THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 2, 2022 Page 9 Football Sachems lose big in annual Thanksgiving clash E By Greg Phipps ntering last Thursday’s annual Thanksgiving Day high school football battle with longtime foe Peabody, the Saugus Sachems needed to muster a Herculean performance in order to pull off an upset victory over the heavily favored Tanners. That notion was snuffed out quickly and efficiently as visiting Peabody scored 34 first-half points on its way to a 48-6 rout at Christie Serino Jr. Stadium. It was the first-ever Thanksgiving game played at Saugus’s new stadium but it wasn’t a contest that will go down as a particularly memorable one, at least not in the eyes of the Saugus faithful. The loss left the Sachems with a final record of 1-10 for the 2022 season. The Sachems were coming off a close win over Whittier Tech - the team’s first victory in nearly two seasons - 14 days earlier. They also showed promise offensively in the second half of the year by averaging over 20 points a game during the previous five contests. But any hopes of a momentum carry over were put to rest when Peabody’s star quarterback Shea Lynch connected on four touchdown passes in helping the Tanners build a commanding 34-0 lead by halftime. Saugus’s offense struggled against Peabody’s defense and managed just 96 total yards of offense (only six of those on the ground). Quarterback Cam Preston (11-for25 passing for 90 yards and an interception) threw a scoring pass to one of his favorite targets, Isaiah Rodriguez, to avoid the shutout late in the game. Josh Osawe caught three passes for 45 yards, Rodriguez had two catches for 28 HOLIDAY | FROM PAGE 8 Dunne Visitor Center (177 Forest St., Saugus). Grown-ups are invited with their children to drop by Breakheart to meet Santa and take a photo. Families can also enjoy a few minutes by the roaring fire, enjoying the season and the majesty of Breakheart. Santa will give the children some candy canes, and light refreshments will be served. The Friends of Sachems Co-Capt. Tommy DeSimone enters the field at the Saugus Middle/High School Complex one last time on Thanksgiving Day. Meet the Saugus High School football cheerleaders.(Advocate photos by Emily Harney) Sachem Co-Captain Cam Preston looks for a receiver downfield. yards, and Tommy DeSimone finished with six receptions. Lynch nearly reached 300 yards through the air for Peabody while Danny Barrett tossed a 69-yard TD on a halfback option play to help lead the Tanners, who finished 10-1 (their best season in years) and were ranked among the top20 teams in Eastern Mass. Peabody’s lone defeat was to Bishop Feehan in the first round of the Div. 2 playoff tournament. With the victory, Peabody now has a 48-28 all-time lead and has won the last eight meetings in the Thanksgiving Day series. Saugus last triumphed in 2013. For head coach Steve CumBreakheart Reservation and the state Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) are sponsoring the events. New Hope Assembly Church welcomes all to its Living Nativity next weekend – Dec. 10 (Saturday) and 11 (Sunday) from 2 to 6 p.m. Visitors to the event will get to experience live animals, complimentary refreshments and festive music. All are welcome and everything is free! New Hope desires mings and the Sachems, the 2022 campaign proved to be a battle of attrition. The team was down to just 30 players in uniform for this year’s Turkey Day game. The immediate future does hold promise. Preston, who steadily improved as the season progressed, Rodriguez, Osawe, DeSimone, linebacker/ guard Braden Faiella, and linebacker/receiver Ameen Taboubi are juniors and will return next fall. With nearly half of this year’s squad being sophomores and freshmen, the Sachems were a young team and a year of varsity experience could provide a solid building block movthose who come to be able to take a break from the busyness of the holiday season to come breathe and share in the joy of Christmas. Church leaders invite Saugus residents to visit the Living Nativity at 9 Assembly Dr., Saugus. On Dec. 17 at noon, the Parson Roby Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (MA0136P) will observe its second Wreaths Across America event, helping Saugus High junior Ethan Malcolm holds back a Peabody defender. Sachem Co-Captain Braden Faiella wishes Peabody senior Mike Mastrocola best wishes with his battle with leukemia. ing forward. Key seniors departing are defensive back Mike Splaine, linebacker Justin Belluscio, co-captain lineboth Riverside Cemetery and the Old Burying Ground Cemetery to remember and honor veterans by laying remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes. There will be the lighting of the Menorah in front of Saugus Town Hall on Monday, Dec. 19 at noon. Rabbi Yossi will be leading the services. This will mark the beginning of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Celebration. man Justin DaSilva, linebacker/guard Jaiden Smith, and linemen Brenton Sullivan and DeVaughn Wheeler. The Annual Saugus Christmas Eve Parade, organized by the Saugus Police and Fire Departments, kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 24. Editor’s Note: Does your organization, church or business have plans for a holiday or holy event that they would like to publicize this month? Feel free to email an announcement or press release to mvoge@comcast.net, headlined “Holiday Happenings and Blessings.”
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