~ Saugus High School Sachems Sports Roundup ~

By Dom Nicastro

 

Saugus boys basketball finishes season with championship appearance

 

The Saugus High School boys basketball team finished 7-13 this season, ending its campaign in the finals of the Patton Tournament at Hamilton-Wenham High School.

 

The Sachems fell to the hosts, 59-54. Ryan Shea and Huey Josama each added 18 points in the season finale. The Sachems’ seven wins improved on their four from a year ago.

 

Saugus made the championship after its 77-45 win over Northeast Voke in the opening round. Shea led the way with 15 points, and Danny Zeitz and Ryan Dupuy each added 12 points.

 

Saugus split its two games heading into the tourney. It fell to Peabody, 60-42, led by Cam Victor with 12 points and contributions from many players.

 

Shea led the way with 28 points in Saugus’ 54-40 win over Minuteman. Jordan Rodriguez added 10 points, and Dupuy (seven) and Victor (six) contributed to the victory.

 

Saugus girls, boys track celebrates strong season

 

Saugus competed in the girls track Division 4 state championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston last Saturday.

 

Soraya Mathieu, Destiny Okoye, Layla Manderson and Angie Lopez finished eighth out of 23 teams in the 4×200 relay in 1:53 in the Division 4 state meet.

 

Okoye took sixth in the high jump at 5-0. Mathieu took 17^th out of 24 competitors in the long jump in 15-0.75.

 

“As the indoor track season wraps up, it is so nice to reflect on our accomplishments for the past 10 weeks,” Saugus coach Amy O’Neill said. “We started off winning our first meet against Winthrop with a great showing from both our boys and girls teams. This was an awesome way to kick off the season and really got the energy up over the next few very competitive weeks. We made steady progress with new PRs and more points each week and each meet.”

 

The younger crew had a great showing at the Northeastern Conference Freshman/Sophomore Championship with Pharaoh Brandenburg placing fourth in the 1,000-meter run and third in the high jump.

 

Okoye placed first in the high jump and sixth in the 55-meter dash. Soraya Mathieu placed third in the 55-meter dash and second in the long jump. The girls 4×200-meter relay team of Okoye, Soraya Mathieu, Teaghan Arsenault and Sydney Ferreira placed third overall.

 

This successful meet was followed quickly by the MSTCA Division 4 State Relay Championships.

 

The boys high jump team, consisting of Brandenburg, Connor Bloom and Kaeleb Mathieu, earned a fifth-place finish.

 

At the Northeast Conference Championships, the girls 4×200-meter relay finished third. Soraya Mathieu placed third in the 55-meter dash. Okoye placed fifth in the high jump, and Bloom took fourth in high jump.

 

“We remained competitive all season with a ton of outstanding individual improved performances and multiple state qualifiers,” O’Neill said.

 

They included:

 

• Brandenburg: high jump
• Bloom: high jump
• Okoye: high jump, 55-meter dash
• Soraya Mathieu: long jump, 55-meter dash
• Alesha Bien-Aime: shotput
• Girls 2×200-meter relay: Okoye, Soraya Mathieu, Lopez, Manderson

 

The season will officially end on Feb. 26 when sophomore Brandenburg will compete in the MSTCA Pentathlon, an event that showcases skill with athletes competing in the 55-meter hurdles, the 1,000-meter run, high jump, long jump and shotput.

 

It has been many years since Saugus has had an athlete compete in this event, and we are excited for him to have this opportunity,” O’Neill said.

 

Freshman Soraya Mathieu qualified for New Balance Nationals in both the 55-meter dash and the long lump.

 

“This is a huge accomplishment as the standards are very difficult,” the coach said, ‘and she has worked hard, steadily improving all season, to qualify for both events.”

 

Saugus/Peabody wrestling competes in D1 North states 

 

Saugus/Peabody wrestling had five wrestlers finish in the top five at the Division 1 North sectional event. They move onto the Division 1 State meet this coming weekend.

 

• 120 pounds: Peabody’s Jackson Deleidi, fifth
• 132 pounds: Peabody’s Landon Rodriguez, fourth
• 144 pounds: Saugus’ Max LoRusso, third
• 150 pounds: Peabody’s Mike Maraio, third
• 157 pounds: Saugus’ Justin Bremberg, fifth