Although they opened and closed with losses, Coach Walt Kirk, Jr. , led his Wildcats, the “Knights of Marion County”, to 23 victories in the intervening 26 games while winning the NEC title with an 11-1 mark.

After the opening loss, Salem started a string of victories with an 81-66 win over Effingham with four players scoring in double figures led by Ed Perry’s 28 points, and following with a 52-51 win over Mt. Vernon as Jack Moore led with 16 points.

The first “big” weekend found the Wildcats splitting with Lawrenceville and Centralia, suffering their only conference loss at Lawrenceville, 53-50, but beating Centralia the next night, 69-59. The conference championship hung in the balance later in the year as the Wildcats topped Lawrenceville, 61-52, with four players in double figures led by Paul Densford’s 18. The next night, Salem scored their second win over Mt. Vernon, 53-51 , in two overtimes with Tom Stephens pacing a trio of double-digit scorers with 17 points.

Another double-barreled weekend found Salem beating Mt. Carmel, 67-48, and Centralia, 69-63, and the Wildcats came back the next week with an 89-46 win over Flora to clinch the North Egypt Conference title as Perry scored 30 points, Doug Davidson 19, and Stephens 17.

Despite double-figure scoring by Perry (25), Stephens (19) and Paul Densford (17), Salem lost in the regional final to Centralia, 83-75.

Perry led the scoring with 509 points, followed by P. Densford (330), Moore (317), Stephens (298), Davidson (199) and Charlie Steevens (167) to lead a potent attack that outscored the opposition, 1745-1582.

Post-season honors went to Perry and P. Densford as first team all conference selections, and to Stephens, second team. Perry was voted the team’s MVP award and won the rebounding trophy for the second year. Stephens won the free throw accuracy award with a .682 mark. Steevens was voted “honorary” captain for the season.

Several of the basketball players were key members of the 1955 football team that had a 6-3 record. Ends were Perry and Jerry Forrester. Steevens was the quarterback, completing 61 of 98 passes for 1090 yards. Moore was a halfback, netting 456 yards, and Davidson was a fullback, netting 492 yards, including an 82·yard touchdown against Lawrenceville. Salem defeated Centralia in the Shrine game, 26-7, for their third victory in four games to take the trophy. Perry set a school record of 31 pass receptions and Forrester caught 18.

Steevens later pitched professionally for the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League.

Steevens started his high school pitching prowess with a four-hit shutout of Odin as a sophomore and also notched a four-hit victory over Centralia. During his junior year, he was the kingpin of the Wildcat pitching staff with five shutout victories, including a no-hit, 1-0 win over Flora. The Wildcats won their fourth straight North Egypt Conference championship that year and, with Steevens pitching a four-hitter, won the regional championship. During his senior year, Steevens combined with Jack Simmons and Billy Smith to pitch a 12-0, no-hit, win over Odin. Salem also won the district title that year, beating Centralia 4-2, with Steevens pitching a five hitter and contributing a two-run home run.

In track during his sophomore year, he set a record in the 220-yard dash at the Dupo Relays with a winning time of 23.4 seconds. Also, his sophomore year, in Frosh-Soph meets, he set records in the 100-yard dash, at 10.4 seconds, and the 220-yard dash, at 23.1 seconds. He was a member of the varsity 880-yard relay team and his senior year won the NEC championship in both the 100-yard dash and the 220-yard dash. Salem won the NEC track championship in both 1957 and 1958.

After graduation, Steevens signed a professional contract with the Chicago Cub organization and pitched with the Cubs through 1963. In 1964, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and was with the Phils through 1967.

Perry, who participated in basketball, baseball, football and track in high school, set records his senior year in high school in football and basketball. While basketball and football were his strongest sports in high school, he also lettered in baseball and track and was a member of the championship 880-yard relay team both his junior and senior years.

He was selected to the All North Egypt Conference football team both his junior and senior years. And outstanding end, he established the SCHS pass reception record his senior year and was named to the All-Southern Illinois team and given Special Honorable Mention in the All-State selections. During his senior year, Perry caught 31 passes for 625 yards and eight touchdowns. He also led the team as a junior with 20 receptions.

A two-year starter in basketball, he was named all conference, All Southern Illinois and All State his senior year and set the individual game scoring record and the SCHS rebounding record, and ranked, at the time, as the number two all-time SCHS scorer with 573 points. The 1955-56 Wildcats team compiled a 23-5 record and won the North Egypt Conference championship with an 11-1 mark.

Perry lettered in baseball his junior and senior years in high school as a first baseman. The 1956 Wildcats team won the regional and reached the sectional finals before losing. The baseball team, NEC champs with a 5-0-1 record, finished 16-1-1.

At the University of Illinois, he earned three varsity letters in basketball and was a starter his junior and senior years, having the record field goal shooting percentage his senior year.

After graduating from the University of Illinois, he attended the Illinois College of Optometry and coached the basketball team for two seasons with only one loss.

Newport, a 1953 SCHS graduate, is a teacher and coach at Hollis Grade School at Bartonville. In 1989 his team placed fourth in the state in the Class A Division and he was named Division 4 Coach of the year.

An outstanding running back in high school, he led the 1952 Wildcats to a 7-1-1 record, carrying the ball 133 times for 614 yards and nine touchdowns. He had two 100-plus yard games his senior year against Olney and Benton. Newport was selected to the all-conference team that year as Salem won the North Egypt Conference title with a 5-0-1 record. In basketball, his senior year, Newport was the leading scorer with 390 points and a .431 goal shooting percentage. Co-captain that year, he was also named to the NEC second team.

An outstanding baseball player, playing the outfield, he was the team’s leading hitter. He also pitched a 3-2 win over Clay City. The Wildcats won the regional baseball championship in 1952.

After graduation, Newport received a baseball and basketball scholarship from Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Florida, and received honorable mention in baseball for North Florida. He received a baseball and football scholarship from Texas A&M at College Station, Texas, and played football under the legendary coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant. He was named Southwest Conference Baseball Player of the Week in 1956.

Newport graduated from North Central College at Naperville in 1957, began his teaching and coaching career in 1962 in Normal and taught and coached at Washington Junior High in Pekin for two years before starting his 25-year career at Hollis Grade School in Bartonville. He received his Master’s degree from Illinois State University in 1976.

In 1990, his seventh grade basketball team reached the Elite Eight in state tournament play as did his eighth grade baseball team.