One of Anaheim High’s most successful athletes is Class of 1963’s Loy M. Petersen, the only graduate to play in the National Basketball Association.
Petersen, a 6-foot-5 forward and guard, was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (17th overall) of the 1968 NBA draft. He played 69 career games over two seasons for the Bulls from 1968–1970.
He was a much sought after following his outstanding career with the Oregon State University Men’s Basketball Team from 1965 to 1968
Inducted into the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, his 1965-66 team was one of the most successful in the school’s history. They finished 21-7 overall and won the school’s first and only Pac-8 conference title.
As a sophomore, Petersen was the team’s highest scorer. He was also an important defensive player and helped his team finish the season as the NCAA’s top defensive squad, allowing only 54.5 points per game. Petersen was honored by being selected for the Sports Network All-Star squad and his contributions to the team were recognized when he was inducted in 1995 into the Oregon Basketball Hall of Fame.
Born July 26, 1945 in Salina, Kansas, Loy was an Army brat and his father later worked for a rail road, so Loy moved often and spent time in Portland, Oregon before moving to Anaheim. He attended Brookhurst Junior High before moving on to Anaheim High.
Petersen wore No. 44 while playing for the Colonists. As a senior, he made his mark as CIF “Player of the Year” in the Sunset League and “Player of the Year” of the All-Orange County team selected by six OC daily newspapers.
Another outstanding achievement in his senior year was breaking the Sunset League scoring record. He tallied 328 points, beating the record of 296.
Going first to Pepperdine on a basketball scholarship, then transferring to Oregon State, Loy graduated in 1968, but not before marrying the love of his life, Carol. Ultimately, the couple built a home on the Clackamas River where their two children, Eric and Amanda, were born. Their children have given them a granddaughter and grandson
After playing for the Bulls and another year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Loy returned to Oregon and worked in premium wines sales in Portland.
Then in 1975 an opportunity became available to enter the agriculture industry and the couple moved to Central Oregon. For the next 33 years, they ran a family operation owning and managing Petersen Farm, L-Cea Farms, Inc., Jasa Mint Harvesting, and L & R Properties, LLC.
Their crops consisted of peppermint for oil and tea leaves, grass seed, wheat seed, carrot seed, onion seed, and specialty seed crops.
Along with running this large operation, Loy’s career path entailed joining and serving on several boards, including the Oregon Wheat League, Jefferson Co Seed growers, Jefferson County Peppermint Growers, Oregon Farm Bureau, and Oregon Essential Oil Growers.
Loy also served on many county organizations such as Kiwanis Club, which entailed youth sports activities, and coached 7th and 8th grade basketball. He and his family were also active members of the United Methodist Church.
In 1979 he was appointed to Central Electric Coop Board of Directors, serving as president from 1992 through 2007. He also served on the Oregon Rural Electric Board of Directors, Northwest Public Power Association Board and the National Rural Electric Association Study Committee in Washington, D. C.
Loy retired from farming in 2009 to start a new career, National Hot Rod Association racing! Loy blames “AUHS guys in the auto shop with cool cars” for his newest calling and said he was always had interest in cars, but said basketball “got in the way” and later he got too busy.
To enter the racing field, Loy sold a farm tractor and purchased from Ebay a purple ‘40 Buick hot rod. “The rest is history,” said Loy, whose son joins him in his passion. Now they both race the NHRA bracket classes, with his son driving the ’40 Buick in Sportsman and Loy, a ‘79 Malibu in Super Pro Division.
Loy is particularly proud of his wife’s work in The Bean Foundation, Inc., a private non-profit with a mission is to enhance the quality of life in the area where the couple now reside. Loy has had the pleasure to watch as walking paths, a recreation center with competition pool, a college, new quality homes, a 160-acre park with a soccer field, baseballs fields and more spring to life under the Foundation’s watch.
Loy is enjoying his family, as well as his hobbies of racing and golf while looking forward to the next chapter in an amazing life shared with Carol and their children.
Anaheim High administration, teachers, staff, students and alumni are proud to induct this outstanding Colonist to the Anaheim High School Hall of Fame.
