He earned letters in football, basketball and track while at Salem and was an ALL-North Egypt Conference selection in football his senior year. In track he participated in the 440-yard dash, the long jump, discus, and on the 440-yard relay team.

Stonecipher was a member of Salem’s NEC championship football teams of 1943 and 1944, the conference basketball championship team of 1944, and the 1946 conference championship track team. He was a football All-State honorable mention on 1945, and qualified for the state track meet in 1946, placing sixth in the long jump.

A graduate of Southern Illinois University, he lettered in track his freshman and sophomore years. After SIU, he continued his education at the University of Illinois, earning both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in civil engineering.

The 1952 graduate, whose rushing and passing yardage totaled 1682 in his junior year, keyed Salem’s 8-1 record in 1950. Spratt scored 127 points that year. As a sophomore in 1949, when Salem tied for the North Egypt Conference title, the Wildcats had a 7- 1-1 record, Spratt rushed for 700 yards and scored 48 points.

In his three-year high school career, he rushed for 2455 yards and passed for 1278. Spratt also handled the punting chores and during his senior year, he caught four passes for an additional 43 yards. In three seasons, he scored 240 points.

He also lettered in track and basketball and set a shot put record of 49′ 11-3/4″. Selected to the All-Conference team in his junior and senior years, Spratt received All-State honors his senior year and honorable mention his junior year. He played in the Illinois North-South Game in 1951.

Spratt attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he participated in football, wrestling and baseball, lettering from 19521957 in all three sports. In 1957, he was presented SIU’s Bob Beturia Award for “sports accomplishments beyond and above.” He also signed a professional contract with the New York Giants of the NFL in 1957.

After graduation, Spratt spent 13 years coaching track, wrestling, football and basketball in Louisiana, and was president of the Louisiana State Wrestling Association in 1968. That year, he coached the Louisiana Class “A” Champs, and in 1969 was coach of the State Wrestling Champs in the 110 and 17o-pound divisions.

Spratt’s twin brothers, Derald and Gerald, and older brother Al also attended SCHS.

Knight, a real estate salesman in Norman, Oklahoma, was a tackle on the 1947 North Egypt Conference Champion Team and on the 1948 team which finished with a flourish, scoring 13-12 and 14-13 victories over Lawrenceville and Mt. Vernon.

An All North Egypt Conference selection in 1948, Knight handled the kickoff for the Wildcats, consistently sending booming kicks inside the opponent’s 10-yard line. He earned two track letters for competing in the shot put.

Although he had a scholarship opportunity to the University of Illinois, he did not attend college. In the military service, Knight played football for the Army division team at Fort Riley, Kansas. While living in Indiana, he helped promote Little League programs. The Salem grad was selected Football King at SCHS in 1949. He is married to the former Norma Kohrig.

After high school, two years at St. Louis University and military service in World War II, Donoho enrolled at the University of Illinois where he played center and linebacker on the 1945 and 1946 Illini varsity. The Illini won the Big Ten Championship in 1946, the first Big Ten team to play in the Rose Bowl under the current Big Ten-Pac 10 post season pact.

During his freshman and sophomore years at St. Louis University, Donoho was a heavyweight boxer and captain of the Billiken freshman football team. He entered the military in 1942.

After his playing days at the University of Illinois, Donoho reentered the military service and played football with, and was captain of, an Army team. He played with an All-Star service team that beat Air Force. He was elected Most Valuable Player at linebacker in that game.

Donoho had a “look see” with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but injuries to his legs from World War II and eight years of football discouraged the NFL franchise from pursuing the Salem standout.

He retired from military service at the rank of Colonel, having served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and other conflicts throughout the world.

The late Herbert B. Davis, for 45 years an SCHS English and journalism instructor, was inducted in the category “Friends of Sports.” Mr. Davis was the official scorer at basketball games for many of those 45 years, including regular season, regional and sectional games, and was the voice of the Wildcats on the public address system at home football games.

An avid sports fan, Mr. Davis was a confidant of Salem coaches over the years and was advisor for the school annual, the Salemarion, and the school newspaper, the Broadcaster. He was also the advisor for many years to the SCHS Hi-Y Club. He performed an additional service in the basketball heyday of the Salem Wildcats. During the 1947-48 season, the Wildcats compiled a 27-3 record. For the Salem game at Lawrenceville, Mr. Davis broadcast the game to a large crowd in the old SCHS gym, which is now a part of the Salem Community Activities Center. The account was carried over a telephone line.

Everyone, from 1926 forward, who was in a class tutored by Mr. Davis, remembers it well and came away richer for having been there.

He was an active participant, as well as a fan, playing softball in the city summer leagues and excelling in tennis and golf.

For many years, Mr. Davis supervised the summer fast pitch softball program for the City of Salem, served on the Bryan-Bennett Library Board for 20 years, and was a lifetime member of the Elks with 21 years of perfect attendance.

In 1977, Mr. Davis was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, with a plaque commemorating the honor placed in the Hall of Fame at Illinois State University in Normal. In 1979, a memorial consisting of three flag poles and a stone marker was placed at the north end of the SCHS football field by the SCHS Student Council in memory and honor of the long time teacher.

A graduate of Murphysboro Township High School, Mr. Davis received his Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and received his Master’s degree from the University of Illinois. Mr. Davis died December 5, 1977, and is survived by his wife, Pauline, and daughters, Jacquelyn Holler of St. Louis and Joan Steinburg of Normal.

In addition to winning the conference, the first ever outright title for Salem, the Wildcats compiled an 8-1 record, including a 13-12 win over Centralia in a classic “Battle of Marion County” contest. They were also invited to play in the first ever Shriner’s benefit football game, and were the cause of Centralia severing athletic relations with Salem.

Some of this group started the renaissance of Salem football as sophomores on a team that finished 7-1-1, including a 16-0 win over Centralia-the first ever in football for the Wildcats over Centralia. As juniors some of these players tied for the NEC crown with a 5-0-1 mark.

Aided by the addition of many players from the “oil patch,” with the school enrollment burgeoning with the influx of people from Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Louisiana connected with the oil industry, Salem football fortunes continued to grow, with the 1941 team deemed one of the best of all time.

Plagued by one of the wettest falls in Southern Illinois, the season started with a promising 20-0 victory over Lawrenceville, with two touchdowns by future all-stater Bob Scoles and one by Don Wile-both Hall of Fame members. That victory was followed by a 20-0 win over Bridgeport The shutout skein continued with a 7-0 win over Flora, Salem’s chief rival, on a touchdown by Scoles and an extra point conversion by Roy Gatewood in the final two minutes.

Chagrin enveloped the Wildcats in their next outing against Fairfield. Although Salem won handily 46-6, the Mules were the only NEC team to score against Salem. Coach Van Howe, an earlier Hall of Fame inductee, was giving the reserves some playing time, and the subs scored on a touchdown by Bob Roddy and an extra point pass from John Baker and John McDougal.

After several plays, the Wildcat regulars were reinserted into the game. On the first play, a Fairfield substitute halfback scampered 80 yards for the touchdown. In a rainy mud-bath at Mt. Carmel, Salem was back in its shutout vein, blanking Mt Carmel 26-0. Fleet halfback Roger Peterson scored two touchdowns, while Scoles and Wile scored one each.

Then came the heralded clash with Centralia, billed as a battle between Salem’s power and Centralia’s speed. Speed prevailed initially as Dwight Edleman ran the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. But power finally prevailed as Scoles banged in for two touchdowns, the margin of victory being two extra points kicked from placement by Gatewood. Next came the post game action, as Salem fans burned Centralia in effigy. This led Centralia to sever athletic relations with Salem until 1945.

Inclement weather reached its apex for the Olney game as the two clubs slithered and slid in a sea of mud. The victory went to Salem 2-0, on a second quarter safety when Olney, backed against their goal line, was caught either in the end zone or stepping over the back line.

The annual Mt Vernon game, originally set for a Thursday night, was postponed until Armistice Day, due to rain and mud. With Scoles and Dean White injured, Mt Vernon upset Salem 13-7-the only defeat of the year. Salem won the finale, 14-7, over Newton.

While the “Battering Ram,” Bob Scoles, was chosen for all-state honors, Leo Roberts, Kenny Roberts, Scoles and Gatewood were selected for first team ALL-NEC honors. Dean White was selected to the second team as fullback.