Marblehead secures winning season with victory over Saugus

MARBLEHEAD – The Marblehead football squad opened its conference schedule last night looking to do something that it hadn’t done in quite some time.The Magicians were hoping to post consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the Bruce Jordan era of the early ’90s. Marblehead overcame a tough start to oust a scrappy Saugus squad, 34-12, at Piper Field.Click here for a photo gallery.”Having a winning season in my first year means a lot,” said Magicians coach Jim Rudloff, as the squad equaled last year’s win output with the victory. “When I took over the program, I said that the kids were going to be the foundation for what we hoped to accomplish. We have a winning record, which was one of our goals for this season, but we have other goals to attain.”However, the Magicians (6-1) had a very difficult beginning, fumbling away the opening kickoff, with the Sachems (1-4) recovering at the Marblehead 35. Quarterback John Moore (13-109) gained eight yards on third-and-9 from the 34 to the 26, yet the Marblehead defense held on fourth down, stacking up back A.J. Guthro for no yardage.Both teams traded possessions, yet it would be Saugus that took advantage off a turnover (the Magicians committed the only turnovers of the contest, while Saugus compiled all the penalties). Quarterback Hayes Richardson fired a second-down pass from his own 38, yet the ball was picked off by lineman Ryan Kennedy, who brought the Sachems to Marblehead’s 29.Saugus gained limited yardage on its first two plays, yet Moore picked up 13 yards to spot the ball at the 11. Teammate Stephen Almquist put the Sachems on the board with just 30 seconds to go in the opening quarter with a seven-yard score.Richardson let his feet take action when the Magicians gained the ball on the ensuing kickoff. Teammate Ryan Stanojev returned the kick to the Marblehead 44, and then Richardson took over. He faked a pitch, ran to his left for 20 yards, then cut across the field to his right around the Sachems’ 35. He then dashed down the sidelines the rest of the way with a 56-yard score to put Marblehead on top, 7-6, with 12 seconds remaining in the period.The Sachems couldn’t get past their own 30 on their next possession, and Marblehead took over at its 42. Halfback Marcell Hardmon (7-63) put the team in Saugus territory with a 20-yard run through a hole to the 38. He gained nine on the next play, and then Richardson (8-151) added the first down on a six-yard keeper.After an incomplete pass, Hardmon ran on the following three plays, with the last one being a seven-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 14-6.Yet the Sachems bounced back. Keeping the ball exclusively on the ground the entire game (the team attempted only one pass), Almquist (7-27) gained nine yards on first down, and then Moore picked up 18 to the Marblehead 46. The team later faced a third-and-3 from the Magicians’ 39, yet Guthro (20-64) gained just enough for the first down. Moore added a 14-yard keeper to the 22, and brought the Sachems to within 14-12 moments later with his 12-yard keeper.The Magicians responded right before the end of the half. Richardson (6-11-1-71) hit receiver Alex Haigis for 18 yards on first down to the 49. After back Will Quigley brought the team into the Sachems’ end with a three-yard carry, Richardson tacked on another 10 to the 37. He then teamed with receiver Flynn McCormack for an over-the-middle strike for 11 yards to the 26. Two incompletions followed, and then Richardson connected with Stanojev for 16 yards and a first down at the 10. Richardson and McCormack again teamed up, this time for a 10-yard touchdown for a 21-12 edge.”We were able to capitalize on the interception for the (early) score,” said Sachems coach Mike Broderick. “We were able to play pretty well in the (first) half, running the ball well, and shortening the field as a result.”The Sachems moved the ball on their first possession of the second half, with the big play a 34-yard scamper by Moore to the Marble