There have been plenty of positives to take note of from this season's Salisbury varsity football team. From the Falcons' highest win total since 2009 (when the team also won four games), to impressive statistical seasons across the board, Salisbury took another turn in shaping the new culture of the squad under head coach Andy Cerco.

Falcons earn recognition in league

Following the culmination of each regular season, the Colonial League releases its annual all-star selections for each position on offense and defense. Last year, Troy Parton (an honorable mention selection at defensive back) was the lone Salisbury representative on that list. No Falcon found his name on that list two years ago.

But in 2014, five Falcons were recognized as league all-stars covering seven different positions. Mason Donaldson was the only first-team selection, coming at the punter position after a superb season. He was also a second-team honoree at wide receiver. Inside linebacker Teddy Denver (second-team), quarterback Tevon Weber (honorable mention), defensive back Shane Wittman (honorable mention) and defensive end/tight end Kyle Hartzell (honorable mention) were the other selections.

"We got a lot of nominations for the all-league team," Cerco said. "That's a testament to the players and their work ethic in practice, which leads to games. The other coaches in the league recognize that."

Weber continues to improve at QB

As a sophomore, Weber saw time quarterback along with Parton, with the latter of the two receiving much of the workload. But after going through a number of learning curves in just the second season of Cerco's offense, the junior broke through in a big way over the past two-plus months.

Weber completed 98 of his 184 passes (53 percent), in an offense that isn't afraid to air it out. He finished the season with 1,692 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, making him one of the more feared young quarterbacks in the league.

"He really understands the offense and what we're trying to accomplish," Cerco said. "He has really developed into a really good leader for the team. His maturity has increased exponentially."

His relation with Donaldson has come full circle since their sophomore season a year ago. Donaldson reeled in a team-high 35 receptions for 491 yards and nine scores, making the Weber-to-Donaldson combo one of the best in the conference.

"I think they've grown a lot," Cerco said. "Maturity is a big thing. Last year, they were sophomores and kind of feeling their way out. Varsity football in the Colonial League and Eastern Pennsylvania in general is a different animal. You kind of have to learn how to play in that environment.

"Both of them basically have free reign. If they see something, they can signal to each other and adjust on the fly. They are in constant communication on the field."

Five running backs are better than one

Sure, having one gifted and versatile running back can undoubtedly be a pleasure. But what if you have a committee in the backfield that is capable of all of those same things?

That's what the Falcons envisioned going into the season, and the way their five primary ball carriers finished 2014 is what Cerco had planned for in the summer.

"Using a number of different backs helps keep them fresh," Cerco said. "With other players, if they are carrying the ball 30 times a game or something like that, they begin to wear out as the season goes on."

All five, including Devin Irwin (502 yards), Wittman (404 yards), Alex Kubinec (289 yards), Denver (280 yards) and Nick Sikora (237 yards), ran for over 200 yards. Each one had at least 44 carries on the season.

The Falcons possessed the unique mix of speed on the outside with Irwin and Wittman, along with the downhill running styles of Kubinec, Denver and Sikora.

"On the flipside, the defense has to account for several different players and several different styles of run," Cerco said.

All return except next season except for Denver.

Offensive line stayed stout all season

"A lot of the commentary from the other coaches was that we played a physical brand of football," Cerco said. "That's what we want to do here at Salisbury."

That physicality begins up front on both sides of the ball.

Andrew Gibisser and Dillon Trenge switched at the center position throughout the season, while guard Alex Nicholas and tackle Mason Gannett controlled the right side of the offensive line. Guard Isaac Rivera and tackle Brett Sonntag lined up on the left side, with Carlos Santiago filling in where needed. Along with Hartzell, Eric Frankenfield lined up at tight end.

"I think our offensive line gains a lot of confidence in the work that they put in in the offseason," Cerco said. "And that's where it all starts-the work they put in the weight room."

That group, along with all of the Falcons' running backs, led Salisbury to 1,827 yards on the ground in 10 games.