The Doghouse - Lapel Bulldogs

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00

The Doghouse 1850 S 900 W. Lapel, IN 46051

Lapel High School Bulldogs

The Doghouse

Year Opened: 2008 Capacity: 3,051

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Welcome to Lapel's Doghouse

The Lapel High School Bulldogs play at The Doghouse. A giant and modern gymnasium that has a capacity of 3,051 and offers well-lit exteriors, plenty of leg room, wide concourses, and plenty of room between the seating and court.

Lapel High School has been playing basketball for well over a century since 1905. In 1912, the first gymnasium was constructed for the basketball team. In 1924, a new gymnasium was built. The Bulldogs would call the venue home until November 1954, when the school opened a 2,600-capacity gymnasium that featured a stage and lighted parking for 1,000 vehicles. They would play here until the new school and gym officially opened on January 7, 2008.

The old Lapel gym is now the home to the middle school, and people tell me it is almost identical to Frankton High School's The Eagle Nest. The Bulldogs have had a successful program throughout the years, capturing six sectional, three regional, and two state championships. The state championships were won in 2005 (that also snapped a 62-year sectional drought) and 2016 on the 2A level. The 1940 Bulldogs team made a Cinderella run to the state finals before losing in the semi-final game against Hammond Tech.

Food & Beverage 3

The concession stand items are what you would expect from a high school basketball gymnasium; however, the school has implemented a system of moving traffic in and out during busy times of the game.

The concession stand sells hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels, nachos, and candy. Fans can also purchase loaded nachos with meat.  Chick-fil-A sandwiches are available as a fundraiser program and served until sold-out. Pepsi products are served by the bottle and pulled from the refrigerator cases by the customers.

Local favorite Glover’s Ice Cream is served at games in ten varieties. Fans can choose from the basic chocolate and vanilla, but also peppermint candy, blue moon, and cookies and cream. 

Atmosphere 3

The Doghouse is very spacious, modern, clean, and well-lit. It serves as the home of the Lapel PE program during the school day, and because of this, it feels a bit vapid aesthetically.

There is a single section of beige plastic seats that rises 25 rows. There is also a small section of seating behind each baseline for the pep band and student cheer blocks. It is a nice setup, placing students almost underneath the basket.

The walls are decorated with multiple banners celebrating athletic team accomplishments, including a wraparound banner around the perimeter of the gymnasium. There are also championship banners from the basketball program hovering above the baseline bleacher seating.

There is about a 20-foot distance between the last row of seats and the end lines of the court. This is great for moving around effortlessly during the game. In other schools, fans are much closer to the action, but in Lapel, they are further away from all points of seating. The top sections make one feel they might be sitting on the upper deck or at Rate Field in Chicago.

The restrooms and concession stand are outside in the school’s hallway, and there appear to be a couple of entrances into the gymnasium. Traffic moves freely, and there are championship accolades in the glass trophy cases.

Neighborhood 3

Lapel has a population of 1,800 plus and offers easy access from I-69. The small town seems far away from the big city life of Indianapolis and its surrounding communities, providing a nice escape from the mainstream on a weekend night. The town offers several curious eateries to try before the basketball game.

Smoky’s Concession Stand is a family-friendly restaurant in town offering barbecue, pizza, and pub food. Besides ribs and pulled pork, customers can order Italian beef and Reubens, along with fried bologna sandwiches, smoked wings, and chicken parmesan. The place has something for everyone.

Pax Verum Brewing Company is an interesting part of town. The old 20th-century building offers 15 drafts plus 6 cans for pouring at the location. If you enjoy a variety of craft beers, Pax Verum makes it an imperative stop in Lapel. A few other places eat in town are Woody’s and Azul Agave.

Fans 3

The Lapel fans show a wealth of support for the home team. They show up in droves during the JV game just to secure an ideal spot for the varsity game. The place can turn on huge crowds during rival games against the Frankton Eagles, but expect a decent-sized crowd for most winter nights.

Access 3

The Doghouse is a giant superstore of a high school basketball gym, making it easy to. get around. There is plenty of room to move around between the court and the first rows of seating, and all concession areas are outside in the main building. The seating is spread out, and the top rows seem a bit further than they should be for a high school gymnasium of this kind.

Return on Investment 3

An adult ticket is $6 plus fees at the game if paying online. A great value in an age where other high school basketball tickets have gone up in price. The concession items are also inexpensive, with hot dogs costing $3.50.

Extras 3

The Doghouse is well-lit and provides enough space to move around during a game. The championship banners hang from behind one end of the floor behind the nets, providing a nice aesthetic to the building. There is an interactive touch screen visual board in the lobby that allows fans to view different championship-winning teams from Lapel's history.

Final Thoughts

The Doghouse is a spatial, giant building for high school basketball. It serves its purpose as a vessel for hoops, but lacks the charm and ambiance of its predecessor. However, when the place is filled, the building is quite entertaining and an ideal place to be during the cold winter nights in Indiana.