana, Hartford City is home of Blackford County and the Blackford Bruins High School Basketball team. Over the last few years, there has been a rebuilding, reinventing and nothing short of a “Legendary Resurrection”… the basketball team has literally brought this town back to life. As good as they are (the basketball team) and have become, there's a keystone that holds this resurrection together… THE FANS! The fans came out of the woodworks filling the Bruins Den and bringing a new level of energy and excitement each and every night. Every team in every sport needs a soul, a lifeline and a pulse. Undoubtedly the Bruin Pep Band, the Students, and Local family and friends have become the backbone for this talented group of players.
With unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances, the 2019-20 Basketball season ended unexpectedly due to the CORVID-19 virus, however the lasting memories will forever remain. Driving the success train is the Legend himself, Coach Jerry Hoover. Throughout the season he pushed all the right buttons and got the most out of his players. Everyone chipped in and did their part with Luke Brown Leading the way. Though he wasn’t alone, the Bruin talent pool of Brandon Stroble, Dalton Willmann, Landon Grimes, Max Wors, Cam Elam and Steffen Hoover to name a few were always there to carry their own weight night in and night out.
One mission of The Local Legend Clothing Company is to find unique individuals who make a positive impact on the communities they call home. It’s obvious “The Legends” Jerry Hoover and Luke Brown have done just that. The Local Legend Clothing Company also tries to “pay it forward” as much, and as often as we can.
On one special night and with the help of a few Local companies, it was our turn to chip in, pay it forward and add to the “buzz” in the Bruin Den. We received help from the best pizza chain in the world Pizza King, and a stellar local screen printing company T Flyers. Together we collaborated and donated over 130 “Legendary Blackout” t-shirts and sunglasses for the student body to wear for what was a legendary night indeed.
Realizing how special the talent on the court is for the Bruins is obvious. The coaches and players were among the best in the state… but where a lot of credit needs to be given is to the STUDENTS and FANS! Just as the Legendary Blackout shirt says,“The players make the game exciting, the Fans make it Legendary”. Always bringing another level of energy to the games, showing up on week nights, in the cold, the snow, and flat out cheering their team on is the one piece of the puzzle that needs to be seen, recognized and highlighted. Hartford City and Blackford County has been through a lot over the years, some ups and probably more downs. But the students, the fans and their Bruin Pride is clearly unmatched and always felt when you step inside that Bruin Den for a home game.
As a country we have our fingers crossed to get over the virus, heal up and move on. The students and players that were once just cubs are now fully grown, and they’ll be hungrier and stronger than ever. Any team that schedules the Bruins should be concerned when they hit the road and come to your town. But without a doubt, any team that comes to the Bruins Den… you may just want to consider wearing earplugs… ‘cause the Best Fans in the state will be out of hibernation and ready to hunt! Best of luck to the Blackford Bruins in 2020-21!!!
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