THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 30, 2026 Page 5 ~ SHS Sachems Winter Sports roundup: Bounce-back moments, close calls and dominance on the mat ~ By Dom Nicastro A s winter schedules compress and postseason math start creeping into the conversation, Saugus teams are navigating the grind that defines January. There have been bounce-back wins, one-possession heartbreaks and reminders of where growth still needs to happen — along with a wrestling program that continues to set the standard through depth and consistency. GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: RESPONSE WIN, NARROW LOSS AND SIGNS OF PROGRESS Saugus girls’ basketball went 1-2 over a demanding stretch, opening with a decisive bounce-back win over Salem before dropping competitive games to Beverly and Manchester Essex. The Sachems responded in a big way with a 50-6 home win over Salem, a result that snapped a short losing skid and showed the version of the team head coach Taylor Bogdanski has been working toward. “I thought we shared the ball really well,” Bogdanski said. “Everyone contributed in that game, so it was just a really good team win for us.” The win came at an important moment, following losses to Masconomet and Arlington Catholic, and provided some momentum heading into tougher matchups. That momentum nearly carried over against Beverly, as Saugus battled throughout before falling 51-49 in a game decided late. “Beverly honestly held us to it in the fourth quarter, and then they came back and beat us,” Bogdanski said. “So props to them for really showing up in that fourth quarter.” The week closed with a 52-41 loss to Manchester Essex, a game Bogdanski pointed to as a lesson in transition defense and ball movement. “They honestly killed us in transition,” she said. “Their transition offense killed our transition defense. They also hit the inside very well. They had great ball movement.” Individually, Peyton DiBiasio continued to lead the way, pouring in 28 points against Manchester Essex. Freshman Georgia Condakes also earned praise for her performance in that game. “I thought Georgia played very well too,” Bogdanski said. “She stepped out pretty well. She had some really good buckets for us against Manchester Essex.” DiBiasio enters the week just 16 points shy of Alex Winn’s all-time scoring record for Saugus boys and girls basketball, a milestone that looms as the season progresses. As Saugus looks ahead to Winthrop and a road-heavy stretch to close the regular season, Bogdanski said the focus is on improving half-court execution. “We just need to have more ball movement,” she said. “We get kind of sticky with the ball. We rely on our transition offense, which is great, but as we get closer to the end of the season, teams pick up on that.” WRESTLING: SAUGUSPEABODY CONTINUES ROLL WITH FOUR STRONG PERFORMANCES The Saugus-Peabody wrestling co-op delivered another impressive week, earning convincing team wins over Gloucester, Wilmington, Lynn and Canton, showcasing depth across nearly every weight class. In a 34-26 win over Gloucester, Saugus-Peabody picked up key victories from across the lineup. Tucker Landry (Saugus) earned a major decision at 126, while Jackson Deleidi (Peabody) won by technical fall at 132. Casey Medeiros (Peabody) added a decision at 138, Saugonians named to Dean’s List at University of New England T he following students have been named to the University of New England’s Dean’s List for the fall semester 2025: Abigail Anthony and Katrina Costa. Dean’s List students have attained a grade point average of 3.3 or better out of a possible 4.0 at the end of the semester. The University of New EnEXTRAORDINARY | FROM PAGE 4 “We did ticket and tow a lot of vehicles.” “I know towing the cars isn’t the best thing for residents, but I hope people undergland is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind, studyabroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible online offerings. The University offers hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges, and it is the stand that we have to do that for public safety reasons and to be able to get the streets opened up, clean off the sidewalks and get the schools ready,” he said. “You have to have access state’s top provider of health professionals and home to Maine’s only medical and dental colleges, a variety of other inter-professionally aligned health care programs, and nationally recognized programs in the marine sciences, the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities and the arts. Visit www.une.edu. to the curb, so we can push the snow back, and you can’t have vehicles there on those streets,” Crabtree said. “Just a reminder to the resiEXTRAORDINARY | SEE PAGE 7 and Michael Maraio (Peabody), Justin Bremberg (Saugus) and Cesar Cruz (Saugus) each recorded falls. Matthew Dresser (Peabody) also secured a win at heavyweight. The co-op followed that with a dominant 61-4 victory over Wilmington. Wins came from Giana Caceto (Peabody), Camdyn Lanning (Peabody), Jake Murray (Saugus), Landry, Deleidi, Lukas Fondulis of Saugus, Maraio, Bremberg, Jaden Ceac (Peabody) and JJ Figueroa (Peabody), with multiple bouts ending by fall or technical fall. Saugus-Peabody kept rolling with a 61-0 shutout of Lynn. Victories were recorded by Camdyn Lanning (Peabody), Murray, Landry, Deleidi, Fondulis, Bremberg, Cruz, Ceac, Figueroa, Jose Carrillo (Saugus) and Dresser. The week closed with a 47-24 win over Canton. Landry, Chris Brown (Peabody), Maraio, Bremberg, Cruz, Ceac and Dresser all posted wins, as the coop continued to assert itself through balance and depth. PLEASANT ST. TAX 175 Pleasant Street, Malden Specializing in Personal Income Tax Preparation Starting at $90. Call: (781) 324-6195 Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? 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