~ The Old Sachem ~ The Sachems in the 1960s

By Bill Stewart

The 1960s belong to the ice hockey team. The Sachems in 1961 won 7, tied 2 and lost 3. Tim Churchard and Buzzy Maxwell were stars of the league.

In 1964, the hockey team won 8, lost 4 and tied 2. Players included Jeff Sanborn, Jim Patch, Rich Serino and Don Shell.

In 1965 the team won 12 and lost 2. Players included Jeff Sanborn, Captain Jim Patch, Bob Heffernan, Rich Serino and Don Shell.

The 1966 team went 10-4-1 with Jim Blanchard, Rich Serino, Christie Serino, Charlie Bilton and Bruce Maxwell.

In 1967, they won 11, lost 5 and tied 1. The stars were Charlie Bilton, Bruce Maxwell, Jim Blanchard and Chris Serino.

In 1968 the team won 8, lost 6, and tied 2. The players were Mark Salsman, Jim Blanchard, Mike O’Hearn, George Lasquade and Dick Spence.

In 1969 the team won 11, lost 4 and tied 1. The stars were Gary Munsen, George Lasquade, Captain Dan Heaney and Captain Bill Babcock.

The 1963 track and cross-country team beat Gloucester 21-42, Peabody 18-45, St. Mary’s 27-28, Peabody again, 23-32, and Lynn English 19-36. In 1966 the cross-country team was undefeated in league play, and in the Yankee Conference Varsity Meet, the Sachems took 7 of the 10 places. They beat Bishop Fenwick 16-39, Lynn Trade 20-35, Lynn Classical 20-35, St. Mary’s 15-40 and Peabody 15-40. The team included Charles Lang, Gorge Teehan, captain Phillip Georgetti, Francis Jensen, Frederick Flammia, William Underhill, Albert Pulver, Dennis Murray and Thomas Dewing. The 1967 cross-country team won all 8 meets. Runners were Pulver, Lang, Jensen, Flammia, Teehan, Underhill and newcomer Richard Loiselle. In 1968 the team won 8, lost 6 and tied 2. And in 1969 the team won 4 and lost 4, but won the East Boston Road Race and a VFW Race.

The 1965 basketball team went 10-7-1 behind Alex Winn. The 66 team was 12 and 6 and the 69 team was 15 and 4. Among the players were Bob Osgood, Dan Swanson, captain Robert Gontarz and Steve Lanney.

The 1969 football team recorded 7 wins and 2 losses. The losses were t0 Class A Champion Peabody and Class B Champion Swampscott. Bob Osgood, Bill Eichel and Steve Nelson were Northeastern Conference All-Stars.

The 1969 Gymnastics team scores were Saugus 94.35, North Reading 94.36, Saugus 87.55, Masconomet 78.0, Saugus 87.5, Winthrop 93.0, Saugus 84.0, Timberlane 76.0, Saugus 84.15, North Reading 85.6, Saugus 84.4, Winthrop 89.4, Saugus 88.7, Masconomet 72.0, Saugus 94.0 and Tewksbury 82.0. Outstanding gymnasts were captains Phil Aubrey and Greg Dugas, who placed in the State Meet.

  (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column about sports – and sometimes he opines on current or historical events or famous people.)