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.

Bernie Bryant’s 16th and final edition as coach of the Salem Lady Wildcats tennis team was arguably his best. The Lady Wildcats compiled a sparkling 40-4 record, which included a perfect 14-0 record against Apollo Conference competition. Salem was able to successfully defend its AC championship it won the previous year. It was also the program’s third conference title in four years and fourth in six seasons since Salem began play in the AC in the fall of 2003. Besides what they accomplished within the Apollo Conference, the Lady Wildcats won their own invitational tournament and finished runner-up at the Mattoon and Mt. Vernon invitationals. Salem also posted non-conference wins over Teutopolis, Carbondale, Flora, Fairfield (twice), Olney, Centralia and Greenville.

Salem’s regular season success carried over to the postseason as it scored 12 points and finished second at the Effingham St. Anthony Sectional. The Lady Wildcats trailed only the host school, which had handed Salem its lone dual match loss of the season.

The season did not end at the sectional for one Salem player. Senior Amanda Miller won four straight matches and did not drop a set en route to the singles championship. That included a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Lawrenceville’s Ashley Linch in the finals. Miller continued that success in the opening round of state competition where she knocked off Beth Hughes of Cary Grove 6-1, 6-1. Miller suffered a straight-set loss to Cassie Kovach of Lisle Benet Academy and was eliminated in the consolation bracket with a three-set loss to Waterloo’s Rachel Webb.

Miller and fellow senior Lindsey Waters anchored the lineup for Salem in 2008 as both players were undefeated in Apollo Conference play. Both players received college scholarships as Miller moved on to SIUE and Waters to Rend Lake College. Shae Eblin, Bethany DeWitt, Annie Hassebrock, Jessica Piper, Breanna Barringer, Elizabeth Chapman and Alyssa Williams filled out the roster.

Led by a core group of sophomores with some talented upperclassmen mixed in, the 1996 Salem Lady Wildcats volleyball team began a three-year run that saw the program go 89-15. The 1997 and 1998 teams were previous selections for the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Under the direction of Coach Suzanne Henry-Brown, the 1996 squad started that stretch of success with a 26-7 overall record that included a perfect 7-0 record en route to the North Egypt Conference championship. The Lady Wildcats dropped just one set in league play. It also included the championship of the Class AA Salem Regional and advancement to the championship game of the Belleville East Sectional.

Salem cruised through most of the regular season. The Lady Wildcats sported a 22-3 record before they dropped three straight with setbacks to Kansas and Shelbyville in the final two games of the Edwards County Tournament followed by a match against Centralia. Salem snapped its late-season slide in the regular season finale with a hard-fought 15-11, 15-13 victory over Fairfield that clinched the NEC championship.

The Lady Wildcats successfully defended their home floor during the regional as they rolled past Mt. Vernon in the semifinals 15-3, 15-0 followed by a 15-7, 6-15, 15-9 win against Centralia in the championship match that avenged that late-season loss to the Annies. Salem extended its season when it knocked off Granite City 15-6, 15-10 in the opening round of sectional play. A powerful Belleville West squad ended the Lady Wildcats postseason run with a 15-2, 15-4 verdict in the title match.

Audrey Husk won the first of her three straight NEC Most Valuable Player Awards, while Trisha Hustedde joined her on the First Team. Husk and Hustedde were also Class AA All-South selections. Malissa Finney was an NEC Second Team choice and Marissa Tolliver was Honorable Mention. Emily Steavens received the squad’s Best Defense Award and Chandra Hensley was Most Improved.

Front Row: Emily Lloyd, Melissa Cochran, Carrie Stremstafer, Erin Luallen, SarahBeth Ferrell.
2nd Row: Sundari Suppiah, Tina McCullum, Bethany Meyer, Kelly Harris, Heather Wilson, Jennifer Brewer.
3rd Row: Coach Brad Steig, Emily Nattier, Jennifer Wooters, Beth McNally, Jamie Githens, Jackie Armbrust, Erika Howard

Brad Stieg coached the Salem Lady Wildcats tennis program only one season, but that 1997 campaign was a historic one. Not only did the squad capture its first sectional championship, but it became the first girls’ tennis team in school history to be inducted into the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Stieg inherited the team after Bernie Bryant had coached the program the previous five seasons. Bryant would return to his previous position in 1998.

Salem compiled a 29-9 record for the season, which included the championship of the Carmi Quad Doubles Tournament. While winning that event was the highlight of the regular season, the Lady Wildcats postseason aspirations took a big blow when they only finished fourth out of six teams at the North Egypt Conference Meet.

Salem saved its best performance for the Olney Sectional as it tallied an event-high 24 points. That was six more than runner-up Flora’s 18.

Junior Bethany Meyer and freshman Sundari Suppiah led the Lady Wildcats postseason charge and earned state berths in singles competition. Meyer’s state berth was her second in as many seasons as she finished second overall. Suppiah punched her ticket with a fourth place effort.

On the doubles side the team of Heather Wilson and Jennifer Wooters got a first-round bye and a second-round win before falling in the semifinals. The other doubles team of Erika Howard and Jennifer Brewer contributed a first-round win before they lost in the second round.

Meyer and Suppiah lost their only singles match at state as inclement weather reduced play from double to single-elimination.

Front Row: Assistant Coach: Ziggy Tkaczenko, Stephen Bryant, Alex Henseler, Cole Piper
Second Row: Stephen Riley, Caleb Branch, Chase Smith, Keith Bumgarner, Coach Steve Ludwig, Cy Fogliasso

The 2008 Salem Wildcats bowling team continued to establish itself as one of the top programs in the state as it won its third state trophy in four seasons. While the Wildcats were unable to defend the state championship they won the previous season, Salem came away with an impressive second place finish.

After the Wildcats posted a solid 10-2 record during the regular season, Coach Steve Ludwig’s crew began its postseason march with a dominant performance at the Herrin Sectional where they took home the team title with a 183-pin margin of victory over runner-up Herrin. Salem, which compiled a winning team score of 6,286 pins, was led by individual champion Alex Henseler as the senior knocked down 1,419. Junior Chase Smith also played a key role in the 2nd placefinish as he finished fourth overall with 1,313 pins. The Wildcats also received contributions of 1,263 pins from junior Stephen Bryant, 1,176 pins from senior Keith Bumgarner, 936 pins from senior Steve Riley and 139 pins from sophomore Cy Fogliasso.

Salem made a strong bid to make it back-to-back state championships. The Wildcats were in first place after the initial day of competition as they led the field by 124 pins. However, a strong second day run by Freeport denied that opportunity as Salem finished 121 pins behind the state champions with a final team score of 12,817.

While the Wildcats were unable to take home the team state championship, Henseler secured the individual state crown with a total of 2,963 pins. Bumgarner filled the No. 2 position for the squad at state as he finished 25th overall at 2,560. Chase Smith was 28th at 2,550 and Bryant was 43rd at 2,494. Other contributors at state for Salem were Riley with 1,661 pins, junior Cole Piper with 237, senior Caleb Branch with 195 and Fogliasso with 157.

Front Row: Stephen Riley, Stephen Bryant, Brayton Becktell, Alex Heseler
Back Row: Coach Steve Ludwig, Keith Bumgarner, Wec Villalobos, Chase Smith, Assistant Coach Linda Kniker

The 2006-07 Salem Wildcats bowling squad became the first team in school sports history to win a state championship in just its fourth year of existence. The Wildcats had qualified for state in each of their three previous seasons, which included a third-place state finish in the 2004-05 campaign.

Salem’s path to the state title endured its share of ups and downs during the regular season as the Wildcats were just 4-4 in dual competition. Salem posted victories against O’Fallon, Herrin, Taylorville and Highland. On the down side the Wildcats lost twice to Harrisburg and also were defeated by Alton and Herrin. During regular season tournament competition Salem posted a runner-up finish at its own invitational, a fourth-place effort at the Alton Invitational and a fifth place spot at the Collinsville Invitational.
Coach Steve Ludwig’s crew turned it on at the right time when they won the eight-team field at the Herrin Sectional. The Wildcats knocked down 6,254 pins, 196 better than runner-up Harrisburg’s total of 6,060. Senior Keith Bumgarner finished second overall at the sectional with a score of 1,323 pins and finished just two pins back of the individual championship. Team captain Alex Henseler finished in the No. 2 position for Salem with 1,255, while Stephen Bryant filled the team’s No. 3 spot with 1,248. Wes Villalobos held the fourth spot at 1,223, Chase Smith contributed 1,002 and Stephen Riley contributed 203 pins.

Salem used a huge come-from-behind effort to win the state championship. The Wildcats stood in fifth place out of 24 teams and 173 pins out of the lead with a team score of 6,078 after the first day of competition. Salem made up that gap and then some as it roared back with a round of 6,568 on day two and finished with a two-day score of 12,646. That was good for a 36-pin margin of victory over state runner-up Harrisburg, which had those two regular season dual meet wins over the Wildcats.

Henseler led Salem at state and finished second overall with a two-day total of 2,823 pins. Bryant also cracked the top ten at state as he was eighth overall with 2,598. Other contributors for the Wildcats at state were Bumgarner with 2,203 pins, Smith with 2,143, Villalobos with 1,886, Brayton Becktell with 1,837 and Riley with 154.