Martha's Vineyard Sports
Youth soccer playoffs
Photos by Ralph Stewart
The top-seeded Edgartown girls and Up-Island Poole boys both posted wins in their playoff openers in Martha's Vineyard Youth Soccer School League action last Saturday at the West Tisbury School.
Jenny Lindland notched a hat trick to lead the high-flying defending champion Eagles to a 7-0 win over Tisbury-Charter School.
Edgartown will meet the Up-Island girls in the final, Saturday at 1 pm.
Up-Islanders had the top two boys squads during the regular season, with Matt Poole's side finishing a perfect 5-0 and Phil Dwane's team, 4-1.
Up-Island Poole is still the team to beat by virtue of a 4-2 win over Tisbury on Saturday. Ben Poole scored twice and Jacob Lawrence added another.
The Boys semi-finals will be Saturday at 2:30, with Up-Island Poole taking on Oak Bluffs and Up-Island Dwane playing the Charter School.
The boys final is Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm. All playoff matches are at the West Tisbury School.
after a loose ball.
Crusaders crushed
Friday, on Dan McCarthy Field, the Vineyard varsity football team avenged last season's 20-16 loss to Cape Tech/Harwich in no uncertain terms, 35-8.
Photos by M.C. Wallo
The outcome was clear early. Martha's Vineyard began play on its own 20-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Quarterback Mike McCarthy rumbled 57 yards to the Crusaders' 23 yard line. Five plays later, McCarthy crashed into the end zone. Brooks Billingham's kick made the score 7-0. It had taken two minutes and 23 seconds.
Billingham's kick was returned to the Cape Tech 41. After 11 plays and three first downs, Martha's Vineyard took over on its own 35. A Crusader facemask penalty moved the ball to the Tech 44. Runs by Nick Gross and Erik Dolliver advanced the line of scrimmage to the 15 from where Dolliver scored. Billingham made it 14-0.
An intercepted pass by Nick Billingham returned the ball to the Vineyard and the first quarter ended with Martha's Vineyard in possession on the Cape Tech 28. On the fifth play of the second period, Dolliver upped the ante to 20-0 and Billingham added the extra point, 21-0.
That was the score at the half.
The third quarter produced another Vineyard touchdown, this time a 15-yard pass from McCarthy to Matt Costello.
Billingham's predictable kick made it 28-0.
Cape Tech's QB Mike Hamilton scored from 21 yards and added a two-point conversion, avoiding a shutout.
With victory securely in hand and the ball advanced to the Cape Tech seven and just a couple minutes left on the clock, Coach Herman directed Mike McCarthy to "take a knee" effectively ending the scoring at 28-8. But Cape Tech would have none of it. They called a time out to stop the clock. So the Vineyard scored again on a short pass from McCarthy to Costello.
Final score: Martha's Vineyard 35, Cape Tech/Harwich 8.
The Martha's Vineyard defense effectively controlled the Crusaders offense. Fin Kaeka, Erik Dolliver, and Blair Rancich were often at the bottom of the pile.
This Friday the Martha's Vineyard juggernaut will be at Canton versus Blue Hills, the other Mayflower team that beat them last year, 8-6. Blue Hills lost to Cape Tech/Harwich earlier this year. Martha's Vineyard is the only undefeated team in the Mayflower Large League.
Fan bus
The Touchdown Club is sponsoring a fan bus to Friday's Blue Hills game. Kick off is at 5:30. Tickets ($5) are on sale in the school cafeteria from 10:45 am to 12:30 pm. Fans must purchase their own ferry tickets for the 2:30 pm boat, returning on the 9:45.
Field hockey team meets the end of the road
The spunky, never-say-die Martha's Vineyard Regional High School field hockey team, with an 8-6-4 record, was seeded 15th in the Division 2 South Sectionals. The Islanders disposed of the 18th seed, Carver, 4-2 in the preliminary round a week ago Wednesday, qualifying them to take on second-seeded Bishop Stang with a 15-1-1 record, Friday. (Stang's single tie was with the Vineyarders, 3-3 on October 23.)
Photo by Ralph Stewart
The Spartans played an effective game of keep away in the first half and reached the mid point of the contest with a one-goal lead, 1-0.
In the second half, the Vineyarders clearly dominated the play with most of the action taking place in front of the Bishop Stang net. Early in the period Bishop Stang scored a second goal. With three minutes remaining Olivia Gross found the back of the net cutting the lead in half. In the time remaining the Islanders came close to knotting the score, "Close, but no cigar," and the Islanders sailed home with their pride, if not their tourney standing, in tact.
Correction please
In last week's field hockey report on the first Bishop Stang game we mistakenly credited Brianna Lewis with one of the Martha's Vineyard late goals leading to a tie. The correct name is Brianna Davies.
