LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – The team that this tiny town rallied around 55-years ago this summer has lost another one of its stars of the Little League All-Star State Champs of 1965.  It was on Wednesday when the sad news of the passing of third baseman Scott Gibson came in to WLAF, the station that aired all of the All-Stars games.

Dennis Powers, state representative, was a member of that Stars team of ’65 and a teammate of Gibson’s.  He said, “It was sad to hear about Scott passing.  I ran into him a few years ago, and we relived some of the good times we had on the team.”

(Front row left to right)  Quinn Smith, Jeff Bullock, Lonnie “Hot Rod” Wilson, Darryl Woods, Scott Gibson and Dennis Powers.  (Back row left to right)  Lonnie Dupuy, Clyde Seiber, James Carson, Gary Lovett, Danny McCullah, Keaton Jordan, Mark Russell and Leland Miller.  Coach Junior Honeycutt stands on the left side while Coach Johnny Letner is on the right.

Another All-Star, Clyde Seiber, passed away earlier this year.  Seiber was a US Army Veteran and made his home at Oak Ridge.  Aside from Gibson and Seiber, Jeff Bullock, Darryl Woods, Gary Lovett, Leland Miller and Coach Junior Honeycutt all have gone on before.

Johnny Letner was Gibson’s coach for three seasons on the Lions Club team and then on that ’65 All-Star team.  Letner recalls the critical play Gibson made from his third base position during the state championship game against Jackson at Smyrna.  “A line drive was hit to Scott, and he knocked the ball down enabling James Carson to pick it up and throw it to home plate for the out.  We were ahead two to nothing, and if we had not gotten that out, we might’ve lost the game, because Jackson had two runners on base.  Scott saved us.  He helped us win the state tourney,” said Letner, who turns 80 in November.  “Scott was a good little ball player; a real hustler,” added Letner.
“Scott was good ball player, and we missed him at the last get together.  He will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with his family,” said Powers.

Gibson was laid to rest on Saturday at Gross Cemetery in the Pinecrest community.  Scott Gibson was 67-years old.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/08/2020-6AM)

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