THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 18, 2024 Page 9 SPORTS ROUNDUP | FROM PAGE 8 No. 1 seed, followed by Medfi eld, Norwell and Nipmuc Regional. Weston, Norwell and North Reading (No. 7) are the lone unbeaten teams in the division. The Saugus football team is ranked No. 27 at 1-4 in the 35-team Division 5. The top 16 teams make the tourney, and you also need to win at least three games to be in the mix, meaning the Sachems would have to win their fi nal three games. The Saugus field hockey team is ranked No. 47 out of 56 teams in Division 3 with a 2-9-1 mark. Teams can make the tourney with a .500 or better record or a top 32 spot in the rankings. The Saugus boys soccer team is ranked No. 41 out of 65 teams in Division 3. The Sachems are 5-8-2 with three games to go and would need to win all three to make the postseason, unless they can creep up to No. 32. The Saugus girls volleyball team is ranked No. 54 out of 64 teams in Division 3. At 5-8 with five games to go, the team needs to win four to qualify. SAUGUS HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY There will be a Saugus High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, November 2 at 6:00pm at Saugus struggles in 21-0 loss to Salem as off ensive woes continue By Dom Nicastro T he Saugus High School football team couldn’t finish off drives in a 21-0 loss to Salem at home on Thursday, Oct. 10. It was a game where their defense made key stops but the offense struggled to capitalize. The shutout dropped Saugus to 1-4 on the season, while Salem improved to 3-2 after the Northeastern Conference matchup. The Sachems started freshman Eli Fialho at quarterback, making his varsity debut. Head Coach Steve Cummings explained the decision to move Jordan Rodriguez, normally the starting quarterback, to receiver in order to leverage his athleticism in other ways. “Jordan’s a really good athlete, and with him at quarterback, he was always in the teeth of the defense,” Cummings said. “We thought we could get him some easier touches at receiver, where he could use his athleticism and fantastic hands. So we went with Eli at quarterback, and I think he did well for his fi rst game.” Fialho showed some promise, connecting with Jay Arnett on a nice crossing route early on and scrambling for a fi rst down to keep a drive alive. The freshman almost connected on some deeper throws that could have changed the complexion of the game. “Eli made some nice throws and missed a couple of deep balls by just inches,” Cummings said. “We’re literally talking inches away from touchdowns. It’s just part of the growing pains of having a young quarterback out there, but he throws the ball well, and he’s making strides every week.” Despite the off ensive struggles, Saugus’ defense kept them in the game. Cody Munafo was instrumental in the fi rst half, making back-to-back big plays to force a turnover on downs, including a 7-yard tackle for loss and a sack. Ryan Shea was a standout in the secondary, coming up with two interceptions that gave Saugus much-needed opportunities. “Ryan is such a ball hawk at safety,” Cummings said. “He reads the game so well and breaks on the ball quickly. He almost had a third interception, but he collided with another defender at the last second. He’s been rock solid for us all year.” Salem’s off ense, led by running back Alvin Laurent, broke through in the second quarter with an 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Witches a 7-0 lead at halftime. Saugus had its chances, including after Shea’s second interception set them up at the Salem 41 with 28 seconds left. But the Sachems couldn’t convert, leaving them scoreless at the break. The Witches extended their lead in the third quarter when Laurent scored his second touchdown of the night on an 8-yard run, putting Salem up 14-0. A late pick-six by SaSTRUGGLES | SEE PAGE 17 Open 9-6 Tues.-Fri. / 9-5 Sat. / Closed Sun. & Mon. 2024 Saugus High School Sachems Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team, shown from left to right: top row: Gabriella Cvijic, Natalie Justice, Layla Manderson, Victoria Carter, Maria Garcia, Danica Schena, Ashley Rezendes, Shawn Sewell and Head Coach April Martinez; bottom row: Shalyn Sewell, Hannah Duong, Amanda Rezendes, Sydney Deleidi, Kendall Hatch, Georgia Condakes, Selena Garcia, Taylor Deleidi and Madison Botta. (Advocate photo) the Elks. Anyone interested in tickets to attend the event please email Saugus High School Athletic Director Matt Serino at: mserino@saugus. k12.ma.us 1865 Revere Beach Pkwy, Everett (617) 389-7000 sales@parkwaycycle.com Parkwaycycle.com
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