THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FrIDAy, FEBrUAry 6, 2026 Page 7 ~ SHS Sachems Winter Sports roundup ~ CHAMPIONSHIPS, CLUTCH PLAYS AND MOMENTUM BUILDING By Dom Nicastro W inter 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 LATEGAME 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 ALL DEPOSITS ARE INSURED IN FULL. Grab this rate before it’s gone! LOCK-IN TODAY: 4.00% APY*24-Month CD *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of the date posted and is subject to change without notice. APY assumes the interest remains on deposit until maturity. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. A minimum of $500 is required to open a Certificate of Deposit and earn the advertised APY. 419 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 771 SALEM ST. LYNNFIELD, MA 01940 617-387-1110 781-776-4444 331 MONTVALE AVE. WOBURN, MA 01801 781-281-9092 EVERETTBANK.COM MEMBER FDIC | MEMBER DIF John Morello of Saugus recorded a fourpoint night against Winthrop. (Advocate file photos) 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 Saugus’s Jake Kelley, who is shown battling Everett last month, scored on a rebound during their recent battle against Winthrop. 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 ROUNDUP | SEE PAGE 13
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