From one extreme to the next, the Salisbury defense is tasked with focusing on a whole new game plan this week when the Falcons (3-2) travel to Catasauqua to take on the winless Rough Riders on Friday night.

After spending a week preparing for Notre Dame’s quick-throw spread aerial offense, Catasauqua presents a new set of challenges. The Rough Riders’ triple-option offense is a type of offense that the Falcons have not seen in 2019.

“They run a little bit of a different offense than we’ve seen all year,” head coach Andy Cerco said. “They run the triple-option. We have to be disciplined on defense. If we don’t, it’s going to be a long night. While you prepare for Notre Dame’s offense, and their passing and all that stuff…Catasauqua, despite what happened against Wilson, gained yards on offense.”

Catasauqua lost its Week 5 game to Wilson, 53-6, and has scored just 14 total points over the last three weeks.

Last week against Wilson, Catasauqua lined up sophomore Cole Brown at quarterback to lead the triple-option attack. But in prior weeks, senior Adam Reinhart and freshman Christian Fye have also ran the quarterback position.

And while the Rough Riders certainly want to keep the sticks moving on the ground, they’re not afraid to throw the football when needed. They don’t posses nearly as one-sided of a running attack as Salisbury saw when it faces Pen Argyl earlier in the season.

“They actually threw more then Pen Argyl did,” Cerco said. “They do throw the ball enough that we have to be not just concerned with a pop pass to the tight end. They have some route schemes and do some different things out of their sets, so it’s a little bit more involved than what Pen Argyl presented. But it’s not something that they want to do all the time.”

Senior Jakeem Jourdain, senior Riely Reinhard and sophomore Elijah Soler have lined up in the backfield and handle a majority of the running back duties in the option offense.

Defensively, Catasauqua presents a unique look that Cerco hasn’t seen before in which they stack two pairs of linebackers. So the Falcons will have to prepare with that new-looked defensive scheme in mind.

“We have to play disciplined football against them, and do things the right way,” Cerco said. “Defensively it’s like they have three down lineman, then they put two linebackers at two yards off the ball, and then two more linebackers behind them.”

Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Catasauqua High School. There will be a fan bus traveling to the game as well, and any student that rides it will receive free admission into the game covered by the Salisbury Booster Club.