I've had the same experiences here in Suthurn Ahia. Over in Washington County I played 7th and 8th grade basketball as the visiting team in an interesting old gym in Watertown (near Marietta and Waterford) we called "The Shoebox." You had the same issues with sidelines and end lines. To take the ball out of bounds the player inbounding the ball had to have the back of one foot up against the wall according to the field rules. And there were other oddities in various gyms.

As for the stages used as courts, I didn't see that until I moved down to Jackson County. Wellston and Oak Hill both still used the stages when I moved here, but those two districts and Jackson City now have new facilities.

When Bevo Francis was lighting up the scoreboards at the Rio Grande College, they played some of their home games at the Jackson High School stage.

Cathedral Latin in Cleveland had the coolest band box gym. Their colors were purple and gold and the place was old but in mint condition. The lighting was even surreal. It was a pit and had the concrete stands on both sides and there was just enough room between the end line and wall to stand and put the ball in play. If you had more than a size 13, your toe was on the line. It was smaller than a regulation court and Latin always used a zone press. Why wouldn't they? It was a serious home court advantage. The funniest thing was the nets were extra long and thin, so on 90% of shots they would flip and catch the rim. That would stop play and give them time to set up the press.

I think I recall a surface being laid on the Convo floor for indoor tennis practice back in the day.

Great thread

We have a jr high gym that is carpeted about 15 miles away. Kellen Dunham (Butler) played there

The old HS gyms with overlapping time lines (we call em railroad tracks) are still used as practice gyms. For old timers they love em as the court is far short of 84 feet.

Most of those had restraining lines on one or more side of the court.

My pops played on the stage at Portland HS. Favorite shot was in the corners according to his teamies and long time fans. Asked him why "He said hardly anyone would close out for fear of flying off the stage into the seats" Dunno why that continues to be tommy's favorite shot...especially in horse and falling over the end line so the ball goes up and over the board.