Saugus football was dealt its first loss of the season last week against Redondo Union, but the Centurions have the opportunity to bounce back in a big way against Thousand Oaks, a CIF-Southern Section Division 8 opponent.
The Lancers are winless through three games and have a junior-heavy roster.
Junior running back Levin Hammond has rushed for 172 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries. Through the air, junior receiver Brady Sparks has caught eight passes for 141 yards and quarterback Miles Briers has thrown 18-for-40 for 232 yards and one touchdown.
Although the Centurions lost last week, quarterback Colton FitzGerald had a quality outing, throwing 14-for-31 for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
Saugus just couldn’t get going in the first half, and according to coach Jason Bornn, it came down to defense.
“The scheme wasn’t the issue. The issue was they were doing a much better job of blocking, and we couldn’t get off blocks, and they were doing a much better job tackling than what we were doing,” Bornn said. “That’s ultimately what it came down to.”
Scoring depth will also be an asset to Saugus against Redondo Union. A different player scored each of the Cents’ three touchdowns against Redondo Union with receivers Cade Gallagher and Julian Born as well as FitzGerald reaching the end zone.
Saugus will travel to Thousand Oaks for a 7 p.m. kickoff tonight.