Martha's Vineyard Sports
Youth soccer winds up
Photos by Ralph Stewart
The Youth soccer season drew to a close this weekend as teams played final games to determine league championships.
The only undefeated team in the Boys School League, the Up-Island Poole team (5-0) lost its semifinal game to Oak Bluffs, Saturday, 4-2. Linyacker Souza had a hat trick for Oak Bluffs Jacob Lawrence and Kyp Cooperrider scored for the Up-Islanders.
In the other semifinal game, Up-Island Dwane defeated the Charter School, 4-1, on goals by Ben Dwane, Jack Roberts, Kane Araujo, and Tim Roberts. Brandon Dwane had two assists.
Saturday's games were a prelude to the Sunday finals meeting of Oak Bluffs and Up-Island Dwane.
The Dwane squad was first to post a point in the first half, by Jack Roberts. That was followed by a second goal, a header by Kane Araujo 10 minutes later. The lead grew to 3-0 when Ben Dwane went one-on-one with the Oak Bluffs goalie and beat him with a rising head-high kick into the net.
Up-Island goalie Silas Berlin made an armload of saves, some point blank, but finally was beaten by Souza's drive inside the right goal post from up close.
Soon after, Souza was forced to retire with an injured right ankle, greatly decreasing Oak Bluffs's chances for a comeback.
Final score: Up-Island Dwane 3, Oak Bluffs 1.
In the Girls School League, Saturday, unbeaten Edgartown (5-0) disposed of winless Tisbury (0-5) to qualify for the finals and the Up-Islanders squeezed by Oak Bluffs.
In the Sunday girls finals, Jenny Lindland's hat trick was more than the West Tisbury-Chilmark girls could match. A fourth Edgartown score was an own goal.
The front page picture shows the Edgartown girls whooping it up after disposing of the Up-Island team and claiming the championship trophy. left to right: Kylee Willoughby, Taylor Poggi, Charlotte Lowell-Bettencourt, Jenny Lindland, Zoe Nugent, Elizabeth Hayman, Abby Willoughby, Rae Filley. In the rear: assistant coach Bob Hayman and head coach Woody Filley. Not shown are Julia Cooper and Imani Foster.
Vineyard makes the playoffs
By defeating Blue Hills, 28-12 at Canton Friday evening, the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School football team earned a place in the Eastern Massachusetts Division 3A playoffs and a leg up on the Mayflower Large League championship.
This year the Vineyarders have made a practice of scoring on their first possession of the ball. They did again Friday. It took them just shy of three minutes to post six points on the scoreboard. Two runs by Mike McCarthy moved the ball from the Martha's Vineyard 42 to the Blue Hills 35. A short gainer by Erik Dolliver and a 12-yard run by Nick Gross advanced the action to the 23. Three rushes by Dolliver delivered the mail and it was 6-0. Brooks Billingham's kick added an extra point.
Then it was Blue Hills's turn. Beginning on their 20-yard line, Kevin Murphy & Co. drove 60 yards to the Martha's Vineyard 20, picking up three first downs in 11 plays before handing over the ball on an incomplete pass.
Three runs up the middle by Dolliver and a keeper by McCarthy moved the line of scrimmage to the Warriors' 35 as the first quarter ended. The Vineyarders would get to the 14 before giving up the ball on an intercepted pass.
After three plays, including a sack of quarterback Merritt by Patrick Hart, Blue Hills was forced to punt. Hart again broke into the backfield and partially blocked the punt. Martha's Vineyard took over of the Blue Hills 41. Runs by Gross, Cody Brewer, and McCarthy produced the Vineyard's second TD. Billingham's kick for the point after was blocked. Martha's Vineyard 13-0.
That was the score at the half.
The second-half opening kick was returned 69 yards to the Martha's Vineyard 20 by Warrior Jordan Reed. Three plays later Murphy, the league's leading scorer, broke into the end zone, making the score 13-6. The attempt for a two-point conversion failed.
Brewer returned the Blue Hills kick to the Martha's Vineyard 47. After eight rushes and three first downs the ball rested on the Blue Hills one yard line. McCarthy followed a surging Vineyard line to pay dirt, then did it again from two yards out for a two-point conversion. Martha's Vineyard 21, B.H. 6.
Brewer's kick was returned to the Warriors' 34. Nine plays and three first downs put the ball on the Vineyard 35 as the third quarter ended.
Blue Hills continued its progress in the fourth quarter, doggedly pressing onward to the Martha's Vineyard 20. A sack by Nick Gross moved the pigskin back five yards from where QB Merritt found Jordan Reed open in the end zone, capping a 66-yard, 19-play scoring drive. 21-12.
The onside kick was covered by Marcus Hopkins for Martha's Vineyard at midfield, but the Islanders were unable to take advantage of the field position and turned the ball over to the Warriors on downs on their 42. Blue Hills moved into Vineyard territory but lost possession on a fumble covered by Gross. Three runs - by Brewer and McCarthy and Brewer again - were enough to raise the ante to 27-12. Billingham made it 28, the final score.
To paraphrase the Bard, a victory in any guise should taste as sweet. But the defeat of Blue Hills on their own turf was especially gratifying as it was a loss to Blue Hills on McCarthy Field last year that spelled the end of the Vineyard's hope for a playoff berth.
Martha's Vineyard is 8-1 on the year, 5-0 in the Mayflower Large.
This Friday's game with South Shore is the team's last home game. Kickoff is at 5:30 pm. It will be senior recognition night when senior players and their parents will be introduced before the game. Last year the Islanders defeated the Vikings, 17-0.
Flag football will be demonstrated at the half.
Tickets for the Nantucket boat may be purchased at the game.
