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SAUGUS — For Pentucket, 15 short minutes made a world of difference.

In the first half of yesterday’s game, the smart, split-second decision-making of Saugus’ option quarterback C.J. Randolph rolled up 153 rushing yards, while the defense bottled up Pentucket’s attack to just 61 yards and forced a turnover. Going into the break, Saugus held a 14-7 advantage.

GEORGETOWN — Anthony Guthro ran for 135 yards with a touchdown to help Saugus sink Georgetown 28-6. Saugus improved to 1-4 while the Royals dropped to 1-3. A Georgetown turnover on the first possession of the game led to Saugus’ first score, a 2-yard quarterback sneak by C.J. Randolph. The Royals’ second possession ended in an interception. Shortly after, Nick Benoit cashed in on a 7-yard run. The Royals drove to the Saugus 7 late in the half but the drive stalled. Saugus put the game out of reach in the second half on a Guthro touchdown run and a 78-yard touchdown catch by Ryan Henehan. Georgetown scored its lone points on a 10-yard Tyler Wade pass to Pat Bjork late in the third quarter. “You can’t get into the red zone four times and only come away with six points,” Royals coach Paul Sobolewski said. “That’s what it came down to. They were a little bit hungrier than we were. Football comes down to blocking and tackling. We didn’t do a good job of either one and that’s on me, I’ve got to do a better job. “I said before the season started that I’m not worried about wins and losses, I’m worried about restoring a program. Which is what I was asked to do ... try to bring some pride back. And right now, we’re young and you’re seeing that. You’re seeing that aspect of it.”

NORTH READING — North Reading's new-look offense goes old school, and it works. The Hornets punished Saugus 20-0 to open the season with a win on home field with a freshly installed single wing formation.

New assistant coach Ed Melanson brought the single wing with him to the staff this season after migrating from Peabody. The formation was developed by Pop Warner — yes the Pop Warner — in 1903.

It's old-school, smash-mouth football.

The Hornets rushed 38 times, throwing just twice, but hammered the Sachems' defense for 232 yards. Junior tailback Carl Lipani rushed for 161 of those yards on 25 carries.

"(Melanson) is probably the only guy on the staff who even fully understands it," admits head coach Jeff Wall. "It's all him. He brought it here, he installed it and I'm just not messing with it. I know that running the scout team defense against it, it drives me nuts, so I can only imagine what it does to other teams."

At times North Reading's formations and rotation from the offensive line had the Sachems confused and out of position. The single wing overloads one side of the line with a wingback, tailback and fullback. There are also options for the quarterback — Jackson Kellogg — to take carries.

“It’s a chess game,” Melanson said. “Where you overload the line like that, it forces the other team to make an adjustment. Then we try to throw in some other moves.”

Lipani's up-the-gut power running fits perfect with the new gameplan.

"I love it," he said. "It's smash mouth. We used it (last night) and we're only going to get better with it. There are so many things we can do with it. I just love playing in it."

Melanson first noticed the formation on an ESPN show called "The Survivors." He was so intrigued he called around and got in touch with a coach in South Carolina, who told him about a Single Wing symposium. So he hopped on a plane and went to work.

"I went down there and learned how to install it and how to run it," Melanson said. "Other clinics have come up, too and just learning more and more about it. It's a power game. It's a punch-you-in-the-mouth offense."

And just in case anyone suggests it won’t work, he has a resume to back it up. Melanson was part of a St. Mary's (Lynn) staff that won a state championship using the same formation in 2005.

But as with anything, personal can make or break a system. Melanson believes Lipani is the man who could take North Reading to the top.

"He gets it," Melanson said. "He is going to just keep smashing into guys until they don't want to be smashed into anymore. We have a lot of young guys to who are learning it and catching on quick."

He added, “We’re just scratching the surface. We didn’t do nearly as much with it tonight as we will be able to. There are more things we’re going to be able to throw in here, so it’s really exciting.”