Why Saugus-Peabody wrestling keeps winning — and why it’s no accident

By Dom Nicastro

Want to talk about growth? Look no further than the Saugus-Peabody wrestling team. In the COVID-19 season (shortened season), they were 3-5 in their first year as a cooperative program. The first full season? 11-10. Then 12-9.

That brings us to the last two seasons: 17-4 and finally 23-1 last season. This season? 12-0 start. That’s 52-5 the last three seasons if you’re counting.

Growth is still there, if even that’s possible with such a successful program. The team is off to another great season and has three 100-win wrestlers: Jackson Deleidi and Mike Maraio of Peabody and Justin Bremberg of Saugus.

The Saugus Advocate caught up for a Q&A with Saugus-Peabody coach Wayne Moda:

Advocate: 12-0. What a start. Or a continuation, really, of the success from recent seasons. What makes this team able to be so consistent?

Moda: A good foundation. When I took this job in 2021, I had 14 wrestlers and no assistant coaches. It was important to build a wrestling culture, which neither town had. Recruiting in the offseason and getting kids from both schools to get an interest in the sport has been the key to building the program. It becomes easier to get new athletes when you are winning. We have been developing athletes from eighth grade and up, and at the same time we implemented a youth program and are looking forward to seeing the fruits of that labor in the next year or so.

Advocate: You’ve got three 100-match winners on one team. That’s incredible. Can you tell me about what each of them contributes and what makes each special?

Moda: All captains and all ranked this season in the All-State. Peabody’s Jackson Deleidi (132 pounds), Peabody’s Mike Maraio (150 pounds) and Saugus’ Justin Bremberg (157 pounds) are great captains and wrestlers. Jackson is an incredibly hard worker, always putting in the extra time after practice to get his conditioning to its peak. Mike is an amazing leader and does a great job mentoring the underclassmen and really demonstrates the fiber of our team. Justin has been with me since eighth grade and always raises the bar with his performances every season since I started coaching him.

Advocate: Can you tell me about some up-and-comers whose futures look bright?

  Moda: Last year’s starter Tucker Landry (Saugus, 126 pounds) is now a freshman, and he is having another great season. Tucker is tough and only a freshman. He has the potential to be one of the best to come out of the program. Eighth grader Oscar Sanchez (Saugus, 144 pounds) and freshman David Miguel (Saugus, 165) have both done amazing this season in their JV debuts. With no previous wrestling experience, these guys have really taken to the sport. They pick up technique quickly, and with some off-season training, I can see both making the varsity lineup next season.

Advocate: What are some big team competitions coming up?

Moda: Wednesday (Jan. 21) will be a big dual against Gloucester. A win would pave the way for a NEC championship repeat. As we near the end of the season, the D2 State Duals will be a big day for us on Feb 7. We are currently ranked No. 2 in the state, so this dual meet tournament will really show us where we stand.

Advocate: This co-op functions seamlessly. What are the key factors to bringing together two schools and making it work?

Moda: It is a real challenge having a co-op. From an admin standpoint, everything that has to be done, has to be done two times, for each school. Secondly, getting kids to practice from one school to another is also a big challenge. It may seem odd to have rival schools forming a co-op, but nowadays with social media, these kids are all connected differently than 20 years ago. The kids all get along, and the friendships they have made are that of true schoolmates.

Setting the expectations early on is key to making the whole operation run, especially with limited staff. Myself and Assistant Coach Tom St. Cyr really need to put the team through the paces at practice, while at the same time making sure the school commitments are completed. With the help of our great managers Brooke Diaz (Saugus) and Jasmine Johnson (Peabody), we have been able to streamline the tasks so we can spend most of the time wrestling. Lastly, with strong leadership from our captains, the bar has been set and the underclassmen follow suit.