Saugus stays perfect with homecoming win over Watertown

SAUGUS – For the first time since the L.J. McKanas era, the Saugus high football team finds itself sporting a 4-0 record.On homecoming Saturday at Stackpole Field, the Sachems got to that mark thanks to a 21-7 win over Middlesex League foe Watertown, which saw them rush for 302 yards as a team and have two backs, Bret Reid and Mike Dean, each go over the century mark.”We haven’t been 4-0 in a long time and going into the bye week that way is great,” Saugus coach Mike Broderick said. “We have confidence that we can move the ball and we knew we would.”One thing Broderick wasn’t pleased with was turnovers as one prevented a touchdown and another nearly resulted in one for Watertown.”Those two turnovers did hurt,” Broderick said. “And we did get a little sloppy in the second half.”The Sachems could afford to be a little sloppy because of a nearly perfect first half performance.Saugus forced Watertown to punt on the game’s initial possession and then didn’t waste much time in exploiting huge holes in the Red Raiders defense.Reid’s 13-yard gain on a keeper on Saugus’ first play set the tone for the day. Two plays later, fullback Mike Dean got the ball and rumbled 30 yards untouched to give his team a 7-0 lead after Alex DiPesa’s extra point.Watertown followed with another three-and-out and the Sachems in turn marched right back down field.Starting at its 39, Saugus needed only five plays to cover the 61 yards.Shamir Guillaume (79 yards) and Reid did the work this time as a 26 yard keep by Reid was followed by a 14 yard Guillaume jaunt to the five. Reid scored on the next play to give Saugus a 14-0 lead before the Red Raiders had even made a first down.Watertown would get a first down on its next possession thanks to a 44 yard completion from C.J. Logan to Anthony Alberico. But the Saugus defense rose up and sacked Logan on fourth down early in the second quarter.The quick strike Sachem offense then went back to work as Guillaume and Reid continued to do a number on the Red Raiders. Reid got the ball into Watertown territory on a 15 yard gain before Guillaume carried three times in a row, moving the ball to the Watertown 14.Reid did the rest, faking to Guillaume and keeping around right end for the touchdown and a commanding 21-0 lead with 8:54 left in the half.Following a punt on its next possession, Watertown forced a Reid fumble, recovering at the Sachem 31 with 6:00 left in the half. Two plays later, the Red Raiders had first and goal from the five.Logan carried twice in reaching the two before the Saugus defense made the game’s biggest play. On third-and-goal, Logan was stripped of the ball and Dean fell on it to preserve the Sachems 21-0 lead at the break.”That goal line stand was huge,” Broderick said. “It was a great play by our guys.”Saugus got the ball to begin the second half and looked like it was going to continue the procession up and down the field, reacing midfield in just three plays. But the Red Raiders stripped Dean after a big gain and recovered at their 30.Watertown would fail to convert on that possession but after forcing a Saugus punt with 3:11 left in the third, the Red Raiders finally put together a sustained march.The Red Raiders got one first down thanks to a Logan scramble and them oved into Saugus territory late in the third when a roughing the passer penalty on third down kept them moving.Logan converted a fourth down early in the fourth quarter and then scrambled for 13 on third-and-10 at the Sachems 39. A pass interference penalty three plays later put the ball on the three.Nick Mahjoubi got the call three times, gaining only one yard. But on fourth down, Logan rolled right and found tight end Scott Stafford wide open in the back of the end zone for the touchdown.”Watertown played hard,” Broderick said. “And they played well in the second half.”Reid recovered Watertown’s onside kick and two first downs later, the Sachems had their 4-0 start.