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By Dom Nicastro
As February pushes winter seasons toward their finish lines, Saugus High School teams are defining themselves in different but equally meaningful ways. On the mat, Saugus/Peabody wrestling continues to set the bar, piling up championships and state-level wins. On the hardwood, the Saugus girls are showing what they can be when they stay connected, delivering a confidence-boosting victory with the stretch run ahead.
Wrestling: Saugus/Peabody captures conference titles, advances in state duals
The Saugus/Peabody wrestling co-op added another banner to an already impressive season, winning both the Northeastern Conference Dual and Tournament championships. Head Coach Wayne Moda was named Conference Coach of the Year, capping a dominant league run. Several wrestlers earned all-conference recognition, led by Jackson Deleidi (Peabody), Michael Maraio (Peabody), Justin Bremberg (Saugus), Cesar Cruz (Saugus) and Jaden Ceac (Peabody). Second-team honors went to Camdyn Lanning (Peabody), Jake Murray (Saugus), Lukas Fondulis (Saugus), JJ Figueroa (Peabody) and Matthew Dresser (Peabody).
The co-op continued its push at the Division 2 state duals, battling some of the top programs in the state. In a narrow 35-33 loss to West Springfield, Saugus/Peabody picked up key wins from Jake Murray (Saugus) at 120, Jackson Deleidi (Peabody) at 132, Michael Maraio (Peabody) at 150, Justin Bremberg (Saugus) at 157, Cesar Cruz (Saugus) at 165, Jaden Ceac (Peabody) at 175 and Matthew Dresser (Peabody) at 285.
Saugus/Peabody responded with a strong 48-30 win over Ashland, led by victories from Murray, Chris Brown (Peabody), Deleidi, Casey Medeiros (Peabody), Maraio, Bremberg, Cruz and Figueroa.
The run continued with a 48-30 victory over North Attleborough, with wins coming from Brown, Maraio, Bremberg, Cruz, Ceac, Figueroa, Jose Carrillo (Saugus) and Dresser.
Saugus/Peabody capped its regular-season dual schedule with convincing victories over Essex Tech/Masconomet and Malden/Everett, continuing to show depth and control across the lineup. In a 65-18 win over Essex Tech/Masconomet, Murray opened the scoring with a pin at 120 pounds. Brown followed with a fall at 126, while Deleidi recorded a technical fall at 132. The middle weights stayed firmly in Saugus/Peabody’s control, as Medeiros pinned his opponent at 138, Fondulis earned a fall at 144, and Maraio ended his match quickly at 150. Bremberg and Ceac added pins at 157 and 175, before Figueroa closed out the upper weights at 190. Dresser sealed the night with a pin at heavyweight.
The co-op followed with a 76-6 rout of Malden/Everett, again controlling the mat from start to finish. Murray picked up another win at 120, with Brown doing the same at 126. Medeiros continued his strong stretch with a fall at 138 and Fondulis earned a pin at 144. Maraio dominated at 150, while Bremberg turned in another decisive performance at 157. Cruz added a pin at 165, followed by David Miguel Mendoza at 175. Figueroa and Dresser closed out the meet with wins at 190 and 285.
Girls basketball: Togetherness fuels key win over Swampscott
Saugus girls basketball picked up a meaningful 52-49 win over Swampscott, completing a season sweep of the Big Blue and snapping a difficult stretch with a performance built on balance and trust. “They played together the entire time, all four quarters, and that, in my opinion, was the difference maker in the game,” Head Coach Taylor Bogdanski said.
Senior Peyton DiBiasio led the way with 20 points, while junior Sydney Deleidi added 10 off the bench. Seniors Shawn Sewell and Natalie Justice also made major contributions, with Justice pulling down nearly 10 offensive rebounds.
“They were over the moon,” Bogdanski said of her team’s reaction to the win. “It was so exciting to see.”
Bogdanski pointed to leadership and trust from DiBiasio as defining elements of the victory, particularly late. “She was like, ‘Put me on her. I want to be on her. I’m not going to foul her,’” Bogdanski said of DiBiasio taking on Swampscott’s top scorer down the stretch. “And as a leader and as a captain, that’s what you want. And she did just that, and we won the game.”
Bogdanski also praised Deleidi’s impact on both ends of the floor. “She was a spark for us right off the bench,” she said. “She did her job.”
As the season winds down, Bogdanski said the focus remains simple. The team is 5-11 with four games to go and needs to make a serious run for postseason consideration. “I just want to see them competing like we did against Swampscott,” she said. “Playing all four quarters, moving the ball, staying together.”
