The Salisbury football team's motto is simple - start fast, finish strong.

You can certainly say the Falcons were on point in both those areas last Friday night, opening up the Colonial League season with a 41-27 victory over Bangor at Paul Farnan Field. For the Falcons, a 1-0 start is a feat that hasn't been accomplished in nearly a decade.

"Our kids are very coachable," said Cerco. "They do a great job of going to practice and working hard, and they work hard in the weight room. All that work pays off eventually, and that's what we kept telling them throughout the offseason."

"This is the first opening game we won in nine years," said senior QB Troy Parton. "Credit a lot to the defense and special teams, as we had a couple blocked kicks and one [kick return] for a touchdown."

Like last season's matchup against the Slaters, the Falcons were very much alive in the game at halftime, trailing 21-13 at the break.

But unlike last year when the Slaters pulled away, it was the Falcons who left a lasting impact in the final 24 minutes on Friday night. Led by Parton, the Salisbury put together a near-flawless second half and undoubtedly 'finished strong,' outscoring the Slaters 28-6.

"In the second quarter, we did not block and tackle well," said Cerco. "We challenged them at halftime to come out and do the things they're coached to do - be where they're suppose to be when they're suppose to be there, [and] doing what they're suppose to do. If they do those things, good things will happen."

Parton, who accumulated 122 total yards, had a hand in three of the Falcons' four second-half touchdowns that sealed the victory.

On their opening drive of the second half, Parton took the Falcons down the field in six plays, capped off by a 24-yard touchdown strike to junior wideout Tavon Royster that made it 21-19 Salisbury.

After a Slater score, Parton led another Falcon scoring drive, but this time capitalizing on a 39-yard quarterback keeper for a score that tied it up, 27-27.

"We started fast, and we did that in some games last year," said Partan. "But I really think this game we also finished strong, not just started fast."

It only seemed fitting that the defense, which started the game off with a blocked punt for a touchdown on the Slaters' opening drive, that put the Falcons ahead for good midway through the fourth quarter. After a Falcon got a hand on another Slater punt, senior Beran Mitchell scooped up the loose ball at the 15-yard line and returned it for the score. Parton added another rushing score in the final minutes to seal the win.

The Falcons were able to outlast a combined 286 rushing yards from Bangor's duo of quarterback Jryi Davis and running back Phil Vass, largely in part to seven Slater turnovers that resulted in 13 Falcon points.

"For these kids, it's a great thing because they put in such hard work in the offseason," said Cerco. "For them to come out and see the result right now, it's phenomenal. It's a testament to those kids. They played their hearts out."

Royste, who had four receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown, had a big impact on the Falcons starting fast. After the Slaters went ahead 7-6 early in the second quarter, Royster returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a Falcon score.

Sophomore running back Teddy Denver tallied 32 yards on seven carries.

Salisbury hosts Northwestern Lehigh on Friday night at 7 p.m.