Another season success in the books: Saugus girls basketball Q&A with coach Norma Waggett

By Dom Nicastro

The Saugus High School girls basketball team finished up another successful season this winter. The Sachems won another Northeastern Conference title, won a postseason game and finished 14-8.

The Saugus Advocate caught up with one of the team’s co-coaches, Norma Waggett. She coached the team with fellow Saugus alumna Taylor Bogdanski.

  Advocate: This senior class will go down as one of the best in terms of just being successful great athletes. What can you say about the senior class this year as a whole and what each of them brought individually?

  Waggett: All three seniors – Taylor Deleidi, Madison Botta and Ella Castle – raised the bar for future generations. They were incredible leaders, dedicated to the program and helped mentor the younger girls. Ella and Taylor were great shooters; we always had scorers on the court with them. Botta was a defensive weapon; we could always count on her to cover the other team’s best player.

All three of them raised the bar and pushed the younger kids to work; they were an extension of the coaches to keep the girls focused. They have made a lasting positive impact on this program and this town. I am so incredibly proud and privileged to have been able to coach them for two years and cannot wait to see what they accomplish next.

  Advocate: Speaking of senior class and leadership, the girls went through some changes at the end of the season (losing Coach Joe Lowe for personal reasons). The term I use is “resilient.” They seem to have gotten stronger down the stretch. What can you say about how these leaders handled the changes?

Waggett: The girls all year treated each other like family. When adversity happened it just made them come together more as a family does; they leaned on one another when things were difficult. So it really was nothing new. They handled every situation thrown at them.

Advocate: The program has the all-time leading scorer in Peyton DiBiasio (beating Coach Waggett’s record). We all know she can score and manage a game. Where has she grown most notably this season, and what is her potential for next season?

Waggett: Peyton has always been a scorer. This year I saw her not only score at an elite level but involve her teammates, as the great players do. She was able to create opportunities for her teammates to make plays, and I foresee her doing that her senior year as well. She is ultra-competitive and works harder than anyone I’ve seen so the sky’s the limit for how much she will grow this offseason.

Advocate: Who are some up-and-coming young players to watch for the future and how so?

Waggett: We have a lot of great talent coming up. The junior class has the Sewell twins (Shay and Shawn). Each grew so much this year and gave great minutes. Sophomore class has Sydney Deleidi and Niki Berton. Freshman class has Katie Hashem and Ang Dow. All show incredible potential. I look forward to seeing how they grow into great players.

Advocate: You and your co-coach Taylor clearly have a lot of pride in this school and program. What do you get out of coaching at your alma mater?

  Waggett: It’s amazing to see all the generations coming together. I coached Taylor all four years in Bay States. The girls used to watch her play in high school. Now we have a new generation watching these current players. We want to make Saugus a basketball town and continue the standard of having great players and teams.

  Advocate: As the school’s all-time leading scorer for about 10 years, you clearly know what it takes to be successful at the high school level and beyond in this sport. What advice do you give to the girls coming back and up-and-coming varsity players about keeping this successful run going?

Waggett: Work in the off-season for the role you want. Continue to use Taylor and I as resources. There is no magic wand to make players better. The magic is in the consistency of practice.

Advocate: The team has proven to be able to get Ws in the tourney. What will it take to move beyond the second round in a super-competitive Division 3 landscape?

  Waggett: The goal every year is to win the league. The state tournament is all about matchups, and honestly, you have to get lucky with your draw and what other teams do. Continuing to improve individually in the summer and as a team during the season is all we can do.