Sometimes they prevailed because of their offense. Sometimes they won because of their defense. There were other occasions success came as a result of their special teams play. It was the combination of all three areas that helped the 1987 Salem Wildcats football team that put together one of the best seasons in school history.
The 1987 edition compiled an overall 8-3 record under the direction of head coach Chuck Budde, which included a solid 5-2 mark and third place finish in the North Egypt Conference. At the time of its induction into the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame the 1987 squad was just one of three Salem football teams to win a playoff game.
There was little secret how the Wildcats planned to attack opposing defenses. Although opponents had a 1,224-663 edge in passing yards for the season, Salem’s ground game outrushed opposing teams by a staggering 2,533-909 margin. It was largely through that running game that helped Salem average 29 points a game.
The Salem defense also made a name for itself as the Wildcats posted three shutouts and limited another opponent to a single score. Only twice did Salem allow more than two touchdowns.
The Wildcats won their first four games, which included a hard-fought 15-12 triumph over Centralia in the season opener. They followed that victory with NEC wins over Red Hill 36-0, Flora 74-14 and Fairfield 50-0. After having beaten Mt. Carmel the two previous seasons en route to back-to-back NEC championships, the Golden Aces squeezed out a 13-7 victory in week five that ultimately sent the league title back to Mt. Carmel.
Salem bounced back to beat Lawrenceville 28-0, but a 28-7 loss to Olney pushed the Wildcats down another rung on the conference ladder. The Wildcats closed out the NEC season with a 33-20 victory over Carmi and the regular season with a 28-8 win over Benton.
The opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs provided Salem with a chance for some revenge as the Wildcats drew a first-round matchup against NEC runner-up Olney. This time Salem prevailed 24-15 on the Tigers home turf. Round two sent the Wildcats to Effingham where the Flaming Hearts ended Salem’s campaign with a 35-17 setback.
Quarterback Mike Roth accounted for 1,107 yards of total offense, 663 through the air and 444 on the ground. Mark Meador was the leading rusher with 841 yards. Kelly Brasel had 641 yards rushing, but was even more dangerous on special teams where he returned five kicks for touchdowns. Brasel was also key figure on defense with a team-high five interceptions. Eric Larson had a team-high 77 tackles. Guard Dan Purcell anchored the offensive line and eventually took his skill on to Eastern Illinois University.