Playing complimentary football is a popular term in the game right now referring to a team’s offense and defense working symbiotically.

Pen Argyl played complimentary football on a rainy Saturday afternoon for a 21-3 homecoming win over Salisbury. The Green Knights’ offense ran the ball effectively and limited its mistakes, while the Pen Argyl defense kept the Falcons from finishing drives, often ending them with turnovers or fourth-down stops.

The Knights were able to play with the lead after they got the ball first and drove 58 yards for a 7-0 lead five minutes and 40 seconds into the game.

The Pen Argyl defense set the ton on the Falcons’ first possession when it sacked quarterback Andrew Lucas twice, including a fourth-down sack that ended the drive.

The Green Knights got in the Salisbury backfield for nine sacks in the game, costing the Falcons 75 yards. It marked the second straight week the Falcons had trouble stopping pass rushers as Tamaqua had nine sacks in its week 5 win over Salisbury.

The Falcons (3-3) stopped Pen Argyl’s second possession when AJ Moren picked off his third pass of the season. But again a pair of sacks led the Falcons to punt the ball back to Pen Argyl six plays later.

The Knights (3-3) went 38 yards in seven plays to take a 14-0 lead with less than five minutes left before halftime. They made it 21-0 two plays later when Caiden Faust picked off a Lucas pass and ran it 35 yards for a score.

The Falcons got on the board in the second half when an 11-play drive stalled at the Pen Argyl 12-yard line and Joshua Hudak came on to boot a 33-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

From there the teams traded posessions several times, with the Falcons holding the Knights scoreless on four second-half drives.

Salisbury’s five second-half possessions ended with one field goal, two interceptions and two turnovers on downs.

Jason St. Leger led the Falcons offense with 55 yards on 13 carries.

Faust led Pen Argyl with 103 yards on 22 carries to go along with one touchdown catch for eight yards. Quarterback Mason Soos completed three of seven passes for 47 yards while running for 59 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

The loss gives Salisbury its first back-to-back losses of the season.

The Falcons will face another big test next Friday when they host 5-1 Saucon Valley. The Panthers’ only loss this season was a 24-7 setback to Notre Dame (Green Pond) on Sept. 13. They opened the season with a 16-7 win over Bangor, and went on to beat Palisades (35-14), Palmerton (63-7), Wilson (55-7) and Catasauqua (62-14).