One of the toughest things in sports, particularly during lengthy losing skids, is being able to put the past in the rearview mirror and focus on the road ahead.

In the midst of a five-game losing streak, the Salisbury football team is eager to move beyond a tough first-half stretch of the season. The Falcons defeated Bangor in week one, but have failed to produce another victory since.

Despite going 1-4 against North Division opponents to start the season, and beginning play in the South with a 53-3 defeat last week to Saucon Valley, the approach isn't changing for head coach Andy Cerco and the Falcons.

The road doesn't get any easier, however. The Falcons will continue divisional play against Palisades on Friday night when they host the Pirates (5-1) at 7 p.m.

"As far as how we approach it as a coaching staff, we're going to continue to do what we always do," Cerco said. "We're going to prepare the same way, practice the same way and watch film the same way.

"Our players are showing up every day, and they're doing the same things they've been doing. We watched film on Sunday and showed them almost every play. We had one or two players that weren't doing what they were supposed to be doing, and they knew what they needed to do."

As winners of three straight games, the Pirates bring an offense that can score in a hurry. They've scored 177 points through six games, good for a 29.5 points per game average.

Much of their scoring comes via the running game, which is led by a number of Pirate backs. Junior Christian Gretzinger leads the team in both rushes (62) and rushing yards (381), to go along with six rushing scores. Not far behind is senior JD Donnelly, who has accumulated 375 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 39 carries, which averages to a 9.6 yards-per-carry average.

"They're a team that runs the ball primarily," Cerco said. "That's definitely been a challenge for us to stop the run. It comes down to, as we watched some film, a couple of guys missing a gap.

"We've just got to make sure that we're filling gaps and playing downhill, which is something that our linebackers did a much better job of."

Junior quarterback Nick Sanders handles the majority of the Pirates' aerial attack when they choose to throw. He's completed 11 of 22 passes for 121 yards with one interception. He has 36 rushing yards and a score on the season.

The Falcons have struggled to put points on the scoreboard as of late. After putting up 41 against Bangor on opening night, the Falcons have totaled just 39 points in the last five games, an average of 7.8 points per game. They've scored a combined nine points in their last two contests.

"I think the turnovers are the biggest factor," Cerco said. "Against Bangor, we were calling the same plays and the same type of offense, and not doing what we have been in the past couple of games. It comes down to eliminating errors."

Friday night is homecoming for the Falcons. Salisbury will also be holding a fundraiser during the game for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night at Salisbury High School.