SAUGUS — The third time proved to be the charm for the Saugus football team.
After dropping the first two games of the season, Saugus earned its first win of 2018 with a 14-0 victory over Salem at Stackpole Field Saturday afternoon.
Saugus interim head coach Mike Mabee said it felt good to get on the win column during the team’s home opener. Mabee has coached the Sachems during all three of their games as former head coach Anthony Nalen, who was handed a letter of termination last week, seeks an injunction in court.
“It feels good for these kids,” Mabee said. “I’m just proud of the kids. They came out, played a really good game and got a win for them. I’m really happy for the kids.”
Running back Marvens Jean (16 carries, 170 yards) got the Sachems’ offense moving in the right direction with a 75-yard touchdown run on an outside sweep in the first quarter. Quarterback Mason Nickolas (5-for-11, 95 yards, one touchdown) connected with receiver Christian Correia for a 55-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Javier Martinez-Moretta booted both PAT’s.
Salem, on the other hand, saw starting quarterback Nate Minaya go down on the first play from scrimmage. Jeffrey Holloway (4-for-9, 48 yards) stepped in under center for the rest of the game.
“We had some critical guys out and younger guys had to step up,” Salem coach Matt Bouchard said. “Losing Nate is a big shot to what we’re doing. Nate has led this team the whole first half of the year. Losing him was critical and then Melkin Bautista, our right guard, who’s at the point of attack at every play. His ankle, so he was out. All those things transpired right in that first quarter and that definitely affected our offense.”
Jean’s 75-yard touchdown carry was the lone score of the first half. With Minaya out, the Witches struggled to find any rhythm on offense and a suffocating Saugus defense didn’t help Salem’s cause. Saugus’ defensive front, led by Jake Morgante, pressured Holloway and Salem’s ball-carriers for the majority of the game and caused havoc in the backfield. The Sachems led 7-0 at halftime.
“We were trying to keep everything inside, keep it contained and have our linebackers come up and make plays,” Mabee said. “The kids did it. They played a great game on the field.”
The Sachems stretched their lead to 13-0 when sophomore Nickolas found an open Correia on a slant for a 55-yard touchdown strike with 3:12 to play in the third quarter. Martinez-Moretta cashed in on the PAT and Saugus led 14-0 at the end of the three quarters.
“Christian’s a phenomenal athlete,” Mabee said. “He runs good routes. He’ll go up and catch the ball. The slant play was a big play for us. There was a big third-down throw on the sideline where he caught it and kept his feet in. (Correia and Nickolas) have a good repertoire.
“(Mason) made a big throw on that slant route and we popped one,” Mabee added. “He’s doing a great job running the offense. He gets the offense, he knows where everyone is so it’s good to see from a young quarterback.”
To Salem’s credit, the Witches never relented. Salem marched into Saugus territory twice in the fourth quarter after Martinez-Moretta missed a 26-yard field goal attempt in hopes of making it a three-possession game. But a pair of turnovers hurt Salem when Correia recovered a fumble at the Saugus 36 and Jaryd Coffil caught an interception at the Sachems’ 31. That was enough for Saugus to ice the 14-0 win.
“One game doesn’t define the season but it’s a critical steppingstone,” Bouchard said. “Everybody on this football team needs to learn from this. If we do, we’ll be fine the rest of the season.”
Salem (2-1) visits Swampscott (3-0) Saturday (noon) at Blocksidge. Saugus (1-2) visits English (2-1) Saturday (2) at Manning.
