Saugus Fall Sports Roundup: wins, growth and strong momentum

By Dom Nicastro

The Sachems are in the thick of their September schedule, and several teams are already showing progress and resilience against tough Northeastern Conference (NEC) competition. Here’s a look at how Saugus athletics is shaping up across multiple programs.

Volleyball: back to .500 with key contributions

Head Coach Mikayla Niles has her squad sitting at 2-2 after the first two weeks. The Sachems opened with a three-set sweep of Gloucester before falling in straight sets to Beverly. “Beverly was a phenomenal match. Everyone played excellent. The energy was up,” Niles said.

A tough night against Salem followed, but Saugus bounced back with a decisive sweep of Wilmington.

“Everyone’s confidence is very much up this year, ready to go,” Niles said, adding that the seniors “came in like top dogs and they’ve definitely shown it.”

Freshman Ava Foley stood out against Wilmington, playing middle for the first time and excelling at the net. Aly Mabee delivered a strong serving performance, while Sophia Desmond was “an animal” in both the front and back rows.

Golf: steady improvement, signature wins

Second-year coach Daniel Bertrand has guided the golf team to a 2-6 record (1-4 NEC) with notable progress compared to last year’s one-win campaign. The Sachems earned a 41-31 victory over Salem on Sept. 8, highlighted by Trey Riley’s 7-2 win in the No. 1 spot, sophomore John Morello’s 7-2 win in the No. 3 slot and junior Artie O’Leary’s first win of the season. Seventh grader Nolan Descheneaux added the first win of his career.

After losses to Northeast Metro Tech and Marblehead, Saugus responded by beating Everett, 52.5-19.5, with six of eight matchups going to the Sachems. “The boys stayed poised and showed strong perseverance,” Bertrand said.

Recent conference defeats to Swampscott and Gloucester tested the team further, but Bertrand praised Descheneaux for continuing to collect points at the No. 6 spot. “Our top guys were up against it and stood strong,” he said.

Boys’ soccer: first win under Crespo

The boys’ soccer program broke through with its first win of the season, a 1-0 result at Gloucester. Senior captain Carlos Miranda scored the lone goal. That victory, the first for coach Josh Crespo, followed close losses to Swampscott (3-1) and Masco (2-0). More recently, the Sachems fell 1-0 to Essex Tech.

“Collectively we’ve been improving defensively,” Head Coach Crespo said. “It’s been tough with only one win in the first four games, but I’m happy to see the improvement from preseason up until this point.”

Girls’ Soccer: building momentum

After a rough opening stretch, the Sachems girls’ soccer team found their rhythm with a 6-1 win over Gloucester. Shalyn Sewell led the way with one goal and two assists, while her sister Shawn Sewell added a goal. Junior Sydney Deleidi scored twice with an assist, and freshman Selena Garcia netted a penalty kick in her return from knee surgery. Freshman Georgia Condakes added a goal off a header, and senior Natalie Justice chipped in a goal and two assists.

Saugus followed with a 6-1 loss to Masco but showed progress, keeping the second half to just one goal allowed. Shalyn Sewell scored the lone Sachems goal.

That growth carried into a 2-0 win over Salem. Justice delivered a corner kick that Shawn Sewell headed home in the first half, and Shalyn added insurance in the second. Junior captain Maria Garcia kept the defense organized, while goalkeeper Peyton DiBiasio earned the shutout.

Cheerleading: numbers and ambition rise

The cheer program is experiencing one of its biggest surges in years under Head Coach Hannah Phelan. Participation has more than doubled from 15 athletes last fall to 35 this year, the largest fall roster in recent memory. “Not only are the numbers exciting, but this is also one of the most dedicated groups I’ve coached,” Phelan said.

Captains Lani Perez (Sr.) and Savanna Dalton (Jr.) lead a group Phelan describes as hardworking and inclusive. The program will field both varsity and JV by winter, plus a 10-athlete competition team this season.

Phelan believes stunting difficulty will be a strength. “We will be performing at a very high level this year, and the athletes have met every challenge we’ve put in front of them,” she said. The NEC will be competitive, but Phelan is confident her athletes will rise to the occasion.

Key dates include the NEC competition on Nov. 8, with Regionals on Nov. 16 and States on Nov. 23 if qualified.