When the Saugus football team started the season at 1-6, there didn’t seem to be much hope for the Sachems this fall. A tough slate of games in which the Sachems fell to six playoff teams made things difficult for Saugus early on in the year. The good news, however, is that Saugus has turned things around since then.
Winners of three in a row, Saugus moves into Thursday morning’s Thanksgiving clash against rival Peabody at 4-6 and riding a wave of momentum. First-year Sachems coach Anthony Nalen made it a priority for his team improve week by week, and he believes his players have done that.
“I think we really learned how to compete in a full game,” Nalen said. “Peabody’s a different animal in that we’re going to be playing the best team we’ve played since Swampscott. We need to make sure that we’re at our best in doing what we need to do to win this game.”
The Tanners come into the game at 5-5 on the season. Similar to Saugus, Peabody struggled early on but pulled together to win four of its last five games.
“Peabody’s well-coached, they’re tough and they’re physical,” Nalen said. “They’re a very disciplined football team and they make you earn everything.”
Peabody boasts a strong running game, led by one of the toughest ball carries to tackle in the Northeastern Conference in Eric DeMayo. Defensively the Tanners carry an athletic core of linebackers known for making big plays, also led by DeMayo.
“They have very good linebackers on defense and good running backs on offense,” Nalen said. “DeMayo’s a great player on both sides. He’s the heart and soul of their team. Their running game is effective and their linebackers make plays.”
The keys for Saugus in Thursday’s game will be to generate consistent drives on offense, avoiding three-and-outs. On the defensive side, the Sachems will look to rally together to limit DeMayo’s production.
“We have to be consistent,” Nalen said. “We don’t want to have any three-and-outs. We have to jump on them early, stay on track and continue to match their points. Hopefully if we do that, we’ll be in the game late and we’ll try to grab them.
“We need to get after the ball,” Nalen added. “We know DeMayo doesn’t go down easily. Anytime you don’t rally around him, he makes a big play. We have to be consistent on offense and make sure they earn everything on defense for us to win this game.”
Leading the Sachems’ offense this season are quarterback Mike Mabee, receiver Christian Correia, who has emerged as a reliable target as a sophomore, and running back Marvens Jean. Players to watch for on defense include middle linebacker Ricky Martinez, who’s also a playmaker on offense at receiver, as well as defensive end Jake Morgante and cornerback James Moise.
Kickoff for Thursday’s game at Stackpole Field is scheduled for 10 a.m.
“Our players understand what this game’s about and they understand the magnitude of it,” Nalen said. “They want to put on a good show for the Saugus community. We’re making sure that we’re both excited and prepared about playing this game.”
