Salem takes down Saugus in defensive game

SAUGUS — It’s hard to beat a witch in October.

The Salem Witches traveled to Saugus and walked away with a 21-0 win. Considering Thursday evening’s game was one-possession for a majority, both defenses stepped up to the challenge.

Saugus coach Steve Cummings gave immediate praise to his defensive coordinator.

“Coach (Greg) Bluestein is as good of a defensive coordinator that you’re going to find in the area. He schemes things up very well and makes it easy for the kids to understand. He’s as good of a defensive coordinator that you’re going to find on the North Shore,” Cummings said. “He does an amazing job. With the guys we have and the youth we have, he’s getting our kids to play at a very high level. We’re incredibly lucky to have him on our staff.”

For Salem, it’s been the defense that has struggled to start the season, but not Thursday.

“I think the big callout was our defense tonight. Year to date, it’s been a big focus of ours. Offense is what allowed us to win games this year, and today, I think it’s a different tale,” said Salem coach Matt Bouchard. “That’s what you want from a team. If one phase of the game doesn’t have it going, the other group steps up. Our defense came up with critical stops tonight.”

Saugus’ Ryan Shea was everywhere on the defensive and offensive end. He finished the game with two interceptions on defense and offensively, was a major factor in the passing game. Shea made a highlight-reel, 18-yard catch over two defenders, to boot.

“Ryan Shea is a player. He’s one of the guys we’re trying to get the ball more. He’s a playmaker, so we need to find ways to get him the ball in space. He’s the type of player who the other team needs to know where he is on both sides of the ball,” Cummings said. “He’s a ballhawk on defense and offensively, we need to get him easier touches.”

Salem’s first touchdown came in the second quarter, when Alvin Laurent scored from 11 yards out to make it 7-0 with 9:09 remaining. The Witches were held scoreless until late in the third quarter, when Oscar Fernandez scored from 8 yards out to double up Saugus.

Bouchard praised Fernandez for giving maximum effort, whether a play is designed for him or not.

“Oscar is one of those kids who if you ask to represent Salem High School, it’s him. It doesn’t matter if he’s off the ball or not getting the ball. He’s always giving a level of effort that I think is foundational to success,” Bouchard said. “If you put him in a pressured situation, he doesn’t shy away. He wants to be in those situations.”

Cummings elected to start freshman quarterback Eli Fialho, who he believes has a big future in Saugus.

“There were a couple of balls that were just a little off. With Eli being a freshman, with a bit more seasoning, the ball is going to start dropping on players,” Cummings said. “That kid, when he gets it a little bit more, watch out. He has every other attribute you would want in a young quarterback. He’s seeing things for the first time right now and it’s only going to get sharper and cleaner the more reps he gets.”

Salem found its final touchdown after Rocco Ryan took an interception to paydirt (21-0).

“He’s a three-year captain. He was part of the program during the COVID year, so he saw the program when it was struggling. He’s been a part of the ride and the journey, making Salem great again,” Bouchard said. “He’s the face of our program. He lives by our core values.”

Kicker Connor Bloom was another positive, according to Cummings.

“We’re able to do some different things on kickoffs because of his ability. On punts, to have a guy who can get the ball out, is great. He got the ball pinned at the 1-yard line, but the Salem player made one heck of a play,” Cummings said. “To have a veteran guy like Connor kicking for us is amazing. We have all the trust in him. He played very well tonight and was able to switch field positions for us.”

Saugus welcomes Gloucester next Friday at 6:30 p.m., while Salem hosts KIPP at 6 p.m the same evening.

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