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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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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Many of the faces which were responsible for Salem’s only unbeaten football team in 1943 were back for another great year in 1944.

Second-year coach Kenny Farrar guided the 1944 Wildcats to an 8-1 record and the North Egypt Conference championship with a perfect 6-0 record. The eight wins Salem posted that year tied the 1941 team for most school wins in a season. Only the 1985 and 1991 teams have surpassed that win total for a season. Both of those clubs won nine.
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Through the first 71 years of Salem Wildcats football, only one team has the distinction of going through the season undefeated. At the time of their induction into the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame that one team is the 1943 squad.

The Wildcats of that season went through the campaign with a 6-0-1 mark. That lone blemish came in a 7-7 tie with Benton.

Under first-year coach Kenny Farrar, the Wildcats won the North Egypt Conference championship that season with a 5-0 mark. A key conference game against Olney was not played that season because of a polio outbreak at that school. Olney was also undefeated at the time.
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