Sports
By Don Lyons - March 30, 2006
Spring outlook at MVRHS
Tennis
For the first time in 12 years, boys tennis coach Ned Fennessy faces a season without a player named Smadbeck.
We found the coach in good spirits, and looking forward to the upcoming season. He admitted being pleasantly surprised with some freshmen who have been honing their skills at the Vineyard Tennis Center at the airport and Vineyard Youth Tennis at the blinker.
Tim McHugh, a junior, has nailed down the first singles spot and is one of the team's captains.
His co-captain is Evan Wardell, the only senior on the squad.
As of Monday, four players were vying for the other two singles jobs, Andrew McHugh, Daniel Han, Tim Nivala, and Dylan Hutchinson.
Returning sophomore Seth Seeman and junior Jonah Lipsky with freshmen Ben Ferry and Evan Schwab are in the mix for the doubles teams slots.
The girls tennis team has a new coach, Ena Thulin, who coached the school's girls freshmen basketball team to a successful season.
The tennis teams are still orphans, belonging to no league, and will compete as independents beginning tomorrow with Bourne.
Baseball
After ten years of coaching high school baseball teams, and eleven years coaching in various Island leagues before that, Doug Hoehn has decided to join the fans on the sidelines, leaving room for jayvee coach Gary Simmons to move up to coach the varsity.
"We should be a well-balanced team," Gary told The Times, with some depth on the mound. Mike Cecilio and Josh Flanders will lead the rotation with Joe Keaney and Max Shay. Others available for relief work include Kendall Chaves, Zach Coutinho, and Lucas Flanders.
Coach Simmons will have help from Phil Regan, Max Hart, and Ryan Ruley.
Olson Houghton will coach the junior varsity.
The teams will compete in the South Coast Conference, "a tough baseball league," according to the coach Simmons.
This Saturday the varsity will host Methuen in a scrimmage double-header. Games begin at 11:30 and 2:30.
Softball
Rumor has it that the South Coast Conference may be the most talented softball league in the state
It will certainly be a challenge for the Vineyard and its new softball coach, Josh Burgoyne
The junior varsity team will be coached by Matt Montanile
Track & Field
As reigning champions of the Mayflower League, the MVRHS boys' track team is still the one to beat in the Mayflower League. There may be some vulnerability in several events including some of the "throws": javelin, discus, shot put. But Coach Joe Schroeder is a master at developing talent and opponents would be foolish to take the Vineyarders for granted.
The perennial girls Mayflower champs, and still the team to beat, is Sacred Heart.
The MV girls have been invited to Hingham for the Notre Dame Relays this Saturday. The boys are home to Bristol Plymouth on Thursday, April 6, at 3:15 pm.
Assisting Joe are coaches Joel Graves, Sarah Parks, Kara Shemeth, and Stephanie Pavao.
Boys lacrosse
With a 13-7 overall record, and 12-2 in the Maritime League, the boys lacrosse team was seeded 9th in MIAA Division 3 East last spring. It got past Northeastern Metro, the 8th seed, 12-10, then lost to the top-seeded Medfield team.
Coach Peter Ferini feels the team has the best attack squad in the league, led by Edison Parzanese, and is strong on defense as well. A more experienced Mark Levesque returns as goalie.
The team has been moved up to Division 2 and competes in the Maritime league.
The coaching staff includes Chris Kiersted, Lang Clarke, Tom Pierce, and Bill Seabourne.
Sailing
"We have a great season ahead of us - a great, young team, really driven."
No MVRHS coach is more optimistic than sailing coach Doug Heil, and with good reason. His team has already scrimmaged with Sandwich, one of the better Cape teams, and trounced them.
The sailors are unabashedly looking beyond regional honors, hoping to succeed at the national level.
