Vineyard wins tough one against Bishop Stang

0

It was one of those high scoring games when the momentum changed sides and the lead changed hands with regularity. It occurred to one that whichever team scored the last touchdown would win the game Friday. And that is precisely what happened.

It took just a minute and a half for the Bishop Stang Spartans to score. Martha’s Vineyard won the coin toss and elected to receive.

Dave Andrews returned the kick off to the MV 34 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage a lateral pitch went awry and Stang recovered on the MV 25. Two plays later a ten-yard pass put the Spartans up 6-0. The kick for an extra point made it 7-0. The game was just a minute and a half old.

Randall Jette returned the Stang kick to the MV 40. Helped by a personal foul, the Islanders scored their first points on a 15-yard pass from Randall Jette to Chris Costello. The extra point try failed. 7-6.

Stang began their next set of downs on their own 37. MV’s Harry West, Ramon Espino and Tyer Araujo stopped Stang’s efforts cold and they were forced to punt from the 30. Jette returned to ball 65 yards for the Vineyard’s second TD. The try for two extra points failed. MV 12, Stang 7.

Then it was Logan Sullo’s turn to impress. He returned the Dhonathon Lemos’ kick 70 yards to the end zone. The point after touchdown was good again and Stang retook the lead, 14-12 as the first quarter ended.

The Spartans recovered another dropped lateral but were forced to punt as the MV defense came to the fore. Starting on their own 35, the Islanders moved steadily to the Stang goal line. The final two yards were traversed by Tyler Araujo. Costello added two points after and the Vineyard was up, 20-14. With time running out the visitors from Dartmouth followed Sullo to the MV end zone, tying the score at 20. The kick for an extra point made it 21-20.

In the second half, Sullo capped a 33-yard march putting his team up, 27-20. The Vineyard responded covering 30 yards in three plays, the last one a 16-yard scoring pass from Jette to Andrews, Lemos’ big toe evened the count at 27. Beginning on their own 42, Stang moved doggedly to the MV 5 yard line in 13 plays. The MV line held and Stang tried a field goal, which went awry. Taking advantage of a personal foul, the Vineyard moved inexorably to the Stang 11 from where Jette scored on a keeper. Lemos was good again and the Vineyard led 34-27, the final score.

Denver Maciel was credited with 13 tackles. Brian Montambault had 11. The Islanders take on Nauset here Friday. Kick off is at 6 pm.