SHS Sachems Winter Sports Roundup

By Dom Nicastro

Sachems shine at All-States, garner awards as winter season wraps

The winter season may be winding down, but Saugus High School athletes are still competing on some of the biggest stages in New England.

From All-State wrestling mats in Springfield to the New England championships, Northeastern Conference honors and even Nike Indoor Nationals in New York, Sachem student-athletes are finishing strong — and bringing hardware back home.

Wrestling earns All-State recognition — and MIAA Sportsmanship Award

The Saugus/Peabody wrestling team closed its season at All-States in Springfield with two qualifiers representing the co-op proudly.

Saugus’ Cesar Cruz battled through a tough bracket and finished 1-2, dropping a pair of one-point matches in competitive bouts.

“Cesar wrestled well,” head coach Wayne Moda said. “He came up short going 1-2 with a couple of one-point losses.”

Peabody captain Mike Maraio delivered one of the weekend’s standout performances, finishing sixth overall and punching his ticket to the New England Tournament this weekend in Providence, R.I.

But the biggest honor may have come off the mat.

The Saugus & Peabody wrestling team received the MIAA Wrestling Team Sportsmanship Award, recognizing outstanding demonstration of sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play and respect throughout the 2025-26 season.

Saugus Athletics Director Matt Serino shared the presentation script from the MIAA ceremony, which highlighted the association’s commitment to sportsmanship across its 385 member schools and honored the wrestling co-op for embodying those values all season.

The team was represented at the ceremony by:

• Athletic Director Matt Serino
• Principal Dr. Carla Scuzzarella
• Head Coach Wayne Moda
• Assistant Coach Tom St. Cyr
• Team captains Mike Maraio (Peabody), Justin Bremberg (Saugus) and Jackson Deleidi (Peabody)

Girls track sends athletes to New Englands, Nationals

The indoor track season concluded with milestone performances across multiple events.

Junior Pharaoh Brandenburg cleared six feet in the high jump and placed fourth at the Division 5 State Meet, narrowly missing the qualifying mark for All-States — a strong springboard heading into outdoor season.

Meanwhile, junior standout Destiny Okoye continued to build one of the most decorated seasons in recent program history.

Okoye was:

• NEC Champion in the 55-meter hurdles
• Division 5 State Champion in the 55 hurdles
• Third in the high jump at states
• Fourth at All-States in the high jump
• A New England qualifier, where she finished eighth overall

The Sachems’ 4×200 relay team of Okoye, Sydney Ferreira, Soraya Mathieu and Hannah Strout also qualified for the state meet.

Senior Victoria Silva Santos placed second at NECs and qualified for states and recently committed to continue her high jump career at Gordon College.

Now, two Sachems are headed to one of the sport’s biggest stages: Nike Indoor Nationals at The Armory in New York.

Okoye will compete in the high jump, while eighth grader Hannah Strout — competing against the nation’s best — qualified in the long jump.

Coach Joe Alba praised both athletes not just for performance, but growth.

“Destiny has already had such an amazing season and never fails to amaze me,” Alba said. “She has come such a long way since I started coaching her in eighth grade as a person and as an athlete.”

Of Strout, Alba added: “She is by far the hardest working kid in the room every day. All she ever wants is advice on how to get better, and no matter what always maintains a positive attitude.”

Alba called the 2025-26 indoor team “really special” and expressed hope that the group sticks together for outdoor season.

Boys hockey falls short of tournament, builds culture and pride

The Peabody/Saugus/Swampscott boys hockey co-op (7-12-1) may have missed the tournament by just .12 points, but head coach Donnie Shaw believes something bigger was built this winter.

Saugus contributors who made an impact offensively:

• Artie O’Leary – 11 goals, 4 assists
• Jake Kelley – 6 goals, 5 assists
• John Morello – 13 goals, 16 assists
• Demetri Breton – 5 goals, 5 assists

Morello was elected as one of seven NEC All-Conference players and ranked among the top point leaders in the league.

Swampscott goaltender Dom Pappalardo earned NEC All-Star honors, anchoring the team in net throughout the season.

Shaw emphasized that while the season didn’t end in a tournament berth, it marked significant growth.

“We brought in a new culture and pride as one unit,” Shaw said. “Family — that’s what we played for every game.”

He added that the team was “incredibly better than years prior” and said the players grew closer than ever before.

“Our main goal this year was for the kids to have a real team,” Shaw said. “A team that works hard for each other, enjoys being with each other and has fun every time they’re on the ice. I’m proud of how the season went, and I can’t wait for the future.”