Martha's Vineyard Sports Highlights
Bouncing basketballs
The interscholastic boys basketball season tips off Tuesday as the Edgartown Eagles fly into Oak Bluffs to take on the Blazers and the Charter School visits West Tisbury.
The interscholastic girls basketball season opens a week later, Wednesday, Dec. 17, when Edgartown is home to Oak Bluffs.
Youth hockey ups & downs
The Martha's Vineyard Youth Hockey Junior High team of the Neponset Valley League skated in the league's Goblet Tournament over the weekend, went undefeated and claimed the championship trophy.
Friday, at Foxboro, the Martha's Vineyard junior highs defeated the Tri-County Saints, a PeeWee B team, 4-2.
The next day they dethroned the NEH Kings, also a PeeWee B squad, 5-2, and eclipsed the Coastal Stars, 7-0, at Foxboro.
Sunday, the Vineyarders squeezed by the Kings in the tourney final, 2-1, claiming the tourney trophy.
The Junior Highs won despite playing with two injured players - Tyson Araujo and Andrew Carroll - whose gutsy efforts inspired their teammates. The parsimonious defense featured Alexander Vukota, Marco Petricone, Matt Davies, and Callie Jackson. The offense that would not be denied included Tyson Araujo, Andrew Carroll, Austin Morley, Niklas Kent, Mike Mazza, Dorian Johnson, Emerson Mahoney, and Barry MacDonald.
Noah Kleinhenz was outstanding in goal. Brian Frazer scored the game-winning goal Sunday.
Also last Friday, the Martha's Vineyard Bantams bowed to the Pawtucket Pirates, 3-1, and the Martha's Vineyard Squirts played to a 1-1 tie with the Tri-County Saints.
At Raynham, the Martha's Vineyard Squirts lost to the Black Conquistadors, 3-6.
Saturday, it was Martha's Vineyard Squirts 3, Brockton Squirts 1 at Foxboro. At Raynham the Martha's Vineyard Bantams lost to Norwood, 5-1 and to Global Hockey, 4-1.
Sunday, the Martha's Vineyard Squirts took the bronze trophy with an impressive 9-1 win.
At Raynham the Martha's Vineyard Bantams were shaded by the Global Hockey Bantams, 3-2.
$100 winners of the calendar fundraiser include: Randy Delaen, Debra Levesque, Aubrey Ashmun, Doug Davie, Bill Dyer, Howie Sashin, Shelby Punte, Margaret Serpa, Adam Cob, Sahron Jackson, Audrey Leaf, Greg McCarron, Linda Wallace, Paul Harington, and Carl Van Rooyen. Winning $200 were Charles Rogers and Rocco's Restaurant. Ann McCarron won $500.
Martha's Vineyard Youth Hockey will offer a goalie clinic on Sunday, Jan. 4 with Louis Chabeau. The clinic will last two hours and is free for Island students. It has been funded by an anonymous donor.
Gun time at the R&G
Steven Carlson of Vineyard Haven proved to be the sharpest sharpshooter at the Martha's Vineyard Rod & Gun Club's annual fall competition and claimed the Top Gun Award.
Steve was best in the two categories of standing deer and slug turkey, for which he was presented a special plaque.
Tom Hamlon of Edgartown finished second and Richard Carlson, Steve's father, was third.
Diehard gunners braved the cold and rainy conditions to sight in their shotguns for the deer season that began at dawn Monday and vied for hams donated by Cronig's Market. Steve, Tom and Mike Ferry had top scores in the standing deer category, winning the hams.
This Sunday, Dec. 7, the R&G will hold its annual Black Powder Shoot, an opportunity for shooters with black powder firearms to hone their skills. Both primitive and modern black powder firearms may be used.
The Club will present a new award of a plaque and $100 called the Bill Nicholson Award to the best black powder shooter. The award is given by Bill's long-time friend, Eddie Belisle.
The public is invited to attend and enjoy this interesting event. For more information, call John Durfee, 508-696-9936.
Matt joins the club
Friday, Matt Tobin of Chilmark dropped 25 clay pigeons in a row, a perfect skeet shooting round, and automatically became a member of the Martha's Vineyard Rod & Gun Club's Skeet Straight Club.
As a Straight Club member, Matt's name is engraved on the club's permanent trophy and he receives a 25 straight pin. Matt's hat was riddled with buckshot by fellow club members in friendly and memorable recognition of his accomplishment.
A Lesson in Sportsmanship
Congratulations to Martha's Vineyard Regional High School junior Patrick Hart, a member of the school's football, basketball, and lacrosse teams and now a worthy recipient of $300 and a recognition plaque from the MIAA for his essay, "The Ultimate Fan."
Pat's essay, inspired by his three year-old sister, Kailyn, received second place honors in the 8th annual MIAA Student Sportsmanship Essay/Multimedia Contest.
Pat received his award during the 15th annual Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Friday, Nov. 21.
Gail Herman's essay was one of the six finalists.
Five for the Jimmy Fund
Five Tisbury bicyclists raised a total of $30,925.75 for cancer research and treatment programs at the Dana Farber Institute, part of the $35,000,000 raised by the Pan Mass Challenge in August through the Jimmy Fund.
The intrepid Vineyard Haven cyclists who rode across the Commonwealth from the New York border to Provincetown are John Schilling, Jim Reynolds, Raymond Sylvia, George Crawford, and Margot Sharff.
