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By Don Lyons
Published: November 19, 2009

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Renegade

The first Gay Head Renegade, a half marathon road race, was a smashing success. Forty-eight runners reported to the starting line and all completed the run.

First to reach the finish line was Paul Vertefeuille of Oak Bluffs in 1:29:16. Second was Dave Diriwachter of Oak Bluffs, followed by Ken Gartner of Falmouth who took a wrong turn and ran an extra mile and a half.

Todd Cleland and Pat Parker, both of O.B., were fourth and fifth. Lenny Verville was sixth.

Marylee Schroeder was the first of 19 women to complete the course.

Fifteen of the runners were from the Falmouth Track Club.

Paul Hartel of Aquinnah was the genial host. A post race catered party was enjoyed by all.

The race netted $465 for the Aquinnah after-school program.

Flagged

Neither snow, nor rain, nor ankle deep mud, stays them from accomplishing their appointed tasks.

Postmen? No. The reference is to football players, no matter the age. The Boys & Girls Club Flag Football league played their scheduled semi-final games in the rain, Saturday, at the Boys & Girls Club.

The top-seeded Cowboys (5-0) bested the Seahawks, 27-16. The second-seeded Colts (4-1) also advanced to the finals by dropping the Jets.

The Cowboys and Colts meet this Saturday at 9 am, winner take all the marbles.

Also Saturday, at 10 am The Pats and Seahawks meet in a consolation game as do the Jets and Bears.

In the Mite Division, the Rockets play the Spartans and the Bulldogs take on the Eagles, both at 9 am.

After the games players and guests will feast at a cookout catered by Tea Lane Caterers while trophies are being awarded.

Turkey Open

The Vineyard Tennis Center (VTS) was host to the 14th annual Turkey Open Tennis Tournament for mixed doubles last weekend. Some of the teams were pairs of long standing. Others literally met on the VTS court for the first time. All played in two draws doing battle for coveted turkeys donated by Cronig's Market and Stop and Shop.

The "dark horse" team was the duo of Phyllis Kugler, Fitness Director of the Workout, who picks up her racquet once a year to support the cause, and her husband Rich. In every match they took their opponents to tie breakers before conceding.

Cathy Lattanzi and Gene Erez won the Turkey draw (aka second division) defeating Doug Cabral and Jeanne Holenko, 7-6, 6-2, and topping Geoff White and Susan Stevens, 6-4, 4-6, and 10-6 in the tie-breaker.

Consolation winners Edie Blake and Matt Reed mixed court savvy and experience with young legs to defeat Phyllis and Rich Kugler, 7-6, 7-6.

Seasoned players Laura Schroeder and Adam Bresnick won the Giblets (first division) draw by besting Carla and Doug Cooper, first in a tie breaker, then taking the second set, 6-3.

Beneficiary of the tourney was Doctors Without Borders, which received $1,700.

The Vineyard Tennis Center congratulates the winners and thanks donors and all the players who made the event such a continuing success.

Youth hockey on ice

In M.V. Youth Hockey action last weekend, the MV Junior High team topped K.P. Stone, 5-2, at Raynham, Friday.

The next day, the M.V. Squirt C team edged the Barnstable Hurricanes, 3-2.

At the Hetland Arena, the M.V. Mites lost a squeaker to Hetland's Mite B squad, 1-0, and at Foxboro the M.V. Midgets lost to North Attleboro, in a Neponset Valley League game, 1-0.

Also Saturday, the M.V. Jr. Highs got by Y/D, 4-3, at the Tony Kent in Dennis. Winning goals were by Sam Burke (2), Mike Mazza, and Brian Frazer. Caleb Hallet was strong in goal behind effective defenders Alexander Vukota, Emily Ham, and Oliver Lane.

On Sunday at the M.V. Arena, The M.V. Squirt B team bowed to the Barnstable/Hirsch Squirts, 4-1. Josh Forend scored for the Vineyard assisted by Jackson Mahaffey and Zach Fullin. Shay Sullivan shone on defense.

Also Sunday at the Arena, The M.V. Jr. Highs came in a close second to SWS in the first of a twin bill, 6-5. Andrew Wiley had the team's first hat trick of the season as well as assisting twice. Brian Frazer and Austin Morley also scored assisted by Nick Kent, Oliver Lane, Jack Slayton, and Wiley.

The second game was a 4-4 tie. Brian Frazer had the M.V. hat trick. Sam Burke's goal made it four. Assists were credited to Slayton, Wiley, and Kent. Steve Brown was effective dropping a SWS player thrice his size. Caleb Hallett had a great game .

Skeleton Coast surfers

Sunday, off the coast of Namibia at Luderitz in southwest Africa, the Douglas brothers, Rob and Jamie, joined an international group of kitesurfers taking advantage of the unique combination of wind and current that make it the best place in the world to test your wings.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, Rob posted a new American record with an average speed of 50.95 knots and a top speed of 55.5 knots (63.82 mph),

Just behind Rob was his brother Jamie, the second fastest American sailor, with a run of 48.5 knots.

Rob was the only sailor to reach 50 knots on Sunday, a dream for most kitesurfers, but quite a few of the Sunday surfers set personal bests.

Runners

The annual Turkey Trot 5K road race starts (and ends) at the Oak Bluffs Police Station, opposite the Steamship Authority office on Thursday, Thanksgiving day, November 26 at 8:30 am. Proceeds will be used for heating assistance for the elderly.

The annual 5K for K.J. race over the high school cross-country course will take off on Saturday, Nov. 28, 11 am. All proceeds go to the Kevin Johnson Cross-Country Scholarship Fund.

Benefit basketball

On Saturday, from 1 to 4 pm, there will be a benefit basketball game (the second annual Fishbowl Game) at the Boys & Girls Club, Edgartown, to raise money for the Derreck Coleman Scholarship Fund to be awarded to a person or persons wanting to pursue an education in the field of drug and alcohol rehabilitation. There are no age or gender restrictions for the game. Players are asked for at least a $10 donation for which they will receive a tee-shirt. Shirts are also available for sale for a minimum donation of $20.

Taylor terrific

Taylor MacDonald, daughter of Russ and Mary MacDonald, now a senior at Eastern Connecticut State University, has been named to the Little East Conference all star soccer second team as a forward for the third year in a row.

Taylor was a fixture in the ECS lineup, starting all 20 matches and averaging more than 70 minutes per game contributing a goal and five assists.

Taylor has also been honored as the conferences defensive Lacrosse Player-of-the-Year twice.

Vikings spiked

The Vineyard varsity football team improved its season record to 6-3, Saturday at Hanover, defeating South Shore Voke (2-8), 29-16 on a wet, in some places ankle deep, and muddy field.

It was a surprisingly inauspicious start. M.V. received the opening kickoff and began play on their own 29-yard line. After three downs that netted next to nothing, Andres Silva's punt was downed on the South Shore 31. It took the Vikings just five plays to put the ball in the end zone, and then add a two-point conversion to lead 8-0.

But Lamar Moreis took the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown and a pass from Randall Jette to Delmont Araujo was good for anther two points and the score was tied, 8-8.

Minutes later Jette intercepted a Viking pass, the first of three he would snag. M.V. moved the line of scrimmage as far as the South Shore 42 before turning the ball over. The M.V. defense forced a Viking punt which, added to a 10-yard penalty, drove the Islanders back to their 8 yard line.

From there, Jette took off on a 92-yard jaunt for MV's second TD. Lemos's extra point kick was good: 15-8.

The next two Viking possessions were abbreviated by interceptions, one by Brian Montambault, the other by Jette. A pass from Jette to Moreis was good for 15 yards and two runs by Tyler Araujo accounted for the rest of the yardage and M.V.'s third touchdown. It was 22-8 at the half.

On the first Vineyard possession of the second half, Tyler Araujo scored on a 41-yard run and Lemos kicked the extra point.

To their credit, the Vikings did not fold their tent to steal away. On the contrary, they engineered a 13-play, 79-yard scoring drive, then passed for a two-point conversion. They tried an on-side kick and later recovered a Vineyard fumble. With time running out, South Shore took to the air, a strategy that failed when Chris Costello intercepted on the Vineyard's 35 as time expired.

The varsity's final game of the season is Saturday versus Brighton, here, at 1 pm. It is homecoming, when senor members of the team will be recognized.

The Varsity game will be preceded by a JV game at 10 am.

Skillful skating

Of the 25 figure skaters competing in the Vineyard Open at the Arena, Saturday, nine were students of Jane Elizabeth Taylor and Beth Blankenshp-O'Connor.

Shelby Regan was second in Beginner Freestyle and in Preliminary Compulsory moves.

Shannon O'Connor was third in Preliminary Freestyle and in Preliminary Showcase.

Anna Flaherty was second in Juvenile Freestyle.

Kaelin Nelson was fourth in Juvenile Freestyle.

Olivia Ogden was second in Pre-Juvenile Freestyle.

Lily Davey was first in Preliminary Freestyle, second in Pre-Juvenile Compulsory Moves, and third in Preliminary Freestyle.

Sarah Thomas was third in both Beginner Freestyle and Preliminary Compulsory Moves and fourth in Pre-Preliminary Showcase.

Amanda Bernard was first in Pre-Preliminary Freestyle and in Pre-Preliminary Showcase.

Ashley Wood was first in Limited Beginner Freestyle and third in Pre-Preliminary Compulsory Moves.

The Pre-Juvenile team of Anna Flaherty, Kaelin Nelson, Olivia Ogden, and Lily Davey came in second.

These skaters will demonstrate their skills in a Holiday Exhibition at the Arena, Sunday, Dec. 13, at 2:30 pm.

Have ball, will travel

Four M.V. Youth Travel Basketball teams of 8th grade, 7th grade and 6th grade boys and a 6th grade girls team have been recruited and are preparing for December 5 season openers at a place and time to be announced.

End of the road

The Vineyard's entry in the national Croquet Championships in California, Jim Turner, was eliminated with his San Franciscan partner on Friday, Nov. 13. The Times congratulates Jim for his showing among the world's best at the game.

Pack running

Cross-country coach Joe Schroeder's strategy of "pack running" was on display again at the Eastern Mass. Division 4 Championships, Saturday.

The boys team scorers were Cooper Chapman, 52nd, 18:54, Willy Nevin (64) 19:10; Anthony Piland (74) 19:20; Michael Schroeder (75) 19:21; and Max Conley (77) 19:23.

Also in the pack were Taylor Smith (86) and Kyle Joba-Woodruff, 97th. The team finished 9th among 42 teams. Seekonk was first.

The girls team was a bit more spread out, but they still managed to finish 12th of 36 teams.

Megan Dreyer's time of 22:00 was a qualifier for the All State Championships this Saturday at Northfield.

Megan finished 14th. Shivonne Schofield was 41st at 23:27. Julia Sadowski was 79th at 24:22. Hallie D'Angelo was 113th at 25:19 and Eva Balboni 118th in 25:24.

The boys were 9th of 42 teams. The girls were 12th of 36 teams. Hamilton-Wenham was first.

Running conditions could hardly have been worse. "We literally ran in several inches of mud in a driving rain storm," the coach said. But his final remark was. "Overall we had a great day, and both teams are looking forward to next year."

Over The Hill Gang

An Island over-40 soccer team was formed during the summer and played in the Masters (over 40) Division, aka the Over the Hill Soccer League.

The team had trouble coming up with full rosters for some of its games. Home games were played at Bourne HS. Away games were at Medway, Dover-Sherborn, West Roxbury, Needham, and Holbrook.

The Vineyard FC (over-40) will play an exhibition game with the Vineyard Football Assn. (under 40) at Tisbury's Veterans War Memorial Park, beginning at 9 am, Sunday.

For more information, call Neal Sullivan at 508-446-1961.

Chilmarker completes NOLS

A young man from Chilmark, Oliver Osnoss, recently completed a 75 day National Outdoor Leadership Skills (NOLS) course in Baja, California. Guided by NOLS professional instructors, Osnoss and his fellow students, hiked in the Sierra San Pedro mountains and kayaked and sailed in the Sea of Cortez learning the fundamentals of backcountry living, seamanship and rough water kayaking. and the principles of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics.

To learn more, visit www.nols.edu.