Saugus football: Youth team boosts frosh class
Spartans infuse freshmen Cents with experience
By Cary Osborne
Signal Sports Editor
It’s hard to characterize it as a possible turnaround when the faces are completely different.
How about turned right side up?
The Saugus freshman football team has a lot going for it this season.
Most notably, the Centurions freshmen are more experienced in football compared to last season’s 3-7 team.
There are approximately 10 kids on the team who played for the Saugus Spartans — a youth football team which saw its first year of action in 2009 and is a feeder team to the Centurions.
“That’s a big advantage right there,” said Saugus second-year freshman head coach Kevin Miner. “We’re so much further ahead this year than we were last year. We’re moving ahead so much quicker. We have the defense and offense in place more than last year.”
Miner said a lot of it has to do with the non-Spartans kids learning from the Spartans kids.
It’s no surprise that some of the kids expected to carry heavy loads are Spartans kids.
Quarterback Tim Kahovec is one of those players.
He has experience in the system and Miner said he makes the right reads.
Jon Russell and Austin McKinney are both in the mix at running back and both are hard hitters, Miner said.
Look for both to be impact linebackers as well.
Reid Rupe is a third running back who has shown a talent for the position.
The Saugus offensive line also boasts size, as Miner said he has a couple of players at 230 pounds — strong Torrey Patterson and 6-foot-4-inch Marco Ayala.
On the defensive side of the ball, Steven Kwak, Jacob Montoya and Michael Ponce are key players.
Miner said he needs to find a way to get athletic Alex Sanchez on the field because he might be the fastest kid on the team.
Now, if those players can stay in the program.
Many of the players from last year’s freshman team didn’t continue playing in 2010.
If this crop does, Saugus might have a lot to build on.
