SAUGUS — With offseason workouts preparing Saugus football players for the fall, senior captain Braden Faiella is optimistic about the Sachems’ upcoming season.
“Last year, it was a tough year. We only had one win, but coming off of the 0-11 season it felt great to just get one and it feels good to get it rolling into my senior year,” Faiella said.
Faiella, who plays on the offensive line and as a starting linebacker for Saugus, said his favorite thing about playing linebacker is the control he has on the game.
“You can control what is going on. I get to make sure the defensive line is in the correct position and shift them over if they’re not,” Faiella said. “I also can relay any of the play calls to our secondary. I just love being able to control the defense.”
What makes Faiella successful on defense is the work he puts in off the field watching film and studying his opponents.
“I study a lot and I try to make sure I know everything that’s going on pregame,” Faiella said. “When I see something that I saw on film, I can make the correct play and relay it to our guys, so when we’re all correct it’s a great feeling.”
This year, Faiella said he’s putting in a lot of work and that his teammates have been grinding to make sure Saugus has a successful season.
“I truly believe this season will be different for us,” Faiella said. “We have great coaches and great leadership from our captains. I really think this year will be a good one for us.”
“I’ve been lifting and running hills all offseason,” Faiella said. “I’m just trying to stay athletic and get stronger and faster.”
Now entering his final year of high school, Faiella said he and his teammates cannot wait until Aug. 18, the official start of training camp.
“The hype coming up to the season is the best,” Faiella said. “Senior year and everyone is amped up to getting ready to go at it to have a great season. I’m so excited for the upcoming season.”
As a captain, Faiella knows the balance he has to maintain between holding his teammates accountable and being there for them.
“I get on guys if they’re not doing the right thing, but at the same time I’m there for all of them and if they need anything I’ll always be there for them,” Faiella said.
Faiella mentioned that the team didn’t graduate many players, that their schedule has changed, and they’ll be competing against different schools than usual.
“We have pretty much everyone back,” Faiella said. “The schedule changed a bit this year so I’m looking forward to playing some new teams. We’re all ready to go, we put in a lot of work this offseason.”
When asked if he has any schools circled on the calendar, Faiella mentioned two of them.
“I usually look at Swampscott as a game circled on the calendar. My step-dad is from Swampscott so it’s a game I’m usually up for,” Faiella said. “Salem as well. In the past, we’ve had some really good games against them. We always play each other tough and there’s a lot of hype going into our games.”
Faiella believes both the offense and defense will be improved from last season, which gives him hope that the team can accomplish one of its goals of making the playoffs.
“I think our defense is going to be really improved. On offense, our quarterback is great and we have some really good wide receivers so I think both offense and defense we’ll be strong,” Faiella said. “The one goal we have as a team is to make the playoffs.”
