Football Sachems’ comeback falls short in 21-16 loss to Dracut

By Dom Nicastro

In a hard-fought contest at home, Saugus’ football team came up just short in a 21-16 loss to Dracut last Friday night. The Sachems battled through adversity, showcasing their resilience and determination, but were unable to come away with the victory after a late push by the Middies.

The game was competitive from the start. Dracut opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but Saugus responded quickly. Senior Cody Munafo powered through the defense for a 17-yard touchdown run, and Ryan Shea added a successful two-point conversion, putting the Sachems ahead, 8-7.

“We were playing a little bit down,” Saugus head coach Steve Cummings said, highlighting the absence of key players. “Jay Arnett, who has been huge for us this year, was out after having emergency appendix surgery, and we lost Paxton Ferraro to medical issues on Friday. So, we were without our two best defensive ends.”

The second quarter was scoreless as both teams struggled to capitalize on opportunities. Saugus came close to adding more points, driving to Dracut’s 1-yard line before time ran out in the half. Cummings noted, “We were stuck at the 1-yard line as time ran out. That was a tough one.”

Dracut regained the lead in the third quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion, making it 15-8.

The Sachems didn’t waver, mounting a drive early in the fourth quarter that ended with Shea’s 23-yard touchdown run. In a highlight-reel play reminiscent of the Philadelphia Eagles’ famous “Philly Special,” (sorry Pats fans), Shea connected with quarterback Jordan Rodriguez for a two-point conversion, giving Saugus a narrow 16-15 lead.

“We ran a trick play where Ryan took a direct snap and made it look like he was running wide before pulling up and passing to Jordan, who had fake blocked and turned to the end zone,” Cummings said. “It was a nice little series, and seeing them execute it so well, especially since we’d only put it in the day before, was great.”

However, Dracut answered back with a late scoring drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to take a 21-16 lead with just 56 seconds remaining.

Despite the setback, Saugus mounted a determined final drive, pushing downfield in the rain and wind with quick passes from Rodriguez. The Sachems reached the red zone and managed a few shots at the end zone before time expired.

“It was all passing on that last drive,” Cummings said. “Jordan had one scramble, but we were trying to push the ball downfield and get in position for a shot at the end zone. The kids battled and put together a nice drive, but we just needed a little more time.”

Looking ahead, Saugus will host Brighton (3-6, coming off 20-6 loss to Weston) at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16. While the Sachems face uncertainty with player availability, Cummings is focusing on preparing his team for the challenge ahead.

“We’ve only seen one film of Brighton, and we know they’re going to try to run the ball at us,” Cummings said. “It’s a bit of a blind matchup, so we’re focusing on ourselves and what we need to do. Some guys really showed up Friday night and earned more playing time, so we’ll be ready.”

Arnett, who was sidelined against Dracut, may still be out for the Brighton game, but there’s hope he could return for the Thanksgiving matchup.

“We’ll see if he’s cleared for Thanksgiving,” Cummings said. “If not, someone else will have to step up.”

Despite the loss, Cummings remains optimistic.

“We played hard and gave ourselves chances,” he said. “Now we’re focusing on finishing strong and giving our seniors and the rest of the team something to build on.”