THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 1, 2023 Page 9 Grand ole time: Sachem’s DeSimone finishes stellar 1,000-yard-plus season for Saugus By Dom Nicastro A s captain of the Saugus High School football team, running back Tommy DeSimone finished his season with an impressive 1,113 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. It was the first time since Marvens Jean did it before COVID-19 that a Sachem dashed over the 1,000yard milestone. DeSimone has become a standout figure in the Sachems’ turnaround story. His performance on the field is a testament to his hard work and determination, and it’s reflected in the numbers that tally up to a stellar season. DeSimone’s achievements go beyond the statistics; they highlight a journey of resilience, leadership and growth. In this Q&A, we delve into the mindset of a captain who has helped to shift the direction of Saugus football, uncovering the work ethic and passion that drive him both on and off the field. 1. When thinking about this season and the strides the program made, to what do you attribute the success? The success we had this season started all the way back in December 2022; going 0-11 to 1-10 is a lot to go through as a program. It was time for a change after last season; we knew it was time to get to work. I’ve never seen a group of a guys especially the seniors be so dedicated to get this program back on track. Having almost our whole team at workouts, guys running track, recruiting in the school, and guys working out on their own. I can’t tell you how many times this off-season I would go to the field and see guys training by themselves without telling anyone. You win and lose games in the offseason. I have full confidence in the younger guys to be even better next season. 2. How did you feel and what worked so well personally for you in that beginning of the season where Cam Preston was at quarterback? Having Cam at quarterback made my life and everyone else’s so much easier. Having such a great quarterback opens up every part of your Co-Capt. Tommy DeSimone carried the ball for the Sachems in recent action. offense in every aspect. We were so balanced offensively; we felt like we couldn’t be stopped. When you throw for so many yards a game, teams have to back off, which opens up the run game for me. Cam made it easy for me to be successful as a back. 3. What was it like making the adjustments on offense after Cam got injured? Once Cam got hurt, I knew I had to be the anchor of the offense. We had to establish a run game every game so we could get Jordan Rodriguez comfortable and be able to settle in to make easy decisions. He’s a young kid, and when you start as a sophomore at QB you’re gonna be special. The kid is gonna have all the experience in the world next year and his senior year. But once Cam got hurt it took time for us to get comfortable, but we started to have success again in the season. I was ready for the workload. I had full confidence in myself to carry the offense. When you also have receivers like Isaiah Rodriguez and Ameen Taboubi, we felt like we could still move the ball on the ground and through the air. Adjusting took time, but I think we figured it out. 4. What can you say about eclipsing 1,000 yards and joining such an elite club? Rushing for over 1,000 yards this season and joining that club has been nothing more than a blessing to reach that milestone. When I was in the 8th grade, I watched Marvens Jean play here at Saugus, and I looked up to him. His senior year he ran for over 1,000, too, and he was the last Sachem to do it. To reach that mark and join a club with guys like him – it’s such an honor to me. I can’t thank my offensive line, O-line coach Greg Bluestein and Coach Steve Cummings enough for setting me up for success all season long. 5. How long have you been playing football? I’ve been playing football my entire life; since I first started walking I had a football in my hand. I started playing football when I was around 5 or 6 years old. Football has been my life for such a long time. Football is like life; you’re gonna cherish everything you do in this sport forever. 6. Tell me about your family and are there any other athletes in it? My family has been full of athletes; it’s where I get it from. My mother was an outstanding gymnast who competed nationally. My uncle played at Saugus High, also a running back. He had over 3,000 all-purpose yards as a Sachem and is probably still to this day one of the best Saugus High football players to wear the red and white. Sachems Co-Capt. Tommy DeSimone enjoys a lighter moment on the football field. My family as a whole is a football family. You’ll catch us not being able to sit down as we stand around a TV jumping up and down, cheering and screaming for the Patriots every Sunday. We are diehard Boston sports fans. Most supportive and passionate family you’ll ever meet! 7. What keeps you busy outside of football and school (jobs, hangout stuff, extracurricular clubs, etc.)? I’d say the gym keeps me the busiest out of football. I’m a workaholic. I live, breathe, sleep and eat the weight room. It’s my second passion. In the off-season I look forward to getting my lift in after school; it becomes the highlight of my day. I wanna shout out my uncle Rodney Lavoie Jr. who got me into training and the gym as a whole. He is everything to me and does everything in his power for me to be successful. And also Mike Penta who has been training me for two years now in the weight room, and I wouldn’t be where I’m at without him! 8. What’s next for you at Saugus? Winter sport and spring? For me I’m taking the winter off from sports to recover, train and start getting ready for my career at the next level. But come springtime, I will be running track as my final time playing a sport at Saugus High. 9. What are you looking at for after high school, for academics/work/athletics? After high school I will be going to college to continue my academic and football career. In a short time I will be announcing where I will be playing football for the next four years. 10. Who has served as mentors for you as coaches, and who has inspired you in terms of teammates and why? I think I can honestly say every coach I’ve ever played for has been a mentor for me for some time in my life. You learn something from everyone and to every coach I played for, you helped mold me into the player and man I am today. I thank you all. Couple names I’ll mention are: Coach Dennis Murphy, Coach Spy, Coach Bluestein, Coach Cummings, coach John Raye, my grandfather, and everyone else. In terms of teammates I have a long list of guys like Ameen Taboubi, Isaiah Rodriguez, Braden Faiella, Ethan Malcolm, Ryan Shea, Danny Shea, Cam Preston, Jordan Rodriguez, Cody Munafo, Tommy Cameron and many more are guys I’ve grown up with and put in so much work in with. They’ve all helped me in so many aspects – not just football. I’ve been around these guys my whole life and they are my forever family. I’m forever grateful.
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