Wilson drops Falcons to 2-1
Head coach Andy Cero and Salisbury’s coaching staff prepared for a particular defensive front for Friday’s home opener against Wilson. So when they saw a different scheme, the Falcons were a bit confused to open the game.
After tying the game at 7-7, Salisbury could not get anything going offensively. Wilson (2-1) scored the next 21 points to hand the Falcons (2-1) a 28-7 loss, their first defeat of the season.
“They came out in a different defensive front than they showed on film,” Cerco said. “With what they showed on film, it was to our advantage and they changed their front. It makes a lot of sense as to what they did.”
The Falcons’ running backs were not seeing the open holes they saw in the first two games. Instead, Wilson’s six-man defensive front held Salisbury’s running game in check with 67 rushing yards. And 20 of those yards came on one run from Alex Glenn in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors, however, found success in the running game. Junior running back Job Goodman proved he is one of the top running backs in the Colonial League.
Goodman tallied 227 total yards (96 rushing and 131 receiving) and all four Wilson touchdowns.
“That’s their game plan-get the ball to No. 25 [Godman] as much as possible,” Cerco said. “That is a really good game plan because he is a really good athlete. They’ve got some good guys up front blocking. It was a hard-fought game.”
Wilson struck first with a 14-play drive capped by a 28-yard touchdown run from Goodman.
Salisbury responded immediately as Timmy Buda took the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to make it 7-7 in the final minute of the first quarter.
That tie wouldn’t last long. Wilson capitalized on its next drive on a Goodman 10-yard touchdown run. Seven of the eight plays were runs from the Warriors.
“We couldn’t capitalize on them,” Cerco said. “We couldn’t move the ball. We were falling off blocks continually. That is something we hadn’t seen on film from us. We’ve seen on film the other team getting blocked well. Ultimately it wasn’t our best night on either side of the ball.”
Salisbury was still within striking distance at halftime, only down a touchdown when Wilson received the ball to start the third quarter. But after the Falcons’ first drive of the second half resulted in a punt, and the next two ended with turnovers on downs, the Warriors struck again.
Wilson quarterback Cameron Clark hit a wide-open Goodman for a 56-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter.
The Falcons’ next possession ended just as quickly as it started, with Cameron Vaka throwing an interception on the second play of the series.
The Warriors, who took over at their own 27-yard line, put the game away on the next series with a three-yard Goodman plunge into the end zone.
“We adjusted at halftime and I think we had a better second half moving the ball than in the first half,” Cerco said. “This game, we said it at halftime, came down to blocking and tackling. For whatever reason, we didn’t do those things really all that well.”
The Falcons look to get back on track in Week 4 with a matchup against Bangor. Salisbury will be back at home with a 7 p.m. kickoff against the Slaters.