~ The Old Sachem ~ The Winning Continues

By Bill Stewart

The Sachems were 7 and 3 for 1947, and 10 and 1 in 1948. With many of the players returning, the Sachems were expecting big things. The 1949 team didn’t let Saugus down. They vaulted to a 10 and 1 season, which included the first Exchange Bowl.

The Sachems opened at Tech Field in Brookline and beat the Wealthy Towners 26-14. Fred Quinlan moved the ball close and Sardi Nicolo drove in for the touchdown; Leo Kane kicked the PAT. Quinlan ran the ball close with runs of 25 and 15 yards; Richie Nicolo tossed to Ted Fredericks, and Richie drove in for the TD. Sardi Nicolo scored again from 27 yards, and Charlie Woodell scored from 35 yards out, and Kane kicked the point. Dan Murphy had a stellar game both offensively and defensively.

Beverly came to Manning Bowl to face the Sachems and the game was unusual. Beverly led 20-15. Beverly executed a pass and Sardi and the receiver both grabbed the ball; Sardi pulled it loose and dashed 80 yards toward an apparent touchdown. The Saugus coach, John Janusas, argued the call, wanting the officials to declare a Saugus TD. Instead, they awarded Beverly the ball on the Saugus 20-yard line. The coach pulled his team from the field; Beverly players followed the Sachems, shouting expletives; and the Sachems turned, and a riot developed. The game ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday.

The Sachems beat Lynn Classical, 20-7, as Sardi scored 2 TDs to lead the effort. Next up they beat Amesbury, 27-0, and Sardi scored 1 TD. Chelsea came to Saugus and the Sachems routed them, 40-0, as Sardi scored 3 TDs. The Sachems went to Manning Bowl and sank Lynn English 21-0 with Sardi scoring twice. Revere was humiliated by a score of 53-0; Sardi added 2 more and Fred Quinlan added 2 more. The Sachems went to Swampscott and got a 28-0 victory; Sardi only scored 1. Marblehead came to Stackpole and lost, 25-7, as Sardi scored another. Saugus was home against Peabody and won 26-6; Sardi scored 2 TDs and his brother Charlie tossed 2 TDs to Charlie Woodell. Sardi had scored 13 touchdowns for the season and was selected as All-State by Boston newspapers.

The Lynn Daily Item put forth an Exchange Bowl trophy to be given to the first team to win the bowl twice. The Sachems were selected to play the State Champion, Weymouth, and Saugus won 7-6.

The 1950 season started out with Brookline coming to Stackpole, and Saugus won 25-6. Woodell caught two of Richie’s passes for touchdowns. Beverly came to Saugus and eked out a 6-0 win. This was followed by Lynn Classical winning, 7-6, over the Sachems. The Sachems bussed to Marblehead and resumed their winning ways, 14-6. The Sachems traveled to Chelsea and won 41-6. Richie Nicolo ran for 2 and passed to Woodell for another, and Tony Serino scored 2. Next, they went to Manning Bowl and swamped Lynn English 39-0. Jim Driscoll scored twice and Leo Kane had a TD, as he blocked a kick and ran off with the pigskin. The Sachems went to Revere and won 26-12. The Swampscott at Saugus game was canceled. The Sachems traveled to Salem and came away with a 46-7 victory. To wind up the regular season, Peabody came to Saugus, and the Sachems bashed them 47 to nothing. Richie Nicolo had 3 touchdown passes.

The Sachems were again selected for the Exchange Bowl, facing a powerful Brockton team that was no match for Saugus. The Sachems won, 30-12, as Nicolo tossed two TDs to Woodell and another to Ted Frederick. Saugus won the trophy and it rests in Saugus High School.

Sadly, this was the end of a great run by the Sachems from 1938 to 1950. The hockey team had some great seasons which we will look at next week.

  (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.)