They may not have had the most explosive offense or the stingiest defense in the school’s history, but there is one thing the 1965 Salem Wildcats football team knew how to do. Win.

Under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Joe Thomas, the 1965 Wildcats compiled an 8-1 overall record and an outright North Egypt Conference championship.

The ability to win close games was a main trademark of this squad. On four different occasions Salem won games by a touchdown or less. They included a 26-20 win over Bridgeport, a 14-7 win over Flora, a 20-13 Homecoming win over Mt. Carmel and a 20-14 win over Carmi.
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The selection of the 1978-79 girls basketball team marks the first time a girls team has been chosen for induction into the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Not only does the team hold that distinction, it also holds the honor of being the only Salem basketball team (both boys and girls) to go through a regular season undefeated. That team, which was coached by Jim Koehler, posted a 23-0 regular season mark. The Lady Wildcats’ North Egypt Conference championship that season was the only one for the program until the 1998-99 Salem girls team accomplished the trick.
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One measly point kept the 1962 Salem Wildcats football team from an undefeated season. Unfortunately that 7-6 loss to Flora in the third week of the season not only kept the Wildcats from an unbeaten season, but an NEC championship as well.

The Jolly Green Giants, as they were nicknamed by former Salem Times Commoner sports editor Bill Larimer, used a punishing defense to shut out three opponents (Olney 18-0, Carmi 54-0, and Mt. Vernon 26-0) and limit two other opponents to a single touchdown (the 7-6 loss to Flora and a 35-7 win over Mt. Carmel).

Salem allowed just 84 points for the season, just over nine a game.
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Over the years, Salem Community High School has developed a reputation for producing great distance runners. A lot of that tradition began with 1973 graduate Mark Daniels.

Daniels set a lot of distance standards for Wildcats track and cross country, some of which still stands.

Daniels still holds the school track record in both 1600 meter at 4:16.6 and the 3200 meters at 9:21.6.

He was a state qualifier in both of those events. During his junior season, Daniels was fifth at the state meet in the 3200 meters when he set his school record time of 9:21.6. As a senior, Daniels finished eighth at the state meet in the 1600 meters with a time of 4:23.
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The 1953 Salem Wildcats football team under the direction of coach Howard Thurman will go down as a squad that excelled on both offense and defense.

That season the Salem offense terrorized opponents with a scoring average of 39 points a game. On four occasions the Wildcats scored more than 50 points a game (against Flora, Fairfield, Olney, Mt. Vernon) and twice they reached 60 points in a game (against Flora and Olney).
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While Steve Hill excelled in both football and basketball at Salem Community High School, it was golf that paved his way into not only a collegiate career but a professional career as well.

A 1969 graduate of SCHS, Hill was known as a fierce rebounder on the basketball court despite his lack of size inside. That ability led to special mention on the all-state team in the 1968-69 season.

In football Hill capped off a solid high school career in 1968 when he was named to the All-South Team as a split end.

Hill was medalist during several meets as a Wildcat golfer. His biggest moment came during his junior season in 1968 when he finished second at the regional and qualified for the state meet as an individual. During state competition Hill finished 30th out of 144 golfers.
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