NEWTON FALLS, Ohio (WKBN) – A pipe broke at Newton Falls High School Christmas week when the temperature dropped below zero. It led to water damage that is still being cleaned up today.

A new sound replaces the squeaking shoes in the Newton Falls gym. The floor is being cut up after 2-3 inches of water rolled in over Christmas break.

“It was pretty bad. It probably… about a quarter [of] the floor had warping and buckling in it,” said Newton Falls Superintendent Justin Christopher.

The company that installed the floor started pulling it up. It found bad water damage underneath in the subfloor. Walking across it, you could see where it was giving way.

“It got to a point where they said the whole floor is going to need to be replaced,” Christopher said.

“At first, it was a major disappointment, you know? We had just redone this floor two years ago,” said Newton Falls basketball coach Roy Sembach.

A community effort raised $160,000 to redo the floor in 2020, but the boards were original from 1987.

The entire floor is coming up. The work should be finished next week.

A couple of pieces of the floor are being set preserved. They’re more historic in nature. They’re going to be a part of the Tigers’ athletic hall of fame. Then, the new boards will start to go in. The school has plenty of history in basketball.

“Basketball is king, so to speak, in Newton Falls,” Christopher said.

Just two boys coaches since 1955, and the gym is named for the previous coach. Banners recognize the accomplishments.

This season’s teams have adapted by practicing and playing games in other schools’ gyms.

“We call ourselves the ‘road warriors’ and you know, go wherever we need to go to practice and play. They’ve embraced it and done very well,” Sembach said.

The new floor is a $325,000 project. It’s being covered by insurance.

“I’m excited to see once the old floor’s removed and they start laying down the new floor. It’s going to be a neat process to see,” Christopher said.

The floor will look exactly the same, but the town’s unique zip code, 44444, will be added near the free-throw lines.

The floor should be ready in time for graduation, which is May 19.