Spreading their success

Saugus taps triple-option to put offense in high gear

Saugus High's Brett Reid scampers past Watertown defenders during last weekend's 21-7 win. (Lisa Poole for The Boston Globe)

His Saugus High football team was unbeaten after pounding Watertown, 21-7, on Saturday, riding an undersized but athletic set of offensive linemen and running backs to four straight wins just a few years after the school considered dropping the program to the junior varsity level.

Coach Mike Broderick says his goal was to turn the team around, but at the homecoming game, he actually heard the crowd talking about it.

After a bye weekend, the Sachems open their Northeastern Conference Small schedule Oct. 17 at Winthrop, and a win against the Vikings would guarantee a second consecutive finish of at least .500.

"It's great for us as a program," Broderick said. "It's the first time we've been 4-0 since the mid-'90s. Our kids are very focused and their eyes are set on winning the league."

The blueprint for much of the newfound success is a spread triple-option offense, implemented this fall to take advantage of the players on the Saugus roster.

Broderick has two talented running backs in Michael Dean and Brett Reid, but at 185 pounds and 160 pounds, respectively, neither are bowling balls. While his offensive line had a ceiling of about 240 pounds, with senior lineman Anthony Barrasso throwing his weight around, it went as small as 170 pounds.

"We've really shopped around and tried to implement a system that would fit on every level," Broderick said. "It's a difficult offense to run because it is pretty complicated, but we have a number of midsize athletic backs. . . . so we're able to distribute the ball on the ground between four backs, which is nice."

The system has transformed the Sachems offense into a machine that has pumped out 33.3 points per game, second only to defending league champion and Super Bowl winner Swampscott High.

Dean, whom Broderick describes as "a hard-nosed kid and he runs hard," has found the end zone seven times, while Reid, described by Broderick as just as tough but also "very knowledgeable," has run for eight touchdowns this fall. "We let him do a lot of decision-making out there," he said of Reid.

But the key has been the offensive line, led by Barrasso, Mike Gray, and Pat Hartigan, seniors who have been in the trenches the past three years.

"They grind it out," Broderick said.

As clever as the triple-option offense is, Broderick said, he knows it's not the only scheme to watch, particularly with Winthrop flashing a wing-T that's made wide receiver Chris Beranger (nine touchdowns) one of the league's biggest threats. "They're coming out smashing you in the face," Broderick said, "and you've got to be sound in your defensive reads."

The schedule doesn't lighten up for Saugus, with Winthrop followed by Beverly and Swampscott, but Broderick said his players should be prepared. "Our league's very, very tough," he said. "And we know that."

Lining up a clash of unbeatens

Thomas Connors emphasized a point to his Amesbury High team this week: The Indians may be undefeated, but they're still winless.

"We're 4-0," the coach said. "But as far as the league's concerned, we're 0-0. That's what counts."

He made sure to remind everyone by posting the Cape Ann League standings in the locker room.

Amesbury's matchup at Georgetown on Saturday couldn't be more crucial, because not only are the Royals a new rival after jumping from the Commonwealth Athletic Conference, but after beating Lynnfield they're already 1-0 in the league.

This weekend's game is also a battle between two of the top teams in Division 3A, with Amesbury and Georgetown among its three unbeaten squads.

The Indians have made light work of three Cape Ann Large teams already, beating Triton Regional, North Andover, and Lawrence by an average of 19 points. And running back Kevin Johnston took over the field during a 44-14 win over East Boston.

For its part, Georgetown has been tough on defense, allowing just three touchdowns in three games, while quarterback Joe Esposito has found the end zone nine times this season.

The Royals run the spread offense, and are able to mix it up on the ground and in the air, but their primary weapon is under center. Whether Saugus puts a spy on Esposito or devises another system, Connors said, "We're certainly going to come up with schemes intended to slow him down a little."

Georgetown will have the task of stifling Amesbury's running game, which has seen two backs go for 200-plus yards. The Indians use Johnston to run around the edges, while fullback Jesse Burrell pushes up the middle.

"We're kind of apples and oranges offensively," Connors said. "They're scoring points, we're scoring points, and we're both doing it very, very different."

Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com.