When most people picture competitive high school sports, they think of packed gyms, blaring whistles, and Friday night lights. But at Salem Community High School, one of the most devoted and tight-knit groups on campus spends its weekends in relative silence—on the water.

The Salem Wildcat Youth Bass Fishing Team has quietly become a powerhouse, rising in the state rankings and logging tournament experience that stretches far beyond Marion County. This year, they’re within striking distance of a team-of-the-year title, trailing only Olympia High School by seven points. Their tournament footprint covers the state and beyond—from Lake Springfield to Table Rock Lake in Missouri and even Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee.

But the real story isn’t just their stats—it’s their connection to one another, their roots, and their coach, Mike Russell, affectionately known as “Mikey.”

“Yeah, we call him Mikey,” said Peyton Durham with a grin. “If it’s a serious conversation, we might say ‘Coach’ or ‘Mike.’ But most of the time, it’s just ‘Mikey.’ It keeps things light.”

That sense of closeness isn’t an accident. Mike’s daughter, Mya Russell, is on the team, and her older brother helped lay the foundation for the program's current success. “My brother fishes in college now,” she said. “He was part of the early group that helped get all this started at the high school. It’s been in our family for a while.”

Other teammates found their way to the program through chance encounters or generational tradition. Lucas Hodge got hooked—literally—after his mom saw a Facebook post and took him to Mike’s house to try it out. Ben Ryan talked about the early morning thrill of hitting the water and the rush of landing a monster bass. Zane Barthelmy and Cooper Lobeck credited their fathers for their early starts, while Peyton reflected on how bass fishing turned his life around—helping him find focus, improve his grades, and develop a sense of direction. “I didn’t have the right crowd before,” he said. “Fishing gave me something solid.”

What makes their rise even more impressive is the level of competition. T-Town (Teutopolis), Olympia, and others have built strong reputations in Illinois' bass fishing world, and access to practice time on unfamiliar lakes gives them a clear edge. “It’s like pre-walking a golf course,” Peyton explained. “If you know the lake layout, it can really boost your chances.”

Still, the team continues to make its mark—thanks in no small part to the generosity of local sponsors. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” Zane said. “They pay it forward and help us get to these tournaments.” Names like Schmidt Ford of Salem, Salem Tire Center, Somer Real Estate, ATVs and More, and Seger Insurance appear proudly on the back of their team jerseys. In one case, a sponsor even provided GoPros so team members could capture footage of their catches, which Mike then shares on the team’s Facebook page.

But what really sets the program apart may be its accessibility. Unlike sports that often rely on size, speed, or school enrollment, bass fishing levels the playing field. “This is a sport where rural schools can compete with anyone,” one student noted. “You just need passion, some grit, and the right kind of support.”

Mya, the only young woman on the team, doesn’t find that to be an obstacle. “It doesn’t bother me,” she said. “Everyone’s competition. The fish don’t care.”

With seniors like Cooper heading to Wabash Valley College to fish competitively, and others planning to enter the workforce, the team represents more than a club or sport—it’s a community, a support system, and a vehicle for growth.

So while other schools might be known for football or basketball, Salem Community High School is quietly building a reputation for something else: a place where students put their hooks in the water—and pull out life-changing lessons.