Football Sachems shut out by Swampscott, looks to rebound at Medford

By Dom Nicastro

It was tough night for Saugus football, as the Sachems fell 34-0 to Swampscott at home last week, its fourth straight loss. The defeat dropped Saugus to 1-6 overall (0-4 final record in the Northeastern Conference) and officially ended any hopes of a postseason berth.

Swampscott, which entered the game on a hot streak after early-season struggles, showed the balance and experience that have made the Big Blue a traditional Northeastern Conference contender. The visitors built a commanding lead behind the play of running back and linebacker Will Bush, who found the end zone and impacted the game on both sides of the ball.

Swampscott is 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the Northeastern Conference, clinching at least a tie of the title. Should they beat Salem at home Thursday, Oct. 30, they’ll own the NEC crown all to themselves.

Coach Steve Cummings credited Bush for being one of the conference’s elite players.

“Will Bush is a complete football player,” Cummings said. “He does just a little bit of everything. But once he gets in the open field, he’s really tough to keep up with. He’s got top-end speed, does a really nice job being patient, but then when it’s time, when he sees it, he kind of sticks his foot in the ground and goes. He’s getting some college looks, and it’s deserved. He’s a fantastic football player.”

For Saugus, the shutout continued a season-long theme of inconsistency on offense. The Sachems have struggled to sustain drives, often moving the ball in spurts before being set back by penalties or missed opportunities.

“We’re just struggling to kind of put a rhythm together offensively,” Cummings said. “We pick up a couple first downs, then we have a big setback. It’s kind of been that broken record all year.”

Still, the coach pointed to individual improvement in some key areas. Junior cornerback Kameron Conroy drew praise for his defensive play against Swampscott’s passing attack.

“We had a couple bright spots,” Cummings said. “Kam Conroy, playing at corner, really showed a lot of growth at that spot. He played really well. He was really good all night, so we’re hoping to build off that for the rest of the year.”

While wins have been hard to come by, the Sachems remain relatively healthy entering their regular-season finale and upcoming consolation rounds. After the regular season ends against Medford on the road Thursday, Oct. 30 (6 p.m.), Saugus will play two consolation-round games, for teams that don’t make the postseason and teams that get eliminated after Round 1 of the playoffs.

The good news? Saugus has a close-to-clean bill of health.

“I don’t think we really had any injuries coming through,” Cummings said. “So, we’ll be going to Medford on Thursday healthy.”

Saugus will close the regular season Thursday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. against Medford, which sits at 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the Greater Boston League.

Cummings expects conditions to play a major role.

“It looks like Thursday night we’re going to be in torrential downpours,” he said. “It’s going to be windy; it’s going to be rainy. I think both of us have similar style offenses, where we try to run the ball, rely on the guys up front, so it kind of plays into both teams.”

With both programs emphasizing the ground game, Cummings anticipates a physical, low-scoring contest.

“I think everything on Thursday is going to come down to who can stop the run, take advantage of field position,” he said. “Points are going to be at a premium with the way the weather looks like it’s going to shake out. Whoever handles it better is probably going to win this football game.”