WAKEFIELD — It had already been a tumultuous week for the Saugus football team before it even took the field Friday night. The Sachems came into their second game of the season missing head coach Anthony Nalen, who had been put on administrative leave before the opener, cleared this week of wrongdoing, yet still not brought back to the program.
That was the situation the Sachems were in when they found themselves down 20 points midway through the fourth quarter at Northeast. They could have packed it in. Instead, the Sachems showed grit, rallying for two fourth quarter touchdowns, but falling just short in a 26-18 loss.
And that’s something interim head coach Mike Mabee hopes his team can carry forward.
“It shows the heart the team has to never give up and keep fighting,” Mabee said. “They really stepped it up and kept fighting for the rest of the game.”
Mabee applauded his assistant coaches for stepping up on short notice. Nalen’s assistant coaches were let go this week.
“I just want to thank my assistant coaches, they’ve done a great job helping me out. Steven Whitehurst, Mike Vokey, Joe Foristere and Mike Monto. Those guys have done a great job coming during a tough situation.
“We’re staying positive,” Mabee said. “We’re trying to have the right frame of mind, going into practice and working hard.”
Saugus quarterback Mason Nickolas completed 10-of-19 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
“Mason’s only a sophomore,” Mabee said. “He has a lot of work to do but he has great upside. He’s keeping his head. He knows the offense.”
Christian Correia (5 receptions, 134 yards) caught two touchdowns and James Moise (3 receptions, 103 yards) hauled in one.
Northeast took advantage of a Saugus miscue to punch in the game’s first touchdown in the opening quarter. Nickolas was picked off on his first pass attempt and the Golden Knights scored, five plays later, on a 2-yard run by Connor Joseph with 6:42 remaining in the quarter. Joseph added the 2-point conversion and Northeast led, 8-0. The Golden Knights recovered an onside kick on the ensuing possession but Saugus squashed the threat and kept its 8-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter.
The Sachems broke through early in the second quarter when Nickolas connected with Moise for a 50-yard touchdown pass. Saugus failed on the 2-point conversion but the Sachems were on the board, down 8-6, with 9:34 left in the half. Northeast couldn’t get anything going on its next possession but a muffed punt gave the Golden Knights a short field and Zach Sanderson scored on a 3-yard rush. Saugus denied the conversion to keep it a one-score Northeast lead at 14-6 and that’s where it stayed at halftime.
Northeast continued its “ground and pound” attack in the second half, eating 6½ minutes off the clock on its opening drive. Sean O’Brien padded the lead to 20-6 with a 3-yard touchdown rush (conversion failed).
“(Northeast) had some big, bruising backs,” Mabee said. “Their (offensive) line handled us a little bit in the first half. Our guys toughened up in the second half. We moved a few guys around. We did a better job with that.”
Saugus trailed, 20-6, after three quarters.
Joseph scored his second touchdown of the night, this time on a 1-yard run, to open the fourth quarter and place the Sachems in a steep 26-6 hole (conversion failed). Showing no quit, Saugus scored on back-to-back touchdown passes from Nickolas to Correia (36, 15 yards).
“Christian’s just a phenomenal athlete,” Mabee said. “Pretty much anything you throw his way, he’s going to go up and catch.”
With a final chance to knot the score, Saugus carried the ball to Northeast territory but Patrick Michel’s interception sealed the 26-18 win for the Golden Knights.
Saugus (0-2) hosts Salem next Saturday (1) for its home opener at Stackpole.
