Saugus falls to unbeaten Pentucket

WEST NEWBURY – When Saugus opened a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter Saturday afternoon, the Sachems seemed poised to wreck undefeated Pentucket?s impending championship coronation.By game?s end, Saugus (1-5) saw Pentucket (5-0) erupt for 27 unanswered points in a 27-10 win that clinched the Cape Ann League Kinney Division championship and secured a spot in the Division Four North playoffs in two weeks.Trailing, 10-0, Pentucket changed the game with two plays in little more than three minutes to close the first half.First, junior Jeff Porter swept the right side, seemed hemmed in by a number of Saugus defenders, but squirted through for a 36-yard scoring run. Nick Zaia?s PAT made it 10-7 with 3:24 left in the half.Then, on 4th-and-15, Pentucket senior D.J. Engelke gained position and snagged quarterback Ryan Kuchar?s Hail Mary while surrounded by three Saugus defenders for a 29-yard dagger with less than 20 seconds left in the half. Zaia?s kick sent the hosts off with a 14-10 lead at the break.?That?s it, that?s the game right there. We didn?t make a couple of plays,” said Saugus coach Mike Broderick. “I thought we played very well in the first half but we just seemed to fade, run out of gas at the end. We have to fight through that. We learned a hard lesson today.”Saugus stormed out of the gates, sparked by junior quarterback Justin Winn?s 42-yard gallop to the Pentucket 24 on the visitors? first offensive snap. That led to sophomore Jacob DeMonte?s 32-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter.Dan Cacciola?s 19-yard dash on the final play of the first period set up Saugus at the Pentucket 25 to open the second quarter. Cacciola carried six straight times on the drive and Winn capped it with a two-yard keeper. DeMonte?s PAT made it 10-0 with 7:40 left in the half.And that?s when Pentucket realized it was in a game.Following a scoreless third period, Pentucket converted a short-field opportunity after halting Saugus on downs at its own 36 as Engelke banged in from the three for a 20-10 edge with 6:40 to play.Porter capped it with his second on the day from 17 yards with 2:18 remaining.The loss may prove costly for Saugus. Cacciola – described by Broderick as “our heart and soul” – suffered a left knee injury early in the fourth quarter on a borderline play when he was driven back as the whistle blew and body-slammed by a Pentucket defender. Junior linebacker Seth Roy (left leg) and senior captain Ryan Clarke (undisclosed) were also injured in the fourth quarter.Saugus concludes its CAL Kinney schedule against playoff wildcard hopeful Newburyport Saturday at Stackpole Field.