~ SHS Sachems Winter Sports Roundup ~

Championships, clutch plays and momentum building

By Dom Nicastro

Winter sports at Saugus High School continue to gain traction as February has arrived, highlighted by a historic wrestling season, clutch performances on the basketball court, growing confidence on the ice and podium finishes on the track.

Wrestling: a perfect season defined by depth

The Saugus–Peabody wrestling team delivered one of the most complete seasons in program history, capturing both the Northeastern Conference dual meet championship at 19-0 and the Northeastern Conference/Cape Ann League tournament team championship.

That dominance showed clearly in conference dual meets. In a 57–6 win over Quincy Upper, Saugus–Peabody piled up bonus points early and often, with Jake Murray of Saugus earning a pin at 126 pounds, followed by pins from Jackson Deleidi of Peabody at 132, Casey Medeiros of Peabody at 138, Lukas Fondulis of Saugus at 144, Jose Carrillo of Saugus at 215 and Matthew Dresser of Peabody at heavyweight. Cesar Cruz of Saugus added a decision win at 165 to round out the rout.

The team followed with a 54–21 victory over Danvers, again controlling the match across the lineup. Giana Caceto of Peabody picked up a decision at 106; Camdyn Lanning of Peabody recorded a tech fall at 113; and Deleidi added another tech fall at 132. Medeiros and Fondulis both secured pins, while Michael Maraio of Peabody, Justin Bremberg of Saugus, Cruz and Jaden Ceac of Peabody all ended their matches early with falls to lock up the dual.

The season-long dominance translated seamlessly to the NEC/CAL tournament, where Saugus–Peabody placed 12 of 14 wrestlers and ran away with the team title. Individual champions included Deleidi, Maraio, Bremberg, Cruz and Ceac.

Reaching the finals were Fondulis, JJ Figueroa of Peabody and Dresser, while additional podium finishes came from Lanning and Murray. Placing efforts from Chris Brown of Peabody and Tucker Landry of Saugus further showed the depth that fueled both championships and the undefeated run.

Boys basketball: resilience and late-game execution

The Saugus boys basketball team continues to show growth and composure, earning a pair of key wins through balanced scoring and clutch play. The Sachems picked up a 55–44 road victory at Winthrop behind a steady team effort. Ryan Shea led the way with 22 points, while Ryan Dupuy added 14 and Kam Conroy chipped in seven as Saugus controlled the game down the stretch.

That confidence carried into a dramatic 60–57 home win over Danvers. With eight seconds remaining, Conroy buried a go-ahead three-pointer to seal the victory. Huey Josama paced the offense with 17 points, followed by Dupuy with 15, Shea with 11, Conroy with nine, Jordan Rodriguez with six and Paxton Ferraro with two. The win pushed Saugus to 6–7 heading into the final stretch of the season.

Boys hockey: confidence building

The Peabody–Saugus–Swampscott boys hockey team continues to trend upward as the season progresses, pairing competitive efforts with a decisive win. PSS dropped a tight 3–1 decision to defending state champion Winthrop, staying within one goal until the final minute. Jake Kelly of Saugus scored on a rebound, while Dom Pappalardo of Swampscott delivered a standout performance in net.

“We were with them the whole game, and they ended up scoring their third with a minute left,” said PSS coach Donnie Shaw. “It definitely gives us some confidence entering the final part of our season with a lot of opportunity to win games.”

That effort was followed by a convincing 7–1 win over Somerville. Evan Tybinkowski of Peabody was solid between the pipes as PSS controlled play throughout. Shaw noted the team’s composure despite the lopsided score.

“We were moving the puck with confidence, and played our game the whole time,” Shaw said. “They composed themselves appropriately the whole time and moved the puck the best I’ve seen yet.”

John Morello of Saugus recorded a four-point night; Kelly added three points; Brandon Barone of Peabody provided steady leadership as a captain; and Cam Gold of Swampscott scored the first goal of his varsity career on a blast from the point.

Track: NEC podiums and depth

Saugus track athletes turned in strong performances at the NEC Championships, led by Destiny Okoye capturing first place in the girls 55-meter hurdles. Okoye also placed third in the girls high jump, while Victoria Silva Santos earned second in the same event. Additional highlights included Soraya Mathieu finishing fifth in the girls 55 dash and Pharaoh Brandenburg placing fifth in the boys high jump. Both the boys and girls 4×200 relay teams earned eighth-place finishes.