SHS Sachems Winter Sports Roundup

Sachems shine: Wrestling wins sectional title, boys hoops clinches tourney, girls sweep Swampscott, hockey battles down stretch

By Dom Nicastro

February is separating the good from the great across Saugus winter sports — and this past week delivered championship banners, milestone wins and postseason berths.

From a historic wrestling sectional crown to a boys basketball team punching its tournament ticket, the Sachems are peaking at the right time. The Peabody-Saugus-Swampscott hockey co-op is grinding through a tight finish with two games left.

Wrestling: Saugus/Peabody makes history at Division 2 North

The Saugus/Peabody wrestling co-op captured the Division 2 North Sectional Championship, marking the first sectional title in either school’s history. Head coach Wayne Moda was also named Division 2 Coach of the Year.

“I was very proud of the effort put forth by the entire team,” Moda said. “From the first match to the very last match, they were locked in and focused on winning the championship. This sectional championship is the first in either school’s history.”

Wrestlers finishing first through fourth qualified for states; fifth-place finishers earned alternate spots.

Three champions led the way:

• Cesar Cruz (Saugus High School) won the 165-pound title in dramatic fashion, earning his championship in overtime.
• Jackson Deleidi (Peabody High School) captured the 132-pound title with a pin in 1:32 in the finals.
• Justin Bremberg (Saugus High School) claimed the 157-pound championship.

“I was very proud of Saugus’ Cesar Cruz for winning in overtime at the 165-pound weight class,” Moda said. “Jackson Deleidi of Peabody, at 132, wrestled great and won his match against a very tough Melrose opponent by pinfall.”

Other top finishers:

• Jake Murray (Saugus) — 2nd at 120
• J.J. Figueroa (Peabody) — 2nd at 190
• Michael Maraio (Peabody) — 2nd at 150
• Jaden Ceac (Peabody) — 3rd at 175
• Camdyn Lanning (Peabody) — 4th at 113
• Chris Brown (Peabody) — 5th at 126 (alternate)
• Jose Carrillo (Saugus) — 6th at 215
• Lukas Fondulis (Saugus) — 6th at 144

“I’m looking forward to see how our qualifiers do at the state level,” Moda said. “If we wrestle well, I believe we have a shot.”

Boys basketball: Sachems clinch state tournament berth

Last week, head coach Joe Bertrand said his team “controls its own destiny.”

They proved it.

Saugus rattled off four straight wins to improve from 7-8 to 11-8 — clinching a Division 3 state tournament berth for the first time since 2023. They’d won eight of their last nine heading into the season finale — the championship matchup against Hamilton-Wenham in a season-ending tourney Feb. 17.

It began with a 59-31 senior night win over Northeast Regional. Jordan Rodriguez led with 11 points, followed by Ryan Shea (10) and Huey Josama and Ryan Dupuy (nine apiece).

Then came a 64-55 comeback win over Peabody after trailing by six at halftime. Rodriguez scored 18, Josama 17, Dupuy 14, with Oliver Hernandez and Kam Conroy adding key contributions.

The biggest statement came in an 81-61 win over Gloucester to secure the program’s 10th win. Josama erupted for 30 points, Shea added 22, and Rodriguez chipped in 15.

Saugus followed with a 78-67 win over North Attleboro in the Patton Tournament, fueled by Josama (21), Rodriguez (19), Nathan Soroko (13) and Shea (10).

After seven wins last season and four the year before, this year’s group has taken a significant step forward.

Hockey: PSS grinding through final stretch

The Peabody-Saugus-Swampscott boys hockey team sits at 7-10-1 with two games left after an up-and-down stretch.

“The past few games we had were really up and down,” coach Donnie Shaw said. “But we’ve worked hard but sometimes our attention to detail changes.”

PSS defeated Masconomet, 5-2, in what Shaw called “a great clean game, solid all around.” Nick Armata (Peabody) scored his first varsity goal, and Swampscott’s Dom Pappalardo “played phenomenal” in net.

In a tight 2-1 loss to Marblehead, Peabody’s Evan Tybinkowski started strong before exiting with injury. Pappalardo stepped in and made 17 saves.

After a tough 7-1 loss to Gloucester, PSS bounced back with a 7-2 win over Lowell.

Saugus’ John Morello recorded a goal and three assists, while Swampscott’s Jason Rothwell “had a rip from the point and put on a defensive masterclass,” Shaw said.

Okoye captures Division 5 state title in 55-meter hurdles

Saugus High School senior Destiny Okoye continues to elevate her already standout track career — this time on the biggest stage.

Okoye won the 55-meter hurdles at the Division 5 State Championship meet, earning the title of Division 5 state champion and adding another major accomplishment to her résumé.

Okoye has been a consistent force for the Sachems in sprint and hurdle events throughout her high school career, regularly delivering podium finishes in league and sectional competition. Her explosiveness out of the blocks and technical precision over the hurdles have long made her one of the most dynamic athletes in the Northeastern Conference.