THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 27, 2024 Page 13 Meet the 2024 Saugus High School Sachems Girls’ Varsity Cheerleading Team By Tara Vocino T he Saugus High School Sachems Girls’ Varsity Cheerleading Team introduced themselves on Sunday at Saugus High School. Their Senior Night is Oct. 18 at 5:30 p.m. against Swampscott High School. Shown from left to right: Head Coach Hannah Phelan with seniors Nyah Similien, Rhianna Rodriguez, Anna Felicio, Gabriela Mund, Sofia Correa and Valani J-Charles. Captains, shown from left to right: Gabriela Mund, Anna Felicio and Lanyelis Perez. Anna Felicio performed a two-leg stunt on Sunday at Saugus High School. Flyers Anna Felicio and Yamilett Alvarez performed an extension. Shown from left to right: Top row: Sofia Correa, Anna Felicio, Gabriela Mund, Lanyelis Perez and Rhianna Rodriguez; middle row: Ava Pina, Stephanie Perez, Yamilett Alvarez, Ana Clara, Kethellen Rodrigues and Mikaela Trombella; back row: Nyah Similien, Alesha Bien-Aime, Mckayla Malbranche, Savanna Dalton and Valani J-Charles. Cody’s world: Munafo powers Saugus past Wilmington By Dom Nicastro S augus got in the winner’s column last Friday night in a 22-10 road win over Wilmington. The non-league victory put the Sachems at 1-1 on the season, and the team continues its non-league portion of the schedule with a Thursday night, Sept. 26, matchup against Lynn Tech in the home opener at 6:30 p.m. Senior Cody Munafo led the Sachems in a lot of ways against Wilmington. The captain had 30 carries for 160 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. On defense, Munafo recorded nine tackles, a sack and an interception and recovered two fumbles. “I was going into that week a little mad because of the prior week’s game [21-14 loss to Cambridge R&L] but I just had to put that anger aside and focus on the Wilmington game,” Munafo said. “My team, coaches and all the practices and film sessions we had beforehand led to my success on the field. I give all the credit to the team since the team worked hard in practice, and in the game that made me want to work even harder and focus even more for that game. The film sessions were probably the biggest part of my success. It showed where I should be at the right time on defense. Also my fumble recovery on the first play of the game set the tone for the rest of the game and on offense I give credit to my offensive line; they didn’t quit not even for one play.” Wilderson Lafortune, Koby Jette, Laith Haddad, Moises Perez and Paxton Ferraro composed an offensive line that paved the way for Munafo, whose looks on offense have increased significantly this season. Steve Cummings, Saugus’ coach, highlighted Munafo’s growth and contributions, noting that Munafo was one of the few players with significant playing experience from last season. However, last year Munafo mostly played as a lead blocker and linebacker. This season, he has a chance to step up and shine, and he’s making the most of it in the first eight quarters of the season. He had two touchdowns in the opener as well. Despite having never carried the ball as much before, Munafo showed no signs of fatigue and even performed better in the second half. The coach emphasized that Munafo’s 160 yards on the ground were a team effort, made possible by strong offensive line play, including CODY’S WORLD | SEE PAGE 18
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