By Bill Stewart

After four glorious seasons of Saugus football, we turn now to the 1942 season. The World War was on and living was difficult, with ration cards for tires and gas, for meat products and many other items. The products were necessary to be used by the US military in Europe and Asia.

The season started with a 32 to zip win over Chelsea, 13-0 over Woburn, a 6-6 tie with Leominster, 14-7 over Gloucester, 34 to zip over Amesbury, 13 to zip over Melrose, 26 to zero over Revere, 34-13 over Swampscott, 6 nothing over Marblehead and 12-6 over Wakefield on Turkey Day, a record of 9-0-1. The Sachems scored 187 points for the season, allowing only 32 against them, and only Swampscott scored more than one touchdown. Harrington had 9 TDs and Shipulski had 4. The season saw outstanding defense from Wladkowski, Flaherty, Koschei, Goss and Daniels. The Sachems completed another Class C Championship. A Saugus team of Emma, Forti, Whyte, Parsons, Waugh, Pike, O’Neil, Herbert Johnson, Gould and Richard Johnson won the North Shore Invitational Cross Country Championship.

The 1943 season brought some new talent to the Sachems, including Art Statuto – who went on to Notre Dame then the Bills and Rams in the NFL – Barressi, Waybright, Babcock, Reiniger, Dukeshire and Falasca. The state association moved the Sachems up to Class B after they destroyed five seasons of opponents. Saugus beat Chelsea 7-0, lost to Leominster 6-19, beat Beverly 20-6, Gloucester 20-0, Amesbury 6-0, lost to Melrose 0-6, beat Revere 13-12, Woburn 20-6, tied Swampscott at 6, lost to Marblehead 0-13 and won the Thanksgiving match with Wakefield 7-0. Revere had been unbeaten before they met the Sachems. The Sachems went 7-3-1 in 1943. That year saw the Sachems team of Dan Sharp, Doug Waybright, Bob McCarthy, and Al Mason win the Mass. State High School Relay Carnival Quarter Mile Relay. They also finished first in the Northeastern Invitational High School Track Meet.

The 1944 season was another great time. They beat Chelsea 7-0, Woburn 20-0, Beverly 20-0, lost to Amesbury 6-0, lost to Melrose 19-0, beat Newburyport 32-7, lost to Classical 9-0, and Swampscott 7-0, beat Marblehead 7-0 and tied Wakefield on Turkey Day. There were a lot of new faces from the tough teams before and the Sachems went 6-3-1. Doug Waybright was outstanding for the Sachems along with Frankie Pyszko.

Their third season as Class B included another State Championship in 1945. They beat Watertown 13-0, Beverly 31-0, Chelsea 6-0, Amesbury 6-0, Melrose 13-0, Newburyport 31-6, Lynn Classical 24-13, Swampscott 32-0, Marblehead 25-0 and Wakefield on Thanksgiving 26-0. The Sachems scored 187 points, gave up 19 and had 8 shutouts. Captain Art Spinney led the team and went on to Boston College as a standout. After college graduation he played 11 years in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts, played in 2 Pro Bowls, and on a team that won 2 NFL Championships. Some new players included Charley Simpson, Bob Kane, John Quinlan, Dick Allen, Tom Sheehan, Gene Decareau and Jim Blundell. Eight Sachem players played in the North Shore All-Star game: Art Spinney, Dick Allen, Don Reiniger, John Quinlan, Bob Thurell, Bruce Waybright, Frank Pyszko and Bob Evans.

The 1946 season had the Sachems playing a spring season game against Peabody, then again on Turkey Day. The Sachems beat Watertown 34-0, lost to Beverly 7-6, beat Chelsea 6-0, Amesbury 7-0, Revere 21-0, tied Lynn English at zero, beat Classical 14-12, Swampscott 34-13, lost to Marblehead 0-7 and to Peabody 0-6. Saugus scored 122 points, gave up 45 and won 5 shutouts. Saugus had a cheering team of Hatch, O’Grady, Higgins, Boissonneau and Roberts, as you can see in the yearbook.

Next week we will see the last of THE GOLDEN YEARS as the Sachems bring the Niccoles, Sardi and Richy on board.

  (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column about sports – and sometimes he opines on current or historical events or famous people.)