The Saugus boys lacrosse team went a perfect 8-0 in Foothill League play, securing its sixth consecutive league championship.

The Centurions finalized their undefeated league record Wednesday with a 15-11 win over West Ranch.

Saugus head coach Joshua Ireland stated, “Even though the West Ranch game was close, it never felt out of reach. They were tougher box to box than I expected, but I was confident with our settled offense coming off the St Francis win.”

Less than a week prior, the team faced St. Francis, which was ranked seventh in California at the time.

“We traded goals with (St. Francis) the entire game. It was like a dog fight,” said Ireland. “Going into the fourth quarter, we made some simple adjustments and we started punching back. The offense started clicking and we ended up winning it early in OT.”

While winning the Foothill League is something the Centurions have grown accustomed to, staying undefeated in league play was an added accomplishment for the program.

“Focus, pace and intensity. Three things we introduced early in the off-season and talked about practically every day,” said Ireland when asked what the biggest difference was from years past.

He added that he emphasized focus in every aspect, from school work to the weight room and the field. As for pace and intensity, he said it was important for the team to practice at game speed.

“I saw this very early from our captains and really elevated our level of play,” said Ireland. “Our captains have lead the charge from the very beginning.”

Ireland added that Kaden Barcus is the vocal leader on offense, while Wyatt Madden is the quiet, defensive captain who leads by example. Joe Forrand stands in the cage every day and never flinches, while Lucas Limon and Alex Villanueva lead the midfield group.

Another key contributor to the Centurions’ success is sophomore Gavin Pantelidis, who had a breakout freshman season with 53 goals. This season, he topped that mark with 63 goals, the fourth-most in California.

Gavin Pantelidis fights off a West Ranch defender.

“As a freshman, he had a lot of success scoring goals,” said Ireland. “This year, he would typically get matched against some of the top defenders in our area.”

Ireland noted that most teams focused on Pantelidis and played him physically.

“Gavin had to adapt his play style and support his teammates. He elevated our level of play with some fantastic assists,” said Ireland. “Early in the season, he developed a much more aggressive mindset and asked to play a lot more defense. He saw it as an opportunity to turn the field and create more offense.”

With the regular season in the rearview, the Centurions are now focused on the playoffs ahead.

“We are waiting to hear if we will be seeded in Division 1 or Division 2. Saugus has never been a Division 1 program,” said Ireland. “It would be an honor to jump into the Division 1 bracket to match up against some of those historic programs. Either way, the boys will be ready to play.”

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