The Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame is gearing up for its third round of inductees. The first class of 14 players and four officials was inducted in 2010, and after Saturday’s ceremony and induction of 17 more the hall of fame will have 45 members. “This year’s class will wrap up all the 1,000-point scorers from the 1950s,” hall of fame co-director Jim Irwin said. “But we will have several others that didn’t score 1,000 points.” Among the nine 1,000-point scorers to be inducted Saturday at Grace College’s Orthopaedic Capital Center will be Etna Green’s all-time leading scorer Larry Heisler (1,309) and the top scorer from Mentone, Bill Nellans (1,578). Other 1,000-point scorers will be Etna Green’s Ronnie Hoffer (1,195) and Richard Long (1,059), as well as Mentone’s Bob Boggs (1,015), Milford’s Larry Losee (1,207), North Webster’s Bob Bause (1,158), Sidney’s Larry Metzger (1,219) and Silver Lake’s Dave Kinsey (1,082). Along with players who surpassed the 1,000-point mark, the hall will also be inducting Atwood’s Tom Bradway, Beaver Dam’s Marlin Valentine, Leesburg’s Loren Pound, Pierceton’s Tim Derf, Syracuse’s Larry Nicolai and Warsaw’s David Burke. Former IHSAA official Merl Heckaman will also be inducted. Irwin, along with co-director Aaron Rovenstine, work with a hall of fame board of directors to select each year’s class, and they’re working their way up from the 1950s. “Next year, we’ll be getting away from the 1950s and into the 1960s,” Irwin said. “However, it won’t just be 1960s’ players. There’ll probably still be a couple from the 50s. “We get into some interesting conversations, but nothing too bad,” he added about the selection process. This year, father-son combos will also be recognized, as will the inaugural winners of the McKown Cheerleading Trophy. The McKown trophy was awarded to the top cheerleading squad at the county tournament, with the 1949 Beaver Dam trio of Patricia Ballinger, Iris Dickerhoff and Kathleen Terry taking the first title. The girls won’t be present Saturday, but former Etna Green coach Jim Robbins will be as the guest speaker. In his two seasons at Etna Green, Robbins went 49-3 and won a sectional title in 1958. Robbins’ won’t be inducted, but that could change as the hall expands in coming years. “We’re getting the older players in first and also putting in officials,” Irwin said. “Next year, we’ll be adding some media and starting to get coaches as well within the next two years.” Tickets for the banquet are $20, which includes a dinner at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Irwin (574-268-8537) or Rovenstine (574-858-9036).
