Saugus-Peabody wrestling hungry for more success

By Dom Nicastro

Saugus-Peabody wrestling has a lot to live up to — if you’re living up to last year’s success.

The team in its 2023-2024 campaign had Sam LoRusso of Saugus compete in the 157-pound weight class at New Englands, going 4-2. LoRusso finished his career as top eight in New England and will go down as one of the top wrestlers in Saugus and Peabody history, according to Coach Wayne Moda.

Saugus-Peabody’s 17 dual-meet wins make the 23-24 season the highest amount of wins for the team’s co-op and in either town’s history in the sport, according to Moda.

Since the revitalization of the young Saugus/Peabody co-op in 2021 and despite low enrollment numbers, the team has a combined record of 43-29-1. In all, the program has advanced six wrestlers to the finals of its league tournament (two champs), four place winners at the D1 North Sectional and a state, all-state and New England placer.”

This year, Moda enters the winter campaign for the fourth time. His team finished 17-7-1, placed fourth in the Northeastern Conference in the dual meet and third in the league meet.

“Numbers are up,” Moda said. “We ended the year with 24 wrestlers in 23-24. This year, we had 50 signups, and we expect it to weed out to about 35. So 20 or so JVs. Some of which will find their way in the lineup at some point.”

At 144, senior Max LoRusso of Saugus is a second-year captain. He was a 33-win wrestler last year and will break 100 wins by mid-season, his coach said. He is a great leader and motivator, according to Moda, and is ranked by the Schwartz report as 19th in New England.

At 150, junior captain Michael Maraio of Peabody is a talented athlete who is mature beyond his years, his coach said.

“He already had gained the respect of the entire team,” Moda said, “and we expect him to have a phenomenal year.”

What can be a strength of the team this year?

The middle of the lineup is tough, Moda said, adding, “We have returning wrestlers at 106, 120 through 157 and at heavyweight. We are always a well-conditioned team, and that sometimes hides where we can be weak in the lineup.”

On a team with many new additions, getting them to adapt and understand what is expected of them will be challenging, Moda said.

“Wrestling is like no other sport, and kids who come over from what they consider tough sports get a reality check very quickly about the physical and mental demands of wrestling,” Moda said.

How is the league shaping up? “It’s early and anything can happen but Beverly seems to be the contender after winning the league last year,” Moda said. “We look to challenge them and put pressure on the NEC for a league dual meet title as well as the NEC/CAL tournament later in the season.”

Saugus boys basketball drops a pair

Saugus fell to Salem, 78-48, in its season opener and dropped a 68-53 decision to Gloucester.

Against Salem, Huey Josama had 12 points, followed by Jordan Rodriguez (11), Ryan Dupuy (eight) and Ryan Shea (seven).

Against Gloucester, coach Joe Bertrand said his team had a slow start but a positive finish. Shea and Rodriguez led the way with 12 points each. Dupuy had 10 points, and Nathan Soroko dropped six.