Christian Mielcarek / For The ItemMARBLEHEAD – Passing wasn’t necessary. A power rushing attack was all that was required in Saugus’ 40-14 victory over Marblehead at Piper Field.The Sachems amassed 384 yards on the ground, had four first half rushes over 30 yards, averaged 9.1 yards per carry for the game and senior Nick Ortega had a highlight night with three touchdowns.”Hats off to Saugus. That was a hell of an effort,” said Magician coach Doug Chernovetz.Ortega rushed for 85 yards on five carries (17 YPC) and crushed any hope of a Marblehead comeback with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter.After the Sachems rattled off 28 unanswered points, Marblehead replaced their starting quarterback with sophomore backup Hayes Richardson.On Richardson’s first series, the Magicians marched 88 yards in 2:32. Prior to his entrance, Marblehead only managed 44 yards in four possessions and one first down. Richardson quickly sparked his team and completed three of four passes for 69 yards. The drive culminated with a halfback screen to Michael Sahagian who took advantage of three superb blocks on the way to his 30 yard TD which cut Saugus’ lead to 28-7 after the extra point.If the Magician’s thought a comeback was in order, Ortega may have changed their minds. The back took the ensuing kickoff 83 yards into the end zone and extended his team’s lead to 34-7 after the failed two-point conversion. It was the third touchdown for Ortega, who already had TD rushes of one and 10 yards.”This definitely sends us into Thanksgiving on a high note,” said Sachem coach Mike Broderick, whose squad will welcome Chelsea on the holiday. “(Marblehead) owned us the last few years. It’s been a long time since we’ve had six wins. We’ve worked hard.”Junior Brett Reid (six carries, 98 yards) started the scoring for the visiting squad. On Saugus’ second play of the game, the elusive quarterback opted against the handoff and instead sprinted up the middle. The fake worked so well, Reid bolted past a Magician safety that was sprinting up to tackle the incorrect Sachem. Reid ran 67 yards untouched into the end zone.Running back Mike Dean (13 carries, 79 yards) also had two touchdowns for Saugus. Dean ended a nine play drive with a four yard run on his team’s second possession and scored on a 16 yard rumble near the end of the third quarter.Richardson’s passing was the one bright spot for Marblehead. He completed eight of 13 passes for 157 yards despite not playing until three minutes into the second quarter. On their final possession of the evening, Richardson connected with tight end Sam Perlow for a 77 yard TD.”Things didn’t go our way, but we were playing a very good team,” Chernovetz said. “We have good things to come. We’ve got to believe things are going to get better.”The win improved the Sachems to 6-3. The loss was the third consecutive defeat for the Magicians who will play Swampscott at home on Thanksgiving Day.