With the 2026 fall high school sports season right around the corner, the Colonial League hosted a football media day at Pen Argyl High School last week.

All but one of the league’s 13 football teams sent a coach and some players to the event.

Four of Salisbury’s top returning players were there. All of them were part of last year’s Falcon team that reached the District 11 playoffs for the first time in several years.

“This year we’re not just hoping to get into the district playoffs,” said junior offensive and defensive lineman Grayson Gnall. “We’re looking for some wins. We’re looking to have some success in that tournament.”

“That was the first time we were in the playoffs in five years,” said AJ Moren, a senior free safety and wide receiver. “Now the goal is to make it deep into the playoffs, make a playoff run.”

Moren, who joined his first football team as a high school sophomore, was pleased to see new faces during preseason practice this year.

“Although we lost a lot of seniors,” he said, “We gained a lot of underclassmen. We even got some new players that have never been a part of football before. Any people we can get that can contribute are welcome.”

The Falcons battled through injuries last year, including one to starting quarterback Keaton Frye that caused the team to have to reinvent its offense in the middle of the season. The injuries forced a lot of younger players into action. The experience they gained could benefit the team this season.

“I think them playing last year is going to help us this year,” said Frye. “We’re young. We’re very energetic. We have a couple guys that are going to step into some roles that will definitely do us some good.”

Junior Jadiel Gonzalez, who is part of a talented wide receiver group that will help the team make up for the graduation of Jamanni Cruz, would like his team to win more regular season games to earn a better seed for the playoffs.

In 2025, the Falcons were the eighth and final seed in the District 11 Class 3A playoffs and met top-seeded Notre Dame (Green Pond) in the first round.

“We came in as the last seed, so we played the toughest team,” Gonzalez said. “It makes me want to get back in there as a higher seed and compete better.”

Gonzalez said the keys to success for this team will be “keeping our composure, knowing we can compete with any team out there and being more physical.”

The Falcons open the season Friday, Aug. 28 at South Philadelphia High school.