It’s been less than a year since the Salisbury High School football team had the best season the program has seen in over a decade.

But this year’s team doesn’t want to dwell on past success. The Falcons want to build on last year’s 4-6 season rather than admire it.

“Our team slogan this year is ‘the next step,’” said second-year head coach Kevin DiZenzo. “We feel that 4-6 this season will be unacceptable. We’re accepting of the reality that we’re going to compete each week as a competitive football program that is going to be a contender. Every single week we feel we can compete. I feel that difference from the kids. We’re not looking past anyone, but I can feel the energy and the confidence that we belong. The kids named the slogan ‘the next step.’ What we mean by that is we want to leave 4-6 behind.”

The Falcons graduated their best-known player in running back/linebacker Jason St. Leger, along with their starting quarterback and several other key players. But they bring back three starting offensive linemen with plenty of experience in seniors Elijah Garriga, Griffin Lakics and Sam Krauss, who will block for senior running back Jordan Tocci-Wachter and quarterback Keaton Frye.

“It all starts from there,” said Tocci Wachter. “From the passing game to the running game to defensively. The line is the most important part of football so its amazing that our linemen are out there putting in the work everyday.”

Krauss heads into his fourth season as a starter on both sides of the ball. Laikics, who was listed at 6-5, 340 on last year’s roster, returns and moves to guard. Garigga is in his third year as the starter at center.

“Everything we do is hinging on those guys,” said DiZenzo. “They will be in the rotation on the defensive line. They’re big. They’re strong and they’re faster than they were [last season].”

Tocci-Wachter, who was third on last year’s running back depth chart behind St. Leger and Derek Trinidad, has been a defensive starter for three seasons and will now play full time on both sides of the ball.

St. Leger ran for 662 yards and nine touchdowns last season, to go along with 119 receiving yards and two receiving scores. He also completed four of five pass attempts for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

Tocci-Wachter got 34 carries last season and averaged 6.0 yards per carry with one touchdown run.

“A lot of people don’t realize we have another really good running back in our stable,” said DiZenzo. “He was our Will linebacker. He led the defensive in tackles, two interceptions, multiple forced fumbles. He was a play maker at the Will linebacker position. Now with him starting in the offensive backfield, that’s going to be awesome.”

Full back Jacob Watson, who is on his way back from an injury, will clear the way for Tocci-Wachter when he’s ready to go.

Frye takes over for graduate Andrew Lucas (51-for-123, 705 yards, 7 TD) and behind an improved offensive line could help the Falcons’ expand their passing game this season.

“We have to protect the quarterback,” said DiZenzo. “Some of the stuff we’re going to be playing is going to help that. We have to put our trust in the experienced guys on the offensive line. That is the biggest thing we’ve worked on this offseason.”

Frye, who went 2-for-2 passing for 52 yards last season, will have one of the league’s best receivers at his disposal this year in Jamanni Cruz.

“I believe him to be the best wide receiver in this league,” said DiZenzo.

Cruz (13 receptions, 315 yards, 3 TD) led the team in catches and receiving yards and was tied for the most touchdown receptions last year.

“We’re excited to get back to the Friday night atmosphere and show everybody what we’ve been working on,” said Cruz. “We have a lot more confidence, but I still feel like we didn’t prove anything yet. We’re a better football team than 4-6.”

Frye echoed those sentiments.

“We’re pretty excited,” he said. “We want to build off what we did last year. We want to do better than 4-6. We still have a lot of work to do. Nothing is going to be guaranteed. We all have to work hard for it. And we all have been working hard for it.”

AJ Moren, who picked off a program-record eight passes last season, will also line up as a receiver this season, along with Jadiel Gonzalez and Jeremiah Bell.

The Falcon defense will start with those same three returning seniors on the front line in Krauss, Lakics and Garriga. Grayson Gnall and Isaac Lakics will also be part the of rotation up front on defense.

Tocci-Wachter, Watson and Jaden Claudio will lead the linebacking unit.

Tocci-Wachter led the team with 91 total tackles last year, including 37 solo stops. Watson made 56 tackles (24 solo) and Claudio was in on 30 tackles and had four tackles for loss, which second on the team behind St. Leger.

Moren, who played his first season of football as a sophomore in 2024, returns at safety along with Bell. Dominic Natosi returns at corner back and will play across from Gonzalez with Cruz also part of the rotation in the defensive backfield.

The Falcons entered the 2024 season coming off just two wins in the past three regular seasons.

“Not matter how excited we could be, how locked in we could be, we were a winless program and that has an effect,” said DiZenzo. “This roster, this group, these are the guys who put in the work. Most of these guys bled for four wins. Most of these guys bled to be in every game [last season].”

The second-year head coach deserves a good deal of credit for last season’s turnaround, even if he isn’t looking for it.

“It’s not just the new coach, no,” he said. “It’s the kids. It the assistant coaching staff. It’s the support they’re getting from the community.”

DiZenzo is pleased that youth football is back in Salisbury and he’s part of that program helping young Falcons learn the game.

“We now have a new youth program, Salisbury Youth Football.” he said. “In my opinion it is only going to grow. The stable of coaches is strong. We are all on the same page. We have the same mission.”

The Falcons started the season at Panther Valley last Friday and will host Notre Dame (Green Pond) this Friday night at 7 p.m. After that they’ll head to Wilson for a Saturday game on Sept. 6 before hosting Catasauqua Friday, Sept. 12.