THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021 Page 11 Mistakes cost Saugus in season-ending loss T By Greg Phipps hrough more than three-quarters of the first half, the Saugus High School football team went toe-to-toe with the Peabody Tanners in their annual end-of-season rivalry game last Friday evening at Peabody. But mistakes at inopportune times ended up costing the Sachems in an eventual 24-0 loss. It was the third shutout defeat of the year for Saugus, which finished its abbreviated COVID-19 impacted season at 2-5 – both wins coming against Salem. Meanwhile, Peabody produced perhaps its best campaign in years with a 5-1 mark. It was also the eighth straight victory for the Tanners in the longtime series between the traditional Thanksgiving foes. Early on, it was clear Saugus was well prepared for the contest. The defense stopped Peabody on its first three possessions, and the offense moved the ball pretty well on the ground. Saugus senior defensive lineman Dougie Clark chased after Peabody quarterback Shea Lynch in last Friday’s season finale. (Advocate Photos by Greg Phipps) The game was still deadlocked at 0-0 entering the final few minutes of the second quarter. Saugus had a nice drive underway late in the second period, but a crucial five-yard penalty on a fourth-and-one situation forced a punt. The Sachems’ defense appeared to have Peabody stopped again on the ensuing possession. But on a thirdand-13 play, the Tanners converted on a pass play to earn the first down. They eventually scored the game’s first touchdown (and PAT kick) with two minutes, 55 seconds left in the first half. The Sachems then proceeded to relinquish the ball quickly, and the Tanners scored again before the half to grab a 14-0 lead. The visitors were kept off the board for the remainder of the contest while the home team added 10 more points in the second half to account for the final result. Saugus senior running back Sal Franco led the offensive attack with 73 yards on 16 carries. More than 60 of those came in the first half. Quarterback Donovan Clark threw sparingly and completed just one pass for seven yards. Senior Kyle Surette rushed for 18 yards. After the game, Saugus head coach Steve Cummings admitted to the press that the firsthalf errors put his squad in a tough position. “Those first drives of the game, we really needed something. But we really hurt ourselves with penalties,” he said. “We needed to be a little bit crisper. If you’re going to beat good teams like Peabody you can’t make those mistakes.” The season result was not Saugus senior running back Sal Franco stiff-armed a Peabody defender on his way to a sizable gain. Saugus defensive lineman Tre Sanders put pressure on Peabody quarterback Shea Lynch. what Cummings and his team hoped for. But having had the fall season wiped out due to the pandemic, just having a season at all in 2020-21 was a victory in itself. “When I saw the fall guidelines, I didn’t think we’d play this year,” he said. “But I’m thrilled we did and we got all seven games in, too. The seniors probably didn’t have the year they’d always planned, too, but I couldn’t be more impressed with how they handled it.” The Savings Bank hosts Small Business Recovery and Growth Resources webinar W AKEFIELD – The Savings Bank will continue its ongoing series of webinars on May 12 and May 18 with Small Business Recovery and Growth Resources presented by Maria Nigro Di Stefano, who is the Northeast Regional Director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. In the webinar Di Stefano will be joined by Pete Johnston, who is Senior Vice President and Senior Commercial Banking Officer at The Savings Bank. The webinar will highlight business challenges and pathways to recovery and re-imagination to successfully emerge from the COVID-19 crisis and increase business. The Bank will offer the webinar at noon on May 12 and again at 5 p.m. on May 18 to accommodate varying business schedules. Both 30-minute presentations will address the same topics followed by a question-and-answer opportunity. This free webinar is the fourth in a series of informative webinars sponsored by The Savings Bank for customers and the public. Director Di Stefano will focus on business plans, marketing and offline and online networking to redesign, recharge and reengage business models. In addition, she will discuss resources small business can use to gather information and connect with industry experts, including the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation and SCORE. Participants can ask questions of the Director and Senior Vice President Johnston within the 30-minute presentation. To register for either webiSaugus senior running back Kyle Surette looked to break through a hole against Peabody. nar, or for information regarding future topics, email marketing@tsbawake24.com. Upcoming webinar topics will include Protecting your Parents Against Elder Scams in June. Established in 1869, The Savings Bank, which is headquartered in Wakefield, is a $675 million community bank with offices in Wakefield, Lynnfield, North Reading, Andover and Methuen.
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