Salisbury focused on staying in moment
Players kept up to date on ever-changing situation
Salisbury head coach Andy Cerco, like every other teacher, coach, administrator and student, never knew what was coming this spring and summer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Except for one thing.
“Daily phone calls from Quintin,” Cerco said of senior quarterback Quintin Stephens. “Sometimes we don’t talk about football, which is great.
“He’s a really good kid, mature, a good leader. He cares about his team. He does all the right things.”
Stephens and other Falcons young and old had many questions since in-person workouts and meetings resumed.
Cerco was honest with the players.
“Every day it was, ‘This is the information I have now,’ ” the Salisbury coach said. “That is how I started every meeting. At least they knew.”
Those who follow Colonial League football know that Salisbury should have a good team this year. That is the goal of every coach, but Cerco aims to give every Falcon the most information possible to help them develop into good young men.
The high school teacher also expects them to give the same effort in class as they show on the football field.
“Our team vision is to be a competitive football team, one that is united, in sync and together through brotherhood,” Cerco said. “We talk about goals, with the end result of being elite.
“Elite to us is being the best version of yourself, whatever that is. Whether you’re a junior linebacker or in math class, you give your best effort in practice or with that algebra problem. You don’t have to be the best linebacker on the team, but the best you can be right now.
“They’re wired to handle things like this [pandemic]. This could happen, but if it doesn’t and there’s a new situation, we move on and figure it out.”
Spring and summer workouts at Salisbury, like everywhere else, were personal. It was up to each player to be responsible and committed to staying in shape.
For Stephens and fellow senior standout Chad Parton, their goal is to play in college. They hope to have the opportunity to add more highlights to
their clips for recruiters.
Throughout the offseason, those two chose to stay engaged in the moment to make sure they would be prepared for that next moment as players and leaders for their teammates.
“I was looking at film in the offseason,” Stephens said, “focusing on getting better, working on what I can improve on from last year and getting stronger in the weight room.
“I can’t wait to see what the offense brings this year.”
Stephens and Parton won’t have the burden of being Salisbury’s only offensive weapons when the team begins its regular season Friday at Notre Dame-GP.
Transfer Gio Hines, Falcons basketball players Hunter Blean and Chase Fenstermaker, plus promising sophomores Josh Brooks and Nick Beck are expected to provide balance and options.
Salisbury also returns most of its offensive line, so cohesiveness should be in place quickly in this pandemic-shortened regular season.
“Our offense can definitely be explosive,” Parton said. “We’re learning from last year, plus we have the newcomers. We have a lot of younger kids stepping up.
“Hines is going to be a big part of our offense. He fits in well. It’s going to be a fun year.”
Salisbury can help itself by providing an improved 3-3-5 defense. It will require many of the same personnel on a 35-man roster.
Even Stephens will be more of a defensive contributor in the secondary, which isn’t a bad thing as he and the coaching staff put together film for college recruiters.
Cerco said the team also films every minute of every practice in an effort to ensure college coaches get a complete picture of his players.
On the eve of their 2020 opener, Salisbury players can help themselves — and their teammates — by doing their jobs to the best of their abilities
“It’s hard being patient,” Parton said. “We’re all just trying to be the best we can for that first game.
“We take practice seriously, like it is game time.”
After a long wait, Salisbury and four others in the Colonial League finally get to have their game time.