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On the Fort Dodge Messenger website Sports Page today, editor Eric Pratt - Editor posted an article titled “The Good Fight”. Spotlighting the health battles of several of our Fort Dodge sports figures, the story ended with this important tribute to a FDSH Class of ‘68 Legend. As Pratt says: “History matters. Record keeping matters. Memories matter.”

PASSING OF A LEGEND: Former Fort Dodge all-state athlete Jose Grady was in town for his 55th reunion this summer, where his classmates reminisced and shared memories of their 1968 boys state basketball appearance.

A few weeks later, Grady passed away in Omaha at the age of 73.

Grady was a standout player on Dutch Huseman’s 1967-68 Dodger squad. He averaged over 17 points and was a second team all-state selection as Fort Dodge earned its first-ever outright Big 6 conference championship with an unbeaten 10-0 record.

That FDSH team was also the first to win a state tournament game, as the Dodgers reached the semifinal round with a thrilling victory over Dubuque Wahlert. At one point, Huseman’s ballclub reeled off 15 consecutive triumphs that winter. Grady was the catalyst.

We recently published “then and now” pictures from the reunion in our sports section. The photos included former Dodger teammates Grady, Randy Pingel, George DeBakey, Kent Brooks and Kent Magnusson in 1967 compared to this past summer.

History matters. Record keeping matters. Memories matter. We pass our sincere condolences along to Jose Grady’s friends and family, and hope the tributes to him in our sports pages — as an athlete over 50 years ago, as an alumni and even today — will help comfort and connect the people who loved and cared about him most.

Eric Pratt is Sports Editor at The Messenger. Contact him via email at sports@messengernews.net, or on Twitter @ByEricPratt