Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 17, 2023 Sachem girls’ players make NEC all-star team By Greg Phipps T here will be much anticipation entering the 2023-24 season for the Saugus High School girls’ basketball team. This winter, the Sachems captured a share of the Northeastern Conference’s Lynch Division championship and earned a state Div. 3 postseason berth despite having no senior players on the squad. One of the most promising aspects for next season is the fact that every underclassman player on this year’s team was a contributor on the court and has varsity experience. Therefore, that playing experience and depth should be a major strength for Saugus next year. Under Head Coach Mark Schruender, who reached the 100-career-win plateau as a coach this season, the Sachems, who finished with a 13-8 overall record, concluded the campaign with a close Round of 32 loss at Archbishop Williams in the Div. 3 tournament. In fact, that game was tied in the Saugus all-conference player Ashleen Escobar Saugus conference all-star selection Jessica Bremberg Saugus all-conference guard Peyton DiBiasio final minutes before Archbishop pulled away at the end. Last week, five Saugus players were chosen for the Northeastern Conference (NEC) all-star team. Making the higher-level all-conference squad were freshman guard Peyton DiBiasio and junior forward Ashleen Escobar. DiBiasio was the team’s top overall scorer (exceeding the 20-point mark on Saugus conference all-star selection Ashleigh Moore Saugus conference all-star selection Ana Silva several occasions) and led Saugus in the scoring column many times this year. She’s a strong penetrator to the basket and is a scrappy defender. Escobar is a solid two-way player and a fierce defender. She netted 12 points in the tourney loss at Archbishop Williams. The other three players – juniors Ashleigh Moore, Ana Silva and Jessica Bremberg – were selected to the overall all-star unit. Co-captain Moore was a team leader and stabilizing presence on the court. She was the team’s leading scorer with 19 points in the playoff game at Archbishop. Silva was another consistent performer and contributor on both sides of the floor. She also possesses a strong outside shot. Co-captain Bremberg was a strong presence inside the paint and played solid defense. She is also an excellent rebounder. Saugus boys’ players named to NEC all-star squad By Greg Phipps T he Saugus High School boys’ basketball team made significant strides this season. The Sachems earned their first playoff berth in three years and captured the Northeastern Conference’s Lynch Division title, the first such finish for the Saugus boys since the early 1990s. After falling to Seekonk in the Round of 32 portion of the state Div. 3 postseason tournament, the Sachems concluded the 2022-23 campaign with a 13-8 overall record and some promise for the near future. However, Saugus will see the departure of five key players from this year’s team. Seniors Ben Tapia-Gately, Max Anajjar, Josh Osawe, Chris Flynn and Isaiah Garcia were important members of this year’s squad. They will be missed. But head coach Joe Bertrand said last week that it will be up to the underclassmen players to pick Saugus conference all-star selection Max Anajjar. Saugus conference all-star selection Josh Osawe. up where the departing senior group left off. Last week, three Saugus players - Tapia-Gately, Anajjar and Osawe - were named to the conference all-star team. Tapia-Gately was the team’s leading scorer all season and poured in a team-high 22 points, to go along with nine rebounds, in his final game as a Sachem in the playoff loss at Saugus conference all-star selection Ben Tapia-Gately. Seekonk. Anajjar was a consistent floor captain and contributed mightily both on the offensive and defensive end. He was routinely among the team’s top scorers from game to game. Osawe was similar to Anajjar, as he made his presence felt on both ends of the floor, and on several occasions led the team in the scoring column. He collected 13 points in the final game at Seekonk.
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