Saugus football coach Mike Mabee knows firsthand just how important the Sachems’ (4-6) yearly matchup against Peabody is to his players and how his team will be tested in the game.
“It’s a game I’m really familiar with,” Mabee said. “I went to Saugus High School and we played Peabody all four years. It’s a game where you can pretty much throw both the records out the window. Even though we both have similar records it means nothing.”
Mabee has looked for his players to rally around the senior class in the final weeks of the season and that will be no different when Saugus travels to Peabody on Thanksgiving (10).
“It’s a big game that our seniors are looking forward to,” Mabee said. “We are looking for younger players to play for the seniors. We have a really tight-knit group and they’re all close so that shouldn’t be a problem.
“This group is really loose,” Mabee added. “So there hasn’t really been a shift at practice this last week. But as Thanksgiving gets closer and the end is approaching I expect to see a change in the atmosphere.”
The Sachems will look to linebacker Dante McGrane and defensive lineman Jake Morgante to help combat the Tanners offense.
“We look for Dante and Jake to sort of lead our defense and players feed off them defensively,” Mabee said. “Everything they do for us helps free up a lot of other players. Jake is a great defensive lineman and a lot of the focus on him allows other players to get chances to make plays.”
On offense, junior running back Marvens Jean has been the primary threat for much of the season, including a 266-yard performance against Weston in the Division 5 North quarterfinal game. Jean cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the season in a win over Pentucket.
Junior offensive lineman Zach Kesbia has also been a huge help this season.
“He has been our biggest leader on the line,” Mabee said of Kesbia. “Zach has been great for us all year. I think of him as the brains of the offensive line. All year I’ve looked to him to help his teammates understand the blocking schemes. He always knows what everyone’s job is.”
Along with the running game, the Sachems have also been able to expand their offensive attack with quarterback Mason Nickolas stepping up late in the season.
“In last Saturday’s game Mason threw a touchdown pass and probably had over 100 passing yards,” Mabee said. “Some games we just haven’t been able to run as well. He has really stepped up if our running game isn’t working. It’s good to have that option on offense now.
“Overall I know it can be an an emotional week,” Mabee added. “It means a lot to our players and it’s a great opportunity for the kids so we are looking forward to it.”
