Edwardsburg resident Larry Losee remembers living in Gravelton, Ind. like it was yesterday.

Larry Losee

“There was only a general store, which is gone now, and both churches are now closed,” said Losee, who lived in Gravelton for 20 years before moving to Edwardsburg in 1969.

Five miles from Gravelton, in Milford, is where Losee made a name for himself as a high school basketball player. In his three years as a varsity starter, Losee became the school’s all-time scoring leader with 1,207 points before graduating in 1956. Losee and Tom Holderread —a 1964 Milford graduate —are the lone 1,000-point scorers for the school.

For his great work on the basketball court, Losee will be inducted into the Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on June 30th at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

“It’s quite a surprise,” Losee said about the honor. “I didn’t know (the Hall of Fame) existed. It’s an honor. I never gave much thought for something like this to happen for me. I accept it with pleasure.”

Losee found out last December that he was being honored. The 74-year old Losee received a letter from the Hall of Fame Board that he was chosen to be inducted into the Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame. The Hall is located in North Webster, Indiana.

Despite being only 6-foot-1, Losee played center for Milford High School.

“Back then, 6-1 was pretty good size,” Losee said. “If you were 6-3 or 6-4 you were considered a giant. You look at guys now in the pros, there are 6-8 and 6-9 point guards.

“I could hit shots from the outside. I wish they would have had the 3-point shot when I played. But most of my work was in the post. I was also a hell of a rebounder. It seemed like I had a nose for the ball. I led the team every year in rebounding.”

Losee’s best night on the court came as a senior when he scored a school-record 41 points against Leesburg High School.

“I was really hot that night,” Losee said. “I could have shot backwards and shots would have gone in.”

Losee wished he would have enjoyed more team success. Milford never won a sectional during Losee’s time at the high school.

“We should have won the sectional my senior year,” Losee said. “Unfortunately, one of our best players got hurt before the sectional.”

But Losee’s fondest memories of high school are outside of athletics.

“I guess the best memory I have of high school is the camaraderie between all the kids and the good times we had,” Losee said. “It was never really dull. There was always something going on.”

Plenty of Losee’s family, including his wife Sherry, will be in attendance for the induction ceremony.

“They will be making noise for sure,” Losee said.

Applause that is well deserved.