Correction: In a previous version of this story, Brent Bach's name was misspelled. Bach is Augusta Independent's current all-time leading scorer. The error has been corrected. (March 24, 2023)
AUGUSTA, Ky. — March Madness might be the greatest time of the year for basketball fans. There are, of course, a lot of those in Kentucky, a state with more basketball history than almost anywhere else in the country.
If any of those fans have ever visited the one gym in a small northern Kentucky town with more history than anywhere else in the state, they’d know just how special it is.
To players on the Augusta Independent School basketball team, the Panther’s Den is simply their home court. That was also true for a lot of their parents, such as principal Robin Kelsch, and their parents’ parents, and so on.
“If you look at scorers’ books from 50, 60 years ago, some of the same names are going to pop up. Same family names that have been here for years,” Kelsch said. “I think the kids realize they’re a part of something special.”
Augusta Independent School was built in 1896. It was originally Augusta College, one of the first all-girl colleges. The Panther’s Den, built in 1926, isn’t just a gym. It’s an institution. It’s believed to be the oldest operating gym in Kentucky.
“This is the center of Augusta. People come here. Any event in town is usually hosted here,” Kelsch said.
Stepping foot in the gym, one can almost feel in the air the nearly century’s worth of graduation ceremonies, proms, and countless basketball games played there.
“Some people say they hear balls bouncing in here at night,” said Augusta Independent School Athletic Director, and Boys Varsity Head Basketball Coach, Jason Hinson. “When you’re in here, it’s magical.”
The gym can barely handle its maximum occupancy of 800 people. The floors of the hallways leading into it crack and creek. But when Augusta is hosting a basketball game, Kelsch said there’s no better place in the world to be.
“I’m sure, somewhere in Kentucky, there were 10 better athletes, or maybe two better teams, but I can almost guarantee when Augusta hosts Bracken County, our cross county rival, there is no better atmosphere than right here in the Panther’s Den,” Kelsch said. “When people are sitting two feet from the floor, and this place is packed, I would almost venture to bet you couldn’t find a better atmosphere anywhere in Kentucky, and two sets of teams with fans that love basketball more than we do.”
He might not be as famous as George Clooney, who graduated from Augusta Independent in 1979, and played on the basketball team, but Robin’s father Bill Kelsch was the school’s all-time leading scorer for over 30 years. Brent Bach, son of the woman Clooney once took to prom, holds that title now. Bill Kelsch graduated in 1966, and would later bring his son to watch games.
“The rite of passage was when you were old enough, or big enough, to sit in the balcony,” said the younger Kelsch.
Kelsch played for the Panthers himself, graduating in 1990. He coached the team as well, before handing those duties to Hinson.
Hinson left Augusta after his first stint coaching there, which included the aforementioned back-to-back district championships and Class-A championship. He then spent a few years coaching Bracken County. He also played for the rival team back in the 1990s.
“We didn’t hang out with people from Augusta. It was pretty intense,” Hinson said. “I had some of my better games here. I wasn’t a great player, I don’t claim to be. But I had a lot of my best games. I shot the ball well here for some reason. I don’t know why. It’s just special to play basketball here.”
Despite how he may have felt as a teenager, Hinson returned to coach Augusta, which he said felt more like home. He’s been back for four years. This is his 10th season overall coaching the Panthers. His oldest son graduated last year, and he has another son currently on the team.
Hinson said he gets two to three calls a year from teams around the state just wanting to come play in the gym.
Augusta Independent is a pre-k through grade 12 school and only has about 320 students. That’s a small pool to pull basketball players from. The boys haven’t been to the state tournament since the gym opened back in 1926.
“Coach said if you build me a gym, I’ll get back to a state tournament, because it hasn’t happened since the first year of the gym,” Kelsch said.
There have, however, been talented teams through the decades. Kelsch was able to quickly reel off many of them.
In 1964, boys’ varsity basketball won the district. In 1966, they had 28 wins and four losses, the best record in school history. In 1978, the boys won the district tournament.
In 1979, girls’ basketball won the district and made it to the regional finals, the only time in school history for the girls.
In 2012 and 2013, volleyball teams won back-to-back district titles. In 2013 and 2014, boys’ basketball won back-to-back districts, and won a Class-A title. In 2015, boys’ basketball won the small school regional championship. And in 2016, that same group won the district for the third time out of four years, and made it to regional finals.
But who’s counting?
“Some of these kids could’ve gone to bigger schools, and probably had a better chance at Rupp Arena, or the state tournament. But the pride, the family history, the tradition keep these kids here,” Kelsch said. “You won’t find a group of kids that play harder and compete more, and have more pride in their school and their town.”
There have been talks about building a new gym.
The Panther’s Den, despite custodians working daily to keep it looking nice, may not last for another 100 years. There have been talks about building a new gym.
“The one thing we will never do is get rid of this place,” Kelsch said.
Kelsch said there will definitely be some kind of ceremony when the gym turns 100 years old in 2026.