Martha's Vineyard Sports
On to the Super Bowl
Photos by Ralph Stewart
It did not take a major prophet to read the signs indicating which football team would prevail, Tuesday, on Taunton high school's brand new rug. The Vineyard scored on its first three possessions and Monument, aka South Boston, alias the Knights, gained minus two yards in the first quarter of play. "Weighed in the balance and found wanting," indeed.
To some the scene was reminiscent of the Nantucket game, when the Whalers suited only 18 players. Southie's sidelines were similarly sparsely peopled.
The Knights were visibly tired in the second half. Not only were they short on subs, but they had played their traditional rivals, East Boston, within the week on Thanksgiving Day.
At the half the score stood at 20 - 8, Martha's Vineyard
Southie would post two touchdowns before the final whistle, the first on an 11-yard floater put up for grabs into the end zone and snagged by Akeem George. They scored again late in the final period after Coach Donald Herman had pulled the Vineyard starters.
The Vineyard defense effectively contained the Knights' vaunted running game and Pat Hart was especially visible rushing and sacking the quarterback(s).
The Vineyard's 42 points came on three scoring runs by quarterback Mike McCarthy - from six, four, and nine yards out - and a 36-yard pass to Randall Jette. Other touchdowns were scored by Cody Brewer and Matt Costello. Extra points were added by McCarthy, Jette, and kicker Brooks Billingham.
The convincing 42-14 win earned the Vineyarders a ticket to the Super Bowl this Saturday, at Bentley College, Waltham, against the Amesbury Indians, who shut out the Whittier Wildcats at Cawley Stadium, Lowell, 34-0, Tuesday.
More football photos available for sale here
Photos by M.C. Wallo
5K for KJ
Max Conley, 16, of West Tisbury, a junior at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School and member of the Mayflower League champion cross-country team, led 150 runners to the finish line in the fourth running of the annual 5K for KJ race through the State Forest, Saturday morning.
The race is a benefit for the Kevin Johnson memorial scholarship fund at the high school.
Max covered the distance in 18:59, 21 seconds ahead of 12-year-old Jeremy Tarter Alley of Oak Bluffs and Mason Fischer, 20, of West Tisbury who finished less than one second apart.
The rest of the top ten harriers were (4) Paul Vertefeuille, 44, Vineyard Haven, 20:07; (5) Amaru Pareja, 23, Edgartown, 20:37 (6) Christopher Schulte, 30, Virginia Beach, Va., 20:59; (7) Matthew Lobdell, 23, West Tisbury, 21:06; (8) Cooper Chapman, 13, Chilmark, 21:22; (9) John Schilling, 53, Vineyard Haven, 21:23; (10) Michael Schroeder, 14, West Tisbury, 21:27.
Dana Gaines, 51, of Edgartown, was 11th at 21:42.
Jack Breen, 47, and Wolfie Blair, 21, both of Edgartown, completed the run in a dead heat at 21:59, 12th and 13th overall.
The first female runner to reach the finish line was Ocean Eversley, 50, of Oak Bluffs. Ocean was 15th overall at 22:06, 15 seconds better than Robin Breen, 45, of Edgartown, who was 16th.
Other fleet-footed females were (23) Ellie Hehre, 17, Vineyard Haven, 23:18; (25) Emily Stamell, 24, Chilmark, 23:32; and (31) Aimee Kelleher, 18, Marion, 25:05.
The morning was clear and chilly with an off and on brisk wind.
Turkey Trotters
Forty-one-year-old Mark Desautelle of Darien, Conn., was the first to reach the finish line of the annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot road race in Oak Bluffs on Thursday.
He completed the 5K course in 19:01, 39 seconds ahead of Paul Vertefeuille, 44, of Vineyard Haven, who was second at 19:40.
The rest of the top ten finishers were (3) Michael O'Neil, 39, Lebanon, N.H., 20:11; (4) unknown; (5) Bruce Dougherty, 44, Middletown, Conn., 20:15; (6) Duncan Pickard, 21, Edgartown, 20:26; (7) Kevin Grimm, 15, Manhasset, N.Y., 21:02; (8) Hannah Masse, 19, Fitchburg, 21:12; (9) Bonnie Kingsbury, 30, Vineyard Haven, 21:21; (10) Matt Coffey, 30, Vineyard Haven, 21:26.
A light rain, the kind that distance runners enjoy, cooled the participants and chilled the officiants.
A mix up in assigning numbers to the runners made record keeping difficult, hence the unknown fourth place finisher.
One hundred twenty eight persons made the run, some forty more than were expected.
Funds raised by the Turkey Trot provide heating assistance to the elderly of Oak Bluffs.
