Sports Highlights

By Don Lyons - August 24, 2006

Tennis for Hospice

The annual all-Island Tennis Championship tourney will be held Friday to Sunday, September 1-3. Proceeds from the event will benefit Hospice of Martha's Vineyard. The tournament will be played at multiple locations around the Island and is hosted by Island Country Club Tennis where the final matches will be held on Sunday. The entry deadline is 6 pm, Monday, August 28. There will be two levels of play: the rough division, open to players of all levels and the smooth division, open to players with an NTRP rating not higher than 3.5. There will be women's and men's singles, women's and men's doubles and mixed doubles at each level. The entry fee is $50 per player, per event. No player may play in more than three events and partners will be found for those who need them. Call either 508-693-6574 or 508-717-4515 for information or stop by Island Country Club Tennis, behind Lola's on Beach Road in Oak Bluffs.

Summer soccer

In the Vineyard Football Assn. second season, when the six teams were divided into two groups, A and B, the Atlantic Football Club dominated the B group with four wins, no losses, no ties - 12 points. Last Wednesday, AFC shut out MV Lath & Plaster, 1-0. Coop deVille was second with two wins and two losses 6 points. Having lost all four of its games, MV Lath & Plaster finished pointless.

In the A group, Shirley's Hardware had a two-point edge over Broadway Screen Printing, 7 to 5, with two wins, a draw and a loss. Broadway had one win and two draws and a loss. Sports Haven had a win, a draw and two losses, good for four points.

Blacks are HS hockey champs

Team Black and team White, High School League ice hockey teams with the highest and lowest win/loss records this summer played to a 1-1 tie after three 15-minute periods and a five-minute overtime.

Henry Smith, assisted by Tad Gold, had scored the Black goal in the first period. Scott Cleary evened the count for the Whites in the third with help from Marc Levesque.

The tie was broken by a five-player shootout after a scoreless five-minute OT.

Jock Cooperrider and Chris Gallo scored for the Blacks, Davey Campbell for the Whites.

The Whites had an astounding 27-6 advantage in shots on goal. Alex Minnehan was the busy goalie for the Blacks; Chris Hathaway was netman for the Whites.

In the second semi-final game, the Reds edged the Gold, 1-0. Jason Schwab scored the only goal, assisted by Nick Billingham. Alex Dorr was the shutout goalie. Mike Capen stopped 16 shots on goal for the Gold.

Blacks edge Reds

The championship game pitted the Blacks against the Reds. It is hard to conceive of a more evenly matched contest.

After 45 minutes of play the score was tied, 1-1. After a five-minute OT the score remained unchanged. After another five-minute OT the score still stood, 1-1.

A five-player shootout was called.

The Red's Zach Sylvia's bid was stopped by Black goalie Alex Minnehan. Jock Cooperrider beat Alex Dorr for the Blacks.

Jason Schwab's attempt was turned away, but Henry Smith made it 2-0 for the Blacks.

Nick Billingham's goal put the Reds on the shootout board 2-1.

Chris Gallo, Stephen Greenberg, Darren Gazaille, and Matt Flynn were stopped in turn, leaving the Blacks with a 3-2 win.

The consolation game

The White versus Gold consolation game was equally tight.

Scott Maciel's goal for the White, assisted by Truman French and Scott Cleary team was the only score posted in the first period. Joel Rebello evened the count - briefly -for the Gold before Marc Levesque and Scott Cleary upped the ante for the Whites. Maciel picked up a save on the Levesque goal.

After two periods it was White 3, Gold 1.

But the third period belonged to Gold. Joel Rebello assisted Colin Hurd then David Flanders and the score was tied at 3 at the buzzer.

In the five player shootout to break the tie Colin Hurd gave the Gold an early edge, beating White goalie Chris Hathaway. Scott Maciel responded finding a way past Gold goalie Mike Capen. Trey Rasmussen, Chris Davies, Joel Rebello, Scott Cleary, and David Flanders were frustrated in turn. Then Sam Hurd found the back of the net for the White. Antone Silvia's effort to tie the score failed and White claimed the 4-3 win.

Goalie Mike Capen was credited with 15 saves, Chris Hathaway with 10.

VYT picks Scott Smith

The Board of Directors of Vineyard Youth Tennis (VYT) has named USPTA tennis pro Scott Smith to be its Executive Director. VYT offers free tennis lessons to Island youngsters at its facility at the blinker off Barnes road. Scott has been the tennis director at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club the last two summers, overseeing an active junior and adult program. He has also directed tennis programs in Florida and the Cayman Islands and most recently in Auburndale, Florida.

More than 200 youngsters take tennis lessons at the VYT facility in Oak Bluffs, which has been recognized by the U.S. Tennis Assn. as one of four outstanding new small facilities in the country.

Expressing his pleasure that Scott Smith will be the new Executive Director, Alan Schweikert, a member of the VYT search committee, said the committee was grateful to interim director Fritz Buehning, who will stay through September to help Mr. Smith in the transitional period.

O & P turns 16

The 16th annual Oar and Paddle regatta, a benefit for the YMCA of MV and the friends of Sengekontacket, is scheduled to start at 10 am on Saturday at the Little Bridge, State Beach, Oak Bluffs. Registration is at 8:30 am and pre-race briefing at 9:30 am.

All shapes and sizes of canoes, kayaks, and row boats are welcome.

Registration (including T-shirt) is $25 for adults, $15 for junior paddlers (age 10-15), $10 mates (under 15 in a boat with an adult.)

Awards will be presented at a post-race picnic.

Pigskins for Jr. highs

Practice for junior high (grades 6, 7, and 8) begins at 5 pm, Monday, August 28, at the high school. Meet in the parking lot next to the football field. All paper work and materials will be distributed at that practice. Players will need to provide proof of a valid physical exam.

The 29th Moffett

Friday, Sept. 1, is the entry deadline for the 29th sailing of the George Moffett Race, in memory of the Edgartown yachtsman who donated the land for the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary to the Island. No entries will be accepted after that!

An entry form may be found at www.holmeshole.org.

The race will be sailed Saturday, Sept. 9, and will follow one of three courses from 20.4 miles to 10.5 miles, depending on the weather.

The race committee is Hugh Schwarz, honorary chairman; Harry Duane, chairman; Brock Callen, principal race officer; Jerry Goodale, Commodore; Kathy Logue, race secretary; Irving Gates, Roger Becker, Nat Benjamin and Sally Culkin.

Past winners of the Moffett

1978 Jospeh Low, Mockingbird

1979 Hank Scott, Shadow

1980 Douglas Thacher, Lis Propis Volat

1981 Lucia Moffett, Lucia

1982 Dan Grassie, Fortune

1983 Allen Slater, Cercerile

1984 George Delaney, Ardent

1985 Richard Everett, Vernon Langile

1986 Jonathan Churchill, Taygeta

1987 Francis West, Erda

1988 Primo Lombardi, Liberty

1989 James Lobdell, Malabar II

1990 Richard Meyere, Teacup

1991 J.Thomas Franklin, Westray

1992 Frederick Crane, Consolation

1993 Alan Wilson, Altius

1994 William Underwood, Naiad

1995 Harry Duane, Andiamo II

1996 Robert Blum, Music Street

1997 Jim Martin, Whisper

1998 Harry Duane, Andiamo II

1999 Carl Beverly, Moondance

2000 Dan Culkin, Magic Time

2001 Alan Wilson, Chantry

2002 Douglas & Nancy Clark, Gnome

2003 Dan Eberle, Cilista

2004 Mait Edey, Swallows & Amazons

2005 Damien McLaughlin, Arion

Bridgework

Bea Brown and Barbara Donald led the Bridge Club of MV north-south players Saturday morning at the Tisbury senior center. Gloria and Ted Manning were runners up.

Sitting east-west, Norma Kilson and Jerry Jones were best, followed by Loretta Young and Doris White.

Six tables were in play.

Hoops season ends

OB Park & Rec boss Mike Joyce reports that the Cottage City Kings overcame a 12-point deficit to beat the Pats in the men's basketball league finals at Niantic Park, 52-48. Adam Rebello was the game-high scorer, amassing 24 points for the Kings, including three treys in the second half.

High school league

The Jaguars suffered their only loss of the season, 52-41, to the Purple Poppers in the high school league championship game. Justin Mercier's 16-point effort was the game high for the Poppers. Both Pat Hall and Jesse Swarington had 12.

We goofed

Last week we reported that the Riviera Café team won the Richie Madeiras softball tournament, defeating Ferreira, 19-15. True enough. But we transported the Café from Bridgewater to Falmouth. Not so. The Riviera Café has not moved an inch. It is still located at 288 Broad Street in Bridgewater.

Saucy ships are beauties

The Holmes Hole Sailing Association continued its summer season of handicap racing from Vineyard Haven Harbor with a Thursday night race on August 17 and a Sound Race on August 20.

Thursday evening was warm and muggy with a southeast wind of 8-10 knots. Twelve boats posted for the start at red nun 6 outside of the Vineyard Haven Harbor breakwater. The fleet sailed a triangular course form red nun 6 to red nun 4 at West Chop, then to green can 23A at East Chop and back to the finish at nun 6.

The first leg was a beam reach on the starboard tack. After rounding the nun, a beat to windward ensued to the green can. After rounding the can, the fleet sailed a broad reach on the port tack to the line.

Finishing first was Phil Hale in Mischief. Second was Roger Becker in Gloria, followed by (3) Mike Oliveira in Hero, (4) Mike Loberg in Masquerade, (5) Jeff Craig in Rosa Parks, (6) John and Lisa Stout in Isabella, (7) Dan Culkin in Magic Time, (8) Jerry Goodale in Stormalong, (9) Tony Dilorenzo in Fighting Lady, (10) Rocinante III sailed by Ernie Mendenhall and Kathy Logue, (11) Jeff Schwarz in Fair Dinkum, and (12) Charlie Felder in Surprise.

Sunday morning, August 20, started with a strong rain but by the start of the race at noon it had ended and the cloudy, muggy mid day held hope of some sunshine poking through clouds. Seven boats posted for the start at red nun 6 outside of the Vineyard Haven Harbor breakwater, where the wind was blowing a steady 15 knots from the southwest, with higher gusts. The race committee called for a zig-zag course from the nun to green can 23a at East Chop, then to red nun 4 at West Chop, then to buoy RW NW in Nantucket Sound, and back to nun 6. The course was sailed twice around.

The first leg was a run downwind, with a strong outgoing current running along the East Chop shore. After jibing around the can, the boats headed to nun 4 on a close reach. From the nun, a run downwind to RW NW followed, with the fleet allowing for a moderate west-setting current. After rounding the mark, a beat to nun 6 ensued.

In the A division, first to finish was Jerry Coe in the New York 40, Indian Summer. Second was Michael Loberg in Masquerade, 3rd was John Amabile in Solitude, 4th was Phil Hale in Mischief, and 5th was Roger Becker in Gloria.

In the B division, the only finisher was Dan Culkin's Magic Time. Swallows and Amazons retired with a broken gooseneck.

The summer racing series continues with a night race on Thursday, August 24, and two harbor races on August 27 at 10 am and 2 pm. New boats are actively encouraged and guest boats are welcome as well.