By Nicole Campuzano
Attending a high school football game is a quintessential part of the American high school experience. Who doesn’t remember with vivid detail the blazing lights setting the verdant field aglow, the crisp autumn air that invites the use of a sweater or a letterman’s jacket, and of course, the thrumming roar of hundreds of voices in the crowd crying out in support of their team? On the football field at Appleton North High School, there is a living wave of blue and gold every Friday night during the football season, as the student section enthusiastically cheers on their team. They understand the assignment: They are the thunder to accompany “The Lightning.”
This year, the Appleton North varsity football team is made up of 66 boys who suit up. Seniors make up just under half of the players. There are 29 seniors, 19 juniors, and 18 sophomores on the roster. The team has a record of 4-1 (3-0 in conference). In fact, the team is currently ranked 9th in the state of Wisconsin. One of their coaches, Rob Salm, explains that, despite a few injuries on the offensive line, which required some of the younger, less experienced players to step up, the team has some great attributes. He says, “Our team has exceptional Special Teams Units. The defense is dominating, and the offense plays a winning scheme.”
Coach Niles Clark adds, “I’ve been extremely impressed with our effort in Special Teams this year; we call them our Special Forces, and we try to model and emulate the toughness and discipline of our armed forces. We are a team that is very connected and we play for one another. We are trying to be the best versions of ourselves, and we keep improving every day.”
Salm goes on to highlight that there is a strong emphasis on playing as a team, rather than a focus on any one individual player. “We are really playing well as a team and not focused on
individual highlights,” Salm explains. That team mindset has really paid off in recent games. The varsity team had “a big win against Mukwonago to start the year and key wins against Fond Du Lac and Kaukauna,” Salm mentions.
Indeed, The Lightning has been striking hard this season. In the game against Mukwonago, Appleton North’s defense pulled through, holding that team to 7 points, while North’s offense gained 10 points, leading to a key conference win. Following that big win, North was humbled by West De Pere with a 7-35 loss. However, in their next game against Hortonville, The Lightning battled it out with a final score of 34-17. Then, in a close-scoring game, North prevailed with a win over the Fond Du Lac Cardinals, with a final score of 14-13. Most recently, North hosted Kaukauna. North showed excellent defense by holding the Ghosts to zero points, while special teams and offense showed their drive to win, shutting out Kaukauna with a final score of 14-0.
According to Salm, it isn’t the team work alone that makes this group of players especially great; it’s their positive character traits that really shine both on and off the field. “I’m excited to coach great kids who treat people very well and to see them get better every week,” Salm adds. This is evidence of “the true North way” in action, as these driven student-athletes embody the strong character traits that the staff at Appleton North High School endeavors to instill in each of its students every day.
Truly, it isn’t much of a surprise that the team is doing so well, either. Salm has been coaching high school football for 36 years. In fact, he has been a varsity football coach at Appleton North High School every year since it opened in 1995. Amazingly, Salm isn’t the only coach of the varsity football team with decades of experience under his belt.
For the past 35 years, most of which were spent at Appleton North High School, brothers Robert and Curt Salm have been coaching side-by-side. This year marks the end of an era, as varsity football coach Curt Salm coaches his final season of football. Rob Salm enthusiastically praises his brother, Curt, saying, “He’s an award-winning teacher and an amazing coach!” Curt Salm’s retirement will mean some changes to the football program at Appleton North High School, and it will most certainly be a challenge to fill the massive shoes he will be leaving behind at the end of this football season.
Something else worth mentioning is the upcoming retirement of the legendary coach, Paul Engen. Engen’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive. He’s been recognized for a variety of awards such as the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association AD of the Year in 1998, the FVA Football Champions & Coach of the Year in 2004, and the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association District 4 AD of the Year in 1981, in addition to numerous other accolades.
Engen was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association in 1998 and has a myriad of accomplishments on his record. He was also inducted into the Appleton North Hall of Fame in September of 2025. According to their website, “Engen played a foundational role in shaping the athletic identity of Appleton North High School. As the school’s first athletic director, he was instrumental in assembling a full coaching staff and launching a successful athletic program from the ground up in 1995. He served as athletic director from 1995 to 2008, during which North teams earned conference and state championships across multiple sports, and his leadership helped set the tone for a culture of excellence.” His retirement, though a joyous accomplishment, will be keenly felt by all those familiar with the ANHS football program.
However, the outlook is favorable for the team, even as the inevitable tides of change wash over them. There are numerous other coaches who are encouraging, supporting, and
pushing the Appleton North football players to be the best versions of themselves every day. Though it is early in the season, it will be interesting to watch the progress of the ANHS varsity football team. And no matter what their final record might be, one thing is certain: Each and every football player on the team will learn valuable life lessons under the experienced tutelage of the coaching staff they have the privilege of working under, making this team a force to be reckoned with.
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