Head coach Andy Cerco and the Falcons won’t place blame on the gusty winds for their offensive woes during last week’s game at Northwestern. Maybe it had more to do with the Tigers executing their game plan on both sides of the ball. But for a team that likes to throw it as much as any in the Colonial League, the swirling wind didn’t do Salisbury any favors.

Whatever it was, one of the league’s top offensive powerhouses had statistically its worst game of the season on Friday night. And it cost the Falcons mightily.

Northwestern (9-2) ran for over 350 yards, led by quarterback Dylan Snyder’s 172, en route to a 27-14 win over Salisbury (7-4) in Friday’s District 11 Class AA semifinals. The Falcons’ 14 points were their lowest total of the season.

“You can’t run 34 offensive plays and expect to win,” Cerco said. “Credit to them, they did a great job defensively and they did a great job offensively. Credit to their kids and their coaching staff.”

Salisbury mustered just two first downs through three quarters. They were also forced into five punts during that same 36-minute stretch, and a first-quarter interception added to the Falcons’ woes.

By the time the Salisbury punched in its first offensive touchdown in the fourth quarter on a Tevon Weber-to-Mason Donaldson 45-yard strike, it was a little bit too late.

“It was uncharacteristic of our team,” Cerco said. “We had plays where it was like one block here or there. Talking to our offensive coordinator [Andy Doran], I’m asking what is going on. He’s like, ‘Their kid just got off of our block.’”

Weber kept Salisbury’s opening drive alive with a 38-yard pass to Donaldson on third down. The wind didn’t seem to have a great effect on that throw, but four plays later the Falcons were forced into a punt. A bad snap sailed over Donaldson’s head, but he was able to recover and get the kick off for a mere, but critical, six yards.

Northwestern scored nine plays later on Snyder’s first of two touchdown runs. Each play on that opening drive was a rush, five from Tiger leading-rusher on the season Harry Hall.

After an incomplete pass on third down of their next possession, Salisbury was forced into its second punt in as many possessions. It didn’t turn out to be any better than first. A Tiger rush up the middle got to Donaldson and blocked the kick. A recovery at the 5-yard line set up a first-and-goal situation, and Hall punched it in on the next play to put Northwestern ahead 14-0.

“Special teams plays like that gives a great deal of momentum to anybody,” Cerco said. “That was definitely something that helped them.”

The struggles continued. Weber’s next throw, coming on second down of the Falcons’ next possession, was intercepted by Trevor Cunningham. The wind seemed to get a hold of that throw down the middle of the field.

The Tigers drove down the field in convincing fashion once again with an 11-play drive that stretched into the second quarter. Brandon Miller’s 25-yard field goal made it a 17-0 game with 8:37 to play in the half.

Devin Irwin got the Falcons on the board 14 seconds later when he took the ensuing kickoff 86 yards up the left sideline for a touchdown.

“That’s football. That’s life,” Cerco said. “You have to find a way to deal with it. For what it’s worth, I think Tevon did a really good job throwing the ball in these conditions.”

Weber finished completing 5-of-11 passes for 109 yards.

Snyder scored from 45 yards on Northwestern’s second drive of the second half that pushed the Tigers’ advantage to 24-7. Miller booted another field goal, this one from 26 yards early in the fourth quarter, that made it 27-7.

That score would hold until Weber and Donaldson connected for the 13th and final time of the season with 5:41 left on the clock.

As one of the league’s premier backs, Hall was held relatively in check with 112 yards on 27 carries-a 4.1 average. But it was Joe Colluci who provided a nice second option out of the backfield with an unexpected 11 carries for 91 yards.

“The last couple of games he carried the ball a little bit more and did a really good job,” Cerco said. “We knew he was a capable runner. Going into the game we figured they were going to give the ball to No. 4 [Hall] a whole lot. They did a good job in blocking our counters.”

Salisbury, meanwhile, ran for a total of 34 yards. Shane Wittman led the way with 29 of those yards on the ground.