Mike Gibbs
Year of Induction: 1996 | Categories: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Individual
A three-sport standout at Salem Community High School, 1964 graduate Mike Gibbs probably made his biggest impact for the Wildcats on the basketball court.
Late in the 1963-64 season Gibbs became the first player in school history to score 1000 points. His career total of 1023 points stood as the school record for 18 years until Jim Gaule broke it in 1982. He led the North Egypt Conference in scoring in both his junior and senior seasons and was an All-NEC First Team pick both years.
During his senior season he averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds a contest, both team highs. Those accomplishments led to Special Mention to the Champaign News Gazette All-State team.
In football Gibbs was named to the Evansville Courier All-South team as an end for the Wildcats during his senior season in 1963. That year Gibbs averaged more than 17 yards a reception and had 206 yards in receiving yardage. On defense Gibbs also led Salem in tackles and served as the team’s punter with an average of more than 30 yards a kick. Although his senior team only went 3-6, Gibbs was a member of the 1962 squad that went 8-1 and missed a perfect season by two points.
Gibbs also made his name known on the baseball diamond as a catcher and outfielder. In 1964 he led the Wildcats with a .355 batting average and also hit six home runs.
Although he could not sign with them because he was still in high school, Gibbs had a tryout with the Cincinnati Reds at the SCHS diamond in 1963 and his skills drew strong reviews.
At the conclusion of high school playing days, Gibbs opted for basketball and played at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana. Gibbs led Centenary’s freshmen in in scoring with an average of more than 20 points a game in the 1964,5 season. He currently resides in Fort Smith, Arkansas.