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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, NOVEmbEr 7, 2025 Page 11 Saugus falls 14–0 at Medford, looks to regroup for consolation round S By Dom Nicastro augus’ offensive struggles continued Thursday night in Medford, where the Sachems were shut out 14–0 in a rain-soaked matchup with the Greater Boston League’s Mustangs. It marked the team’s second straight shutout and third consecutive game with fewer than 10 points scored. Medford senior linebacker Demi Georges proved to be the difference on both sides of the ball, recording 14 tackles—eight for loss—and scoring one of Medford’s two touchdowns. The Mustangs improved to 3-5, while Saugus slipped to 1-7 overall. For the Sachems, it was another night that followed a familiar pattern: promising starts erased by missed assignments or negative plays. The opening drive offered a glimpse of potential before a pair of mistakes halted momentum deep in Medford territory. “Medford was a messy game, with a lot of things we need to pick up on,” said Saugus captain and lineman Kobe Jette. “The weather wasn’t really a big deal. In the first quarter we were moving down the field and we got stopped due to a few bad plays.” That early stall set the tone for a game dominated by defense and field position. Medford only needed to capitalize on two opportunities for VETERANS DAY | FROM PAGE 4 Veterans Council Commander Steve Castinetti, a retired U.S. Navy captain. “This day is about gratitude and remembrance,” Commander Castinetti said. “We gather not only to honor our veterans but to remind each other of the values they stood for, service, commitment and community,” he said. The program will also include remarks from local leaders, musical tributes, demonstrations by the Lynn English JROTC and the traditional recognition of honoring Saugus veterans. The event is free and open to the public. Veterans and their families are especially invited to attend. Veterans Day is one of the two major federal holidays that pays tribute to the American military. Veterans Day is a floating holiday – always observed on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. – marking the date and the time of the signing of the Armistice agreement between the Allies and Germany and the end of World War I. The holiday was later broadened to include recognition of all veterans who served with the U.S. military, living and deceased. Memorial Day – observed on the last Monday in May – is a solemn holiday that honors those who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s a day of remembrance to honor the fallen: those who gave lives for their country. It originated as “Decoration Day” shortly after the American Civil War, when the graves of fallen soldiers from the Union and the Confederacy were decorated. The purpose of the two holidays is often confused, particularly with younger generations of Americans. For more information, please contact Commander Steve Castinetti at stevecastinetti@comcast.net. scores, while Saugus’ offense spent much of the night battling to regain footing. At practice this week, Jette said the focus is clear. “We are focusing on our run game mainly at practice,” he said. “Some bright spots are the guys that will keep fighting and pushing for one another even after some losses.” The shutout was Saugus’ second in as many weeks, following a 34-0 defeat to Swampscott, and highlights the challenge of finding rhythm in an offense still seeking balance. The Sachems have scored just eight points in their last three games combined—an uncharacteristic drought for a program that, as recently as two years ago, has shown it SCHOOL COMMITTEE | FROM PAGE 5 bled by the outpouring of support! It’s truly an honor to be reelected to the School Committee – thank you,” he said in a message he directed at Saugus voters. “Congratulations to my fellow Committee members! I look forward to working together as we continue to serve our students, families and community. We have a lot of important work ahead of us,” Whittredge said. Mastrocola: The biggest challenge facing the next School Committee will certainly be the budget. That being said the budget goes hand in hand with staffing. How are we going to balance out the increased classroom sizes? Teachers and staff are saying they need more support in the classroom. We need to collaborate together and come up with a plan that will help ease the stress of a day in the classroom. We will have to look at the budget closely and make sure it matches what we are trying to accomplish. If we don’t then what’s the point of asking for more money or support if we can’t prove it’s doing the trick? Test scores are a way to measure, but do we truly believe that’s what reflects a school in its true value? They are an important measuring tool for our staff but with all the incoming students and students who choose to come to school when they want, it doesn’t bring us the most accurate reflection of the teacher’s job. We are at times refusing to realize that Saugus has changed in many ways. With that being said, that’s not a bad thing, but until we realize as a community and School Committee the capacity of what you’re dealing with, you will not be able to solve the problems now or in the future. I meet with the principals, I walk through the schools, I talk with parents. Oftentimes we forget to consult the most important reason why we do this. THE KIDS. Talk with them on the soccer field, pull them aside at a school event. Ask them what’s working for you and what would you like to see change. I can promise you; I will do that and will continue to if elected in this next term. Thank You Doherty: The new school committee’s main challenge is ensuring continuity. My primary focus will be on ensuring continuity in our district’s leadership. With Saugus experiencing six superintendent changes in twelve years, I recognize the urgent need for effective succession planning to prevent leadership gaps. I intend to work closely with the superintendent and fellow commitcan put up three touchdowns per contest. This season’s adversity recalls earlier rebuilding stretches under Coach Steve Cummings, who has emphasized patience and leadership growth through a schedule stacked with seasoned NEC opponents. Thursday’s loss to Medford marked Saugus’ first meeting with the Mustangs in recent memory—one that exposed both the team’s resilience and its lingering gaps up front. Still, Jette said the group remains determined to finish strong. “To the team in these final three games we still can prove that we aren’t the team people think we are and that we can push through adversity,” he said. “If we stick together and not turn on each other we can still make light of this season.” With the regular season complete, Saugus finished 28th out of 37 teams in MIAA Division 5. The Sachems will open the non-playoff consolation round Thursday, Nov. 6, hosting Lynnfield at 4 p.m. at Christie Serino Jr. Stadium. Lynnfield is 2-6 and is coming off a 35-14 win over Hamilton-Wenham, which broke up a four-game losing skid. The Sachems will learn their second consolation opponent later this week. After that, the team will take a week off before closing the year on Thanksgiving Day at Peabody. tee members to establish a clear vision, set strategic priorities, and identify future leaders for key positions. This approach will provide reassurance for our community teachers and administration and guarantee smooth transitions when changes occur. I am committed to upholding accountability by regularly providing progress reports to the town, educators, and administration. Through transparent communication, I strive to promote constructive improvements within our schools. Our staff are our greatest strength, so by remaining proactive rather than reactive, we can minimize disruptions and keep making steady improvements. McCarthy: It’s hard to pick just one challenge facing the next Saugus School Committee because our district is confronting several that are deeply connected. One of the most pressing is the need for strong oversight and modernization to ensure our policies, records, and planning reflect the realities of today’s Saugus. For example, the district’s emergency plan has not been reviewed since 2012, more than a decade ago. During that time, our student population has grown from roughly 2,700 students in 2012 to about 2,900 today, while the number of SCHOOL COMMITTEE | SEE PAGE 16

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