The Salisbury High School football team has a lot of grit and determination. The Falcons do not have the shear numbers on either side of the ball that other teams in the Colonial League and District 11 do, but under head coach Andy Cerco, they play with energy and passion every game.

Last season, Salisbury finished 2-8 overall, winning two of its last five games against Palisades and Pen Argyl in back-to-back weeks. But it isn’t all about wins and losses for the program, Cerco wants more for his student-athletes.

“I feel great every day because I get the opportunity to work with these young men,” said Cerco. “We are here to educate, train and develop young men of character and to help them grow. We have had a lot of these kids in our program since they were in the seventh grade. We want to continue to develop our school community.”

Even with the graduation of some talented seniors following last season, there are still a number of returners to lead the team in 2022.

Cerco highlighted a few upperclassmen that are back that they expect to contribute, including quarterback/cornerback Nick Beck, wide receiver/cornerback Josh Brooks, tight end Jacob Gibbons, offensive/defensive lineman Toby Linn, offensive/defensive lineman Carl Dyer, wide receiver/cornerback Lucas Graver and offensive/defensive lineman Ryan Ferrell.

Salisbury is in its second season of play in the Colonial League-Schuylkill League football cooperative. When the Falcons played only Colonial League teams, their schedule featured more teams from schools with much larger enrollments. Now, they not only face teams similar in size but also take on hard-nosed teams from the Coal Region. Cerco likes how the schedule aligns.

“We like the crossover,” Cerco said. “It gives our kids the opportunity to play different competition. Games against the Schuylkill League help us prepare for the season and for the playoffs, playing difficult competition.”

Heading into this season, Cerco has the same goals and expectations that he has leading into every year.

“We expect our guys to play hard no matter what the score is,” said Cerco. “We want them to know where they’re supposed to be on the field and in any given situation. They also need to play with great and positive energy.”

Salisbury opened its 2022 regular season schedule at home against Panther Valley on Friday, August 26. The Falcons then have their first home game on the road against Saucon Valley Friday, Sept. 2.