Sports Highlights

By Don Lyons - March 23, 2006

Soccer sign-up
The Friends of Vineyard Soccer (FOVS) will hold its spring registration at the MVRHS cafeteria Saturday, April 1, from 9 am to noon.

FOVS offers recreational soccer for boys and girls in age-appropriate groups from kindergarten to 8th grade. Registration fee is $40 for Mini-Kickers (kindergarten) and $60 for U8, U10, and U12 (1st through 8th grade). Family maximum registration fee is $120. Financial assistance is available upon request.

Practice begins the first week of April. Game schedule goes from Saturday, April 29 to Saturday, June 10. Coaches, assistant coaches, referees, and volunteers are needed. Training will be provided.

More than 400 boys and girls participate in the program each spring and fall, which makes FOVS one of the most popular youth sports alternatives for youngsters on the Island.

FOVS is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable way for children to learn and play soccer.

Madness at the Thorncroft
Innkeeper Carl Buder reported to The Times that Saturday's second-round March Madness basketball game between Duke (31-3) and George Washington (27-2) Universities at Greensboro, N.C., was a special occasion at the Thorncroft Inn. With sons at both schools, Alex a junior at GW, Hans a sophomore at Duke, and both at home for the spring break, it was recognized that the Buder family couldn't lose. But then again, it had to lose.

The hope was that the teams would be so evenly matched and the game so evenly played that an OT would be required. It wasn't. Duke eliminated GW, 74-61.

Where are they now?
Jack McGroarty of Oak Bluffs, now a senior at Assumption College, Worcester, scored a short-handed goal to start the scoring in his team's 7-3 win over Assumption, Friday, Feb. 24, at the Bridgewater Ice Arena....The Plymouth State (N.H.) women's lacrosse team, last year's ECAC New England champs, open their season Saturday with junior midfielder player-of-the-year Kelsey MacDonald of O.B. expected to lead another strong team showing. Sam Reece of Oak Bluffs, a senior at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., pitched three innings in an exhibition baseball game in early March against the Netherlands National Team, which was here for the World Baseball Classic. Sam fanned four and gave up one hit, to Randall Simon of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Hoops at Falmouth
Martha's Vineyard entered two all-star 8th grade boys teams in the Falmouth Basketball Tournament last weekend: the Island All-Star Travel Team and the Island All-Star Recreation Team.

The Travel Team won two of their three games, defeating Sandwich, 47-44, and Nauset, 56-39.

Patrick Hart led the team scoring in both games with 14 and 15 points. Steve Handy (9) and Nick Jerome (8) were also productive versus Sandwich.

In the Nauset win, the guard tandem team of Lamar Moreis and Justin Mercier added 24 points, a dozen apiece.

In their third game, the Islanders were edged by a tough Falmouth squad, 62-61. Steve Handy was high for the Vineyard with 21 points. Patrick Hart had 15.

The All-Star Recreation Team found it tough going, losing to Sandwich, 51-21 and to Bourne, 72-40. Cole Maciel (7) and Mike Kendall (6) were top scorers in the Sandwich game. Jake Ferry (9) and Randall Jette (8) led the scorers against Bourne.

The Islanders won their third game, swamping Falmouth, 65-37. Everyone scored, none more than Donnie Lindley and Mike Kendall, each with 10.

Little Leagues
Final try-outs for major and minor Little League teams will be held at the Boys & Girls Club, Saturday, from 3 to 4:30 pm. Prospective players in the majors and minors, farm and tee ball leagues may register there and then or at Karpet Kare in Vineyard Haven. The registration fee for tee ball and farm leagues is $50. For Little League majors and minors the fee is $60. According to commissioner Ernie Chaves, there are just a few openings in each of the leagues. First come, first served.

Gymnastics
Two hundred forty-six boys at levels 4 to 10 from 25 gymnastics clubs competed at the state championship gymnastics meet in the Yellow Jackets gym in Middleton last weekend..

At level nine (12-13 years) Thomas Goodell was 8th overall, placing second on the high bar and the parallel bars. His all-around score was 46.6

At level five Spencer Booker was 15th all around with a score of 50.3 in the 10-11 years-old group. Wayman Harrison was 27th in the 7-9 group with a 50.3 score. Matthew Stone was 53rd at 44.35.

Thomas and Spencer qualified for the regionals to be held at Milford, Conn., April 8-9.

St. Pat's in-house meet
The Pot-O-Gold team of ten girls at levels 4-6 won the 12th annual in-house Leprechaun meet, March 11, with a winning score of 105.9 points - just ahead of the Leprechaun team of boys at levels 4 and 5 and the Shamrocks, girls at level 3. Both with 105.5 points. It was the closest finish for any in-house meet at Island Gymnastics in 12 years.

Individual winning girls at the several levels were Bailey Moreis at level 6 (33.4); Sarah Alexander at level 5 (33.4); Emma Caron at level 4 (34.5); Sarah Poggi at level 3B (35.35); Lia Potter at level 3C (34.85).

Winning boy scores were posted by Spencer Booker at level 5 (52.2); and Charlie Morano at level 4 (51.95).

C&I champs
The MV Youth Hockey Travel Mites took on a much-improved Nantucket Whaler squad for the Cape & Islands championship on Nantucket, Saturday and eked out a 4-3 win.

Outstanding defense by James Sashin and Aubrey Ashmun led to a breakaway goal for Austin Morely, assisted by Alexander Vukota. Before the first period was over, Dorian Johnson wheeled through the Whaler defense to put the Vineyard up, 2-0.

In the second period, Andrew Wiley and Oren Osnoss were strong on defense. Chis Perry's hustle and Dorian Johnson's assist set the table for Emerson Mahoney's goal.

Nantucket was not inactive and trailed by one, 3-2, going into the third frame. The Whalers tied the score four and a half minutes into the final period. MV goalie Wyatt Jenkinson then stopped three serious challenges. With less than a minute on the clock, Emerson Mahoney provided the winning margin assisted by Austin Morley.

The Travel and House Mites defeated their parents, 5-3, in the annual season finale

Pee Wees finale
The MV PeeWees finished their season last weekend at the Kennedy Arena, Hyannis, with a 6-1 defeat of Falmouth on Saturday and a 5-3 loss to Nantucket in the Sunday finale.

In the Falmouth game Dakota Delviento and Tony DeBettencourt found the back of the net in the first period. Kevin Galligan and Thomas Wilkins assisted. Kevin Galligan and Charlie Ashmun scored in the second frame assisted by Maggie Johnson and Tyler Araujo. Tyler Araujo and Charles Goldthwait both scored in the third with help from Thomas Wilkins and Nick Dorr.

Nelson Dickson and goalie Michael Sylvia were strong defenders.

Sunday, Nantucket scored the only first period goal. Tyler Araujo scored twice in the second, assisted by Nelson Dickson and Charles Goldthwait.

In the final frame, Kyle Francis scored unassisted to tie the game at three, but the Whalers scored twice after that to nail down the 5-3 win.

Junior Highs tie
The MV Junior High team tied Marshfield at the Bridgewater Arena, Friday, 2-2.

The Islanders goals were by Darren Gazaille unassisted, and Colby Gouldrup, who pounced on a Tyler Araujo rebound. Louie Jacobs was solid in goal for the Vineyard. Partrick Hart and Charles Goldthwaite were also commended for their efforts.

Fishermen tuneup for spring
Although the arrival of the first striped bass is still weeks away, there is plenty to talk about. On Saturday and Sunday the Mass. Striped Bass Association will sponsor a sportfishing expo featuring more than 90 exhibitors, speakers, and seminars at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

On Saturday at 10:30 am well-known Island fisherman and taxidermist Janet Messineo of Vineyard Haven will speak about surf fishing, "A passion that links us together."

For more information, see www.msba.net.

Futsal update
Sunday, at the B&G Club, Ihla defeated Imigra, 13-3, and Colorado caged the Tigres , 13-6.

Futsal standings

G W T L Pts
Ajax 7 7 0 0 21
Ilha 8 7 0 1 21
Colorado 7 6 0 1 18
Matheus 7 4 1 2 13
Tigres 8 2 2 4 8
Corona 5 2 1 2 7
Estopas FC 7 2 0 5 6
Imigra 7 1 2 4 5
Holmes Hole 7 1 1 5 4
Estrella Azul 7 1 0 6 3

Darting at the PA
Recent Darts League winners were the Pachico Patriots, defeating Bettencourt's Bombers in a playoff after each bested opponents, 8-3.

Last Thursday, Wood's Warriors took home the money after trouncing O'Sullivan's Optimists, 9-2.

Standings
Betencourt's Bombers 58
Wood's Warriors 53
Pachico's Patriots 48
Blanchette's Bruisers 44
Maciel's Marauders 42
Tesch's Tigers 38
O'Sullivan's Optomists 35
Cottrill's Commandos 34

Tigers spike Blazers
The Tisbury volleyball teams were day trippers to Oak Bluffs, Tuesday, and came away with some winning mementos of their visit.

The Tisbury varsity won the first game, 25-21 despite Cole Bilodeau's string of eight aces that tied the game at 17. T.J. Vangerven served up the final point for the Tigers.

The second game also went Tisbury's way, 25-17. Win Grimm's well-placed serves were a Tisbury asset.

Oak Bluffs took the third game, happy to accept a string of Tisbury sideouts.
The fourth game went to Tisbury. OB led 18-13 until Grimm stepped to the line. When he was through, the Tigers held a 23-18 lead. Madeline Penicaud made some memorable saves for the Tigers.

The Tiger jayvees swept their match with two straight wins. In the first game Toby Reisboro served up 19 winning points. Not all of them were unreturned aces but most were. Tisbury's margin of victory was 25-3.

The second Tiger win was closer but not much. Oak Bluffs had trouble serving the ball and Tisbury rolled to a 25-8 win.