Sachems leaders: Faiella, Rodriguez own captain labels in multiple sports

By Dom Nicastro

Captains in football; captains in basketball; leaders and standouts with a bright future. It’s a succinct way to describe Saugus High School student-athletes Braden Faiella and Isaiah Rodriguez.

The duo helped lead Saugus football to one of its best seasons in recent memory. They were in playoff contention right up until the end of the regular season. And now they’ve captained the basketball team that is heading down the stretch looking to finish strong. Although the postseason won’t be in the cards for the Sachems on the hardwood, Rodriguez and Faiella have made impacts as captains.

We caught up with them for a Q&A with the Saugus Advocate.

Advocate: What is your role on the team this year?

  Faiella: My role this year was to get the guys fired up for games and practices, and I was a big rebounder and setting-picks guy. Sadly, my season was cut short due to a minor injury so after that I would help get the guys in the game waters and start chants from the bench.

Rodriguez: My role for this year was to be a leader to my teammates. I’ve been growing up with most of them my whole life. It’s nice to be on the court with them one more time.

Advocate: When the team is playing well what is going on out there?

Faiella: When things are going well there’s a ton of energy and all of the guys are fired up playing their game.

Rodriguez: For us the team plays really well when we are all talking and moving fast around the court. We are a very fast-paced team. When that converts to shots starting to fall, we are set.

Advocate: What are some areas the team can show growth and how so?

  Faiella: I would say we could be better with our shots. A lot of the time we are so close to knocking shots down, and we barely miss, but with hard work that’ll be all good.

Rodriguez: For us we always kind of start off pretty slow and get better throughout the game. We need to come out every game firing and hitting our shots and playing good defense like I know we can.

Advocate: How was the competition this year in the league? Who were some of the teams that impressed you and you think could do well in the postseason?

  Faiella: The league this year was solid. One team that stood out to me was Swampscott. I saw how they beat Beverly, which is a real good team, so they could do well.

Rodriguez: The competition this year was pretty solid. There are some tough teams out there. I think Masco and Manchester Essex are doing very well. They could have a big year.

Advocate: What do you think of the team’s future and what is the message to them about getting better for next year?

Faiella: We have a lot of young guys coming back who are all great players so I believe they can be very good. If they stay athletic and get shots up year-round, they will be tough to beat.

Rodriguez: I think the future for Saugus High basketball is very high. Although our record doesn’t show it right now, every game we lose is a hard-fought game and a dogfight – only losing by barely any points every game. Almost every kid is coming back this year, and I’m excited to see what they can put together.

Advocate: As captains, what has your mission been throughout the year in terms of keeping kids positive despite not having a winning campaign?

  Faiella: You really gotta get guys excited and have a lot of energy cause high school sports fly by, and they need to know to enjoy it no matter what.

Rodriguez: It gets kind of hard at times. We got teammates yelling at each other sometimes, but at the end of the day, we are all family. We grew up together, and it kind of resolves on its own. But as a captain I make sure we always have high positive energy and keep hopes up.

Advocate: What’s next for you personally for the spring and summer and life in general after high school?

  Faiella: Next for me is track this spring where I hope to do well in the shotput. And I also will be grinding for football all spring and summer as I will be attending Saint Anselm’s College to play football and study accounting.

  Rodriguez: After high school, I committed to the University of Rochester to continue my football career. I will be playing wide receiver on their team, and I cannot wait for it. Going to be a very fun time for me and my family, while also getting a top-tier accounting major education.