Martha's Vineyard Sports Highlights
Mark and Megan
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School girls cross-country team came in 14th and the boys were 15th, both in the middle of the pack, at the MIAA Division III meet at Franklin Park, Boston, last Saturday.
Only the top five teams advance to the All State meet to be held this Saturday, also at Franklin Park.
Individually, Mark Reppert and Megan Dreyer also qualified for the State meet.
Mark finished 20th in 17:18. Megan was 23rd in 20:19.
Division III has many of the top teams in the state.
While both teams hoped to finish higher, they put together a very successful season, including the Mayflower League championship title, competing against some of the best runners in the state.
Eagles soar highest
The Edgartown volleyball team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by the Tisbury Tigers at the Eagles aerie, Friday, three games to two.
In game one, the team from Vineyard Haven made it look easy. Maggie Riseborough served up the first four points and Tayman Brown ran a string of eight, including five aces. Tisbury's lead was 15-6. The teams exchanged goals until Riseborough circled to the service line and served up the final four points. Tisbury 25, Edgartown 12.
Game two was another story, but still a Tisbury win.
Edgartown edged ahead by five, 11-6 especially on the play of Jenny Lindland at the net. But the Tigers rallied, tying the score at 14 and staying close enough for Alex Tattersall to serve up four points, including three unreturned drives, tying the score again at 24.
The Tigers went on to win the contest, 27-25.
The Tigers had trouble handling the overhead, slap serves of Brian Hurley and Edgartown grabbed a 6-1 lead in game 3. With Zoe Nugent on the service line, the Eagles ran off eight points, taking an 18-5 lead.
With the Eagles teetering on the brink, 24-15, Tisbury made a move, scoring four points, but it was too little and too late. Lindland's smash delivered the 25-19 prize.
In game four Edgartown took an early lead when Jason Lages served up six points, including three aces to put the Eagles up, 6-2. They grew their advantage to 16-8 just as slap shot Hurley rotated to the line. Six aces and seven points gave Edgartown an insurmountable 23-11 lead. Megan Buchanon gave the Vineyard Haven fans something to cheer about by raising her team's total to 16.
The last points were posted by serves into the net or out of bounds. Edgartown, 25-17.
Game five, the tie-breaker, would be an abbreviated 15 pointer. Each team began with a three point run, then added a single and it was 4-4. The Eagles inched ahead on the next exchange, 8-6. Then it was 9-8. With Hurley serving, the Eagles reached 13. Austin Stevenson and Michael Cutrer kept the Tigers' hopes alive, but the final points of the match were on unforced errors and Edgartown walked into a 15-9 win to claim the Interscholastic title and the cup that goes with it.
Last year Tisbury had the best season record but bowed to West Tisbury in the finals.
Ocean in motion
Ocean Eversley, 50, of Oak Bluffs, ran in the New England Open/Masters Cross Country 6K Championships at Franklin Park, Boston, last Sunday, Nov. 9. It was Ocean's first cross-country race.
In her age group (50 to 59 years) Ocean placed fourth at 28:09 behind (1) Joan Benoit Samuelson, 51, 21:56, (2) Jeanne Hackett, 50, 24:51; and (3) Lisa Doucett, 53, 27:41,
Ocean runs as a member of the Liberty Track Club, the oldest U.S. women's track team, which won the New England Championship Cross Country team title.
Youth Hockey notes
At Raynham, Friday, the Martha's Vineyard Junior High team lost its battle with North Attleboro Junior High, 4-1.
Saturday, in Neponset Valley League games at Foxboro the Vineyard Squirts dropped North Attleboro, 7-4.
Also Saturday, the Martha's Vineyard Bantams had their way with the Norwood Bantams, 6-1. Luc Woodard scored twice.
Also filling the net were Kyle Francis, Shay Hill, Harrison Rodrigues, and Ben Bilzerian. Mike Sylvia had a solid game in the Vineyard net.
At the Martha's Vineyard Arena, Saturday, The Martha's Vineyard Cape & Island Mites played a double-header with the Lower Cape C&I Mites, losing both ends of the twin bill, 1-7 and 3-5.
Sunday at the Arena, the Martha's Vineyard Squirts were shaded by SWS Squirts, 4-3. Despite the loss, Coach Pat Jenkinson was ecstatic: "This squirt game may have been the best squirt game in the history of squirt hockey. There was even play - back and forth - and goal-tending on both ends was incredible." It was the first home game for the Vineyard Squirts. Josh Forend had a goal and an assist. Greg McCarron assisted twice. Nainoa Cooperrider scored as did Joe Davis. Nick Vukota's backchecking frustrated not a few SWS offensive chances.
The coach lauded the defensive play of all six Martha's Vineyard defenders, male and female.
The Putnam Memorial
The winning team at the Herb Putnam Mulligan tournament last weekend with a score of 58.6 was Nick Bologna, Peter Gillis, Joe and Tony Grillo.
In second place, with the same 58.6, were Fain Hackney, Elmer Silva, Carl Lawrence, and Greg Willett.
Adrian and Pat Aube, Paul Roberts, and Rusty Hitchings came in third, posting a score of 61.
Tennis tie
Four doubles teams from the Vineyard Tennis Center
invaded the Falmouth Sports Center, Saturday, to test their skills against the Upper Cape opponents.
The teams were evenly matched and finished the day in a 2-2 tie.
Steve Dantzig and Peter Lally easily defeated their Falmouth foes, 6-2, 6-3.
Kathy Forrester and Edie Blake stretched the first set to a 5-5 tie but finally lost, 7-5, 6-2.
Carol Fligor and Christine Paffendorf won with consistency, 6-4, 4-2.
Inez Janger and Carmen Wilson teamed for the first time ever and used every style of play, finally bowing, 4-6, 4-6.
The Falmouth Sports Center team says it looks forward to their December visit, hoping to break the existing tie. The Vineyard Tennis Center team says it is ready!
Bonspiel at Falmouth
Ten teams are expected to compete for the Curling for the Charity Cup in a bonspiel at the Cape Cod Curling Club in Falmouth on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 10 am to 4 pm. Of special interest to some will be the "grudge match" between the Falmouth police and fire departments at 11:30 am. When they last met, the police edged out the firemen, so the hose men are hot to even the score.
Also registered to vie for the cup are two RHCI (Rehabilitation Hospital of Cape & Islands) teams from Sandwich, two teams of Falmouth teachers, and four other teams.
The Club is at 37 Highfield Drive in Falmouth. Admission is by free will donation. All proceeds will go to CAPEable Adventures, a not-for-profit organization providing sports equipment and assistance to physically and cognitively challenged persons. The club has recently been equipped for wheelchair curling and at least two of the teams will have wheelchair curlers.
More information is at www.capecodcurling.org.
