Sports Highlights
By Don Lyons - March 9, 2006
Finally it's Timberwolves vs.
the Heat
In a game to decide which team would tackle the league's top-seeded Heat for the RCBL championship, Sharky's Timberwolves pulled out 90-79 win after trailing the Lakers for 3 and 3/4 periods at the B&G Club on Monday.
The Lakers jumped off to a 28-14 lead in the first quarter. All the Lakers contributed, especially on the boards. Chris Joyce carried most of the water for the Wolves; he had eight of his team's 14 points.
In the second period the Lakers lead reached 20 (42-22), but Adam Rebello found the range, and his 11 points kept the Wolves in the game. At the half the Lakers led, 48-37.
The break came none too soon for the Lakers, who were showing signs of fatigue. Only six Lakers were on hand to challenge a dozen T-Wolves.
The Wolves used three pointers and a hard-nosed deny defense to come within seven in the third quarter, which ended with the Lakers up, 69-62. But the Lakers were now running on fumes and could manage only 10 points in the final 12 minutes, 6 of those by Bryan Scott. The Wolves could smell blood and were energized by the aroma. Adam Rebello tossed in 10 points, including two treys. Chris Joyce also dropped two from long distance. He and Travis Baptiste had eight in the quarter.
The Wolves tied the score, 79-79, with 4:21 left on the clock, then scored the next 11 points unanswered to claim, 90-79.
Adam Rebello (26), Chris Joyce (23), and Travis Baptiste (20) led the Wolfpack attack. Heath Estrella's 26 paced the Lakers. Bryan Scott had 23, Jeff LaBell, 14, and Carl Kallinich, 11. Chris Wiggins and George Brown took their lumps under the boards. If the RCBL gave medals for "guts," it would go to the Lakers, hands down.
Mark Rivers and Ryan Ruley wore the striped shirts and tried to enforce rules and keep order between the sidelines.
Among the spectators on Monday, was Sandy Fisher, captain of the Heat. Just before the game started, we asked Sandy which team he would rather face in the championship round. His answer: "Chris's team." Translation: Timberwolves. Now he has what he wanted. It should be a Donnybrook. Both teams play a physical game.
The Timberwolves begin their best two-of-three assault on the Heat for all the marbles on Monday at 7 pm
Gymnasts
Island Gymnastics sent three level-five gymnasts to compete successfully at the Somersault Center, Stoughton, on Friday, Feb. 24. Top honors went to Wayman Harrison of Oak Bluffs with an all-around score of 47.8. He was first on floor exercise and on the pommel horse. Spencer Booker of Aquinnah was second all-around at 46.2. He took first on rings, parallel bars, and the high bar. Matthew Stone finished fourth of the 17 competing gymnasts with an all-around score of 46.2. He was second on rings and vault.
All three young men, coached by Peggy Stone, will compete at Middleton, March 18 and 19 for the state championship.
That same weekend Thomas Goodell placed 6th all-around with a score of 46 at the 8th annual Universal International Invitational meet in Miami. More than 500 gymnasts from 14 states and five countries competed. Thomas was second best of the New England athletes. He was fifth best on rings and sixth on parallel bars and the high bar.
At level 6, Macayah Goodell, 9, was third overall in the 7-9 age group.
Saturday, in the Starlight Invitational at MIT, a sectional meet for girls 5 to 10 years old, Bailey Moreis and Macayah Goodell qualified for the State meet in April. Needed to qualify was a score of 32. Macayah placed 5th at 32.975. Bailey was 7th at 32.7.
Run for the B&G
The starting gun for the 9th annual Ocean View St. Patrick's Day 5K road race will go off at 11 am on Sunday in front of the Ocean View restaurant, Oak Bluffs. Register Saturday from 7 to 9 pm or Sunday, 9 to 10:45 am at the Ocean View. The race is a benefit for the MV Boys & Girls Club. Call Greg Rollins at 627-3303 for more information.
Registration for summer camp at the B&G begins Tuesday, March 14, at 6 pm. The camp runs from June 26 to August 18. Registration fee is $145 per week. Call Greg to learn more.
MV gigs race at Hull
Grace, the Cornish Pilot gig launched last July under the Vineyard Voyagers' banner, swept her class to take first place in the 26th annual Snow Row at Hull on Saturday. Grace was the only boat in the mixed youth/adult class.
Youth did it, claimed Sterling Wall, whose 17-year-old son, Sterling, rowing in the number 4 seat, enabled Grace to qualify in the mixed class.
Grace finished sixth among the seventeen 32-foot pilot gigs, completing the 3 3/4 mile triangular course in 46 minutes, 3 seconds - almost nine minutes behind the men's team from Cornwall, England, and ahead of the four gigs entered in the adult amateur division.
The other members of the winning crew were David Murphy, Keren Tonnessen, Peter Rodegast, Matt Cramer, Sterling Wall Sr., and Coxwain Jimmy Warren.
Grace and Cassie, the other Vineyard Voyager gig, competed in the Snow Row in open water off Windmill Point for the first time. Low temperatures, 25 mph winds, and a flood tide through the narrow Hull Gut made it a challenging row for the 71 entries in the race, which included whale boats, work boats, ocean shells, liveries and kayaks.
Cassie was rammed at the start when a neighboring boat shoved Cassie's oars back into the boat toppling three oarsmen, including The Times' Tamar Russell.
Cassie also took time to check on an overturned kayak but still placed 12th among the 15 gigs in 57 minutes.
Beside Tamar the crew consisted of Wendy Gray, Leslie Dodge-Harrer, Melinda Loberg, Hope Tripp, Joanne Sardini, and Tracey Jones.
Despite the aches, bumps, blisters and fatigue, the Vineyard crews say they look forward to next year's Snow Row at Hull.
Photo online at mvtimes.com
Futsal fortunes
Sixth-placed Corona stayed close to third-placed Colorado in the first futsal game, Sunday morning at the Boys & Girls Club, and trailed by just one at the half, 3-2. But the talented off-Island team (the only one in the league) shifted into high gear in the second half and ran off with a 13-6 win.
The second game was a low scoring affair with Estopas outlasting Tigres, 4-2.
In the third contest, Ilha put on an impressive demonstration of unselfish precision passing, piling up 17 goals while all-star goalie Wagner allowed Estrella Azud five.
Futsal standings
G W T L Pts
Ajax 6 6 0 0 18
Ilha 7 6 0 1 18
Colorado 6 5 0 1 15
Matheus 6 3 1 2 10
Tigres 7 2 2 3 8
Corona 5 2 1 2 7
Estopas FC 6 2 0 4 6
Imigra 6 1 2 3 5
Holmes Hole 6 1 1 4 4
Estrella Azud 7 1 0 6 3
Striper, by the tale
The Martha's Vineyard Surfcaster's Association will present a talk by Richard L. Berkley at its meeting on Tuesday, March 14, at 7 pm at the MV Rod & Gun Club.
The presentation is free and open to the public.
A seasoned surfcaster who for 45 years has fished the beaches of Montauk to the Vineyard, Richard will share his bass tales, angling techniques, and perspectives on striped bass conservation.
Now a full time Edgartown resident, Richard's striped bass fishing experiences have been the subject of feature stories in publications as diverse as Smithsonian, Salt Water Sportsman, The Fisherman, and the Christian Science Monitor.
MV Rod & Gun Club is located off Third Street in Edgartown.
