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Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 5, 2025 Saugus athletics turns the page to winter season W By Dom Nicastro inter sports arrived in Saugus this week with what Athletics Director Matt Serino calls a familiar mix of “chaos” and excitement. Day 1 of the season — traditionally the Monday after Thanksgiving — hits fast every year, but Serino said the energy around the building made the hectic pace feel like “a fun day.” “Coming off the Thanksgiving week, today’s real main focus is just making sure we get all of our kids registered, ready to go, so that there’s no hiccups once practice starts,” he said in an interview with The Advocate on Dec. 1. “The kids are excited. Coaches are excited.” While some schools pushed to bump the official start to the Tuesday after the holiday, Serino is glad the opening whistle stayed put. “Kids are kids,” he said with a laugh. “If you give them an extra day, they’ll wait the extra day to do all the registration.” Strong numbers across the board Initial participation numbers look nearly identical to last winter — and that’s a good thing. The Sachems are again fielding: · Two levels of girls basketball · Three levels of boys basketball · A growing wrestling program · Healthy cheerleading numMatt Serino SHS AD bers · Expanded indoor track access for middle school athletes Serino expects indoor track’s new middle school inclusion to “certainly boost our numbers,” and wrestling continues to be one of the district’s most consistent success stories. Wrestling, co-ops and a new coach on the ice Saugus remains the host school for its well-established Saugus-Peabody wrestling co-op, led by veteran coach Wayne Moda, whom Serino praised as “one of the best wrestling coaches in Massachusetts.” Last winter was arguably the program’s most complete season in years — the payoff of what Serino called “all the years of hard work Wayne’s put in.” Winter co-ops remain steady elsewhere: · Boys hockey: Saugus-Peabody, now under new Head Coach Donnie Shaw, who was an assistant last year. · Girls hockey: Saugus continues its co-op with Medford, though no high schoolers are rostered at the moment. Some middle school interest is emerging. · Gymnastics: A long-running co-op with host Winthrop continues, with two Saugus gymnasts joining and veteran coach Pete Gobeil returning. “I think he’s been the gymnastics coach for 20-something years,” Serino said. · Swimming: Two Saugus athletes will compete once again with the Northeast coop. Meanwhile, the biggest winter coaching news sits on the basketball court. Girls basketball: A familiar face takes the helm Former JV coach and Saugus alum Taylor Bogdanski takes over the girls varsity program this winter — a hire Serino is thrilled about. “Anytime you can bring an alumna back, it just adds that extra special touch to the program,” he said. Bogdanski will be joined by longtime Saugus resident Glenn Harrington as JV coach. Bogdanski inherits a roster headlined by senior superstar Peyton DiBiasio, who will break a record every time she scores this season.“We’ve got the new banners up in the gym,” Serino said. “Her name’s already up there. We’re just holding off on the numbers until we see what that final number looks like.” A golden era for girls athletics The girls basketball buzz is just one piece of a larger trend. Saugus girls sports — across all seasons — are enjoying a remarkable multiyear run. From Madison Botta dominating as a freshman at Saint Anselm to Layla Manderson, Shawn Sewell and now the next wave of standouts, Serino said, the momentum is real. “You look down the line at all these names… the girls have definitely hit their stride,” he said. “We’re really excited to see where that goes.” What’s driving it? Serino points to the connection between high school stars and the town’s booming youth programs. “Our athletes — especially in girls soccer — aren’t shy about connecting with those younger groups,” he said. “You have kids running around in youth soccer saying they want to be the next Madison Botta or Shawn Sewell. You’re starting to see that buzz again.” Fall review: field hockey breakthrough, volleyball history and a gritty football finish Before switching fully into winter mode, Serino shared his reflections on a fall packed with milestones. Under first-year field hockey Head Coach Julie Champigny, the Sachems reached the state tournament for the first time in roughly a decade — and nearly stunned Apponequet in double overtime. “You could see halfway through the year they hit their stride,” Serino said. “They beat Danvers for the first time in a long time, had two neardraws with Swampscott… something special was brewing.” Volleyball Coach Mikayla Niles guided the squad to a 10-win season and the second state tournament berth in program history. “They really bought into that culture,” Serino said. “Fun to watch all year.” After graduating a wave of all-time scorers, the Sachems girls soccer team still pushed the postseason picture until the final week behind stars like Shawn Sewell, who reached 100 career points. “They were never an easy out,” Serino said. “Everyone was getting their best.” The Sachems football team endured a tough midseason stretch of shutouts but responded with one of their best performances of the year in a Thanksgiving thriller against Peabody, a 28-26 loss. “It was a fantastic game to watch,” Serino said. He highlighted the leadership of seniors like Kobe Jette, Chris Mazin and Jordan Rodriguez. Saugus winter games begin next Thursday and Friday, with basketball tipping off the athletic calendar. “It’s not like fall — you’ve got a couple weeks,” Serino said. “You turn the page fast.” St. Anthony’s Flea Market 250 Revere St., Revere, Lower Hall Indoor Flea Market SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13 from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM THIS IS THE NEXT TO LAST FLEA MARKET This will be our last flea market so come and say farewell to our vendors! There will be great buys for the holidays! Thank You for all your support through the

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