SAUGUS — It’s all about building familiarity with new head coach Steve Cummings for the Saugus football team this preseason. As the start of the new season inches closer, things are on the right track.
“We have a small senior class (nine) so getting to know them all was pretty easy,” Cummings said. “Being hired in March and being able to open up the weight room and be there after school, seeing kids and meeting kids, that helped out a ton.”
The Sachems’ level of dedication and work ethic stood out to Cummings right from the start. As the team puts on the pads this week, that dedication has carried over.
“The effort is there,” Cummings said. “It’s great. My seniors and my captains have done a great job of setting the tone attitude wise. It’s hot out, we’re in pads but everyone’s excited. They want to be here and it shows. That’s so much easier to work with. We don’t have to motivate them, they want to practice and work.”
That group of captains includes three core senior players for Saugus in running backs Marvens Jean and Christian Correia and tight end Bruno Auzec. The group was happy to have a whole offseason to get familair with Cummings after having to adjust to interim coach Mike Mabee throughout the year last season.
“We’ve become pretty comfortable with (Cummings),” Correia said. “He’s been with the team all offseason and it’s been pretty easy compared to the adversity of last year.
“Things have been pretty smooth,” Jean added. “I feel like all the players really like him and enjoy the presence of mind that we got back. It’s been good.”
Once the offense found its footing in 2018, Saugus improved each week. Correia, who was a wide receiver at the time, built a connection with quarterback Mason Nickolas and Jean helped lead the Sachems to victory in the Division 5 North quarterfinal with 266 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Sachems expect to continue where they left off on offense.
“I think we’re continuing to get better and will improve each week this year,” Correia said. “We have a lot of options on offense opening up. We have different formations that we’re getting ready to run that I think it will be good.”
On the defensive side, Auzec and Correia both anchor the defense at linebacker while Jean leads the secondary at safety.
“I think our strength on defense is that linebacker spot,” Jean said. “And the back end, the defensive backs, have gotten a lot better. It evens out our talent on the defensive side.”
Off the field the Sachems also have leadership in co-captain Zack Kesbia. A lineman, Kesbia suffered a leg injury that will have him sitting out his senior season but he still serves as a vocal leader.
“It’s like a family out here,” Kesbia said. “We’re all very close. A lot of the kids on this team are young, sophomores and freshmen. Over the past few years playing I’ve learned a lot about playing offensive and defensive line. It’s been good to teach them what I know and all the technique.”
For now the Sachems’ focus is on getting ready for the season starting with a three-way scrimmage Saturday in Newburyport.
“We have a pretty good idea of our top-end guys and where they fit,” Cummings said. “Then you’ve got these other guys that can help. Right now we’re trying to figure out where they can help and where to best utilize guys. We don’t want to have the same 11 guys on both sides doing everything.
“The scrimmage will be good,” Cummings said. “I know Newburyport is in Division 5 so it’s a team we could see down the road in the postseason. It will be good to mix it up. Our practices are pretty controlled but once you get in a little bit of that unknown out there with another team we’ll see what happens.”
