Sports
By Don Lyons - April 5, 2007
John Victor splits the Norton defense to put the Vineyard ahead in the U-14 match. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Youth soccer kicks off
The MV Youth Soccer season began last weekend with three wins, two losses, a tie, and a cancellation.
The under 11 boys won their game at Bourne, 3-2. Gabriel DeOliveira scored twice. Alex Gordon-Beck added another.
The U-14 boys also won, 3-2, on goals by Jon Marcal and Filipe Freitas (2) on Veterans Field in Tisbury.
Vincent Carlomagno races up the pitch, urged on by his Vineyard U-12 mates.
The U-16 girls faced a short-handed New Bedford team there. Only seven Whaling City girls showed up. Even so, the game was scoreless until the second half when Emma Lee Iverson broke the ice and Alexia Schroeder scored twice.
At Barnstable, the U-11 boys one team battled to a 1-1 tie with last year's unbeaten champions. Colin Cameron scored the Islanders goal on a penalty kick. The Vineyard came close to adding more on close calls by Matt Stone, Gordon Moore, and Felix Reagan.
The next day, a weary U-11 team lost to a good Sandwich squad, 6-3. Colin Cameron had a hat trick for the Vineyarders. Ben Poole played a strong game on defense.
The U-18 boys game at Orleans was cancelled due to lack of referees.
Joe McCormick of the Legends shoots over Laker Jeff LaBell (2).
Then there were two
The RCBL's third and last semi-final games were played Monday evening at the Boys and Girls Club resulting in a Heat versus Legends match-up in the finals.
In the early game the Heat, trailing 49-33 at the half, caught up to the cooled off Celtics in the third quarter and played them even in the fourth. The game ended tied at 89. Damon Mello was 13 points hot in the third. Jason Dyer hit for 15 in the fourth.
In the three-minute overtime period, Sandy Fisher put the Heat up by two. Matt Rivers blocked a Damon Mello shot. Adam Rebello was fouled in shooting by Clint Merrill and sank one of two. Jason Dyer drove to the hoop, giving the Heat a three-point edge, 93-90.
Matt Rivers went to the line for two freebies and collected one, 93-91. The Heat had a bucket of fouls to give and cashed most of them, preventing the Celtics from organizing an offense. With seconds left on the clock Dyer broke away to put the nail in the Celtics coffin. Final count: Heat 95, Celtics 91.
In double figured Heat were Jason Dyer 24, Damon Mello 19, and Sandy Fisher 14. Victor Cruz and Clint Merrill ruled the defensive board for the Heat.
Matt Rivers's 22 was high for the Celts, Captain Adam Rebello finished with 19. Travis Baptiste, who fouled out late in the fourth quarter, contributed 14. Tim Scott, one of the league's shorter players, put himself in the right place at the right time again and again and collected a Celtics-high 12 rebounds.
Jason Dyer scores the final two points in the Heat's come-from-behind win. Celtic Captain Adam Rebello (3) can only watch.
Legends drain
the Lakers
The Legends-Lakers game was a quieter contest. After the first 12-minute period the Lakers held an eight-point lead, 27-19. At the half the lead had shrunk to three, 51-48.
After the break, the teams jockeyed for position, swapping the lead but at the end of the third quarter the Lakers had the upper hand, 74-68. In the final analysis, the Lakers had no answer for Asil Cash and the Legends claimed the win, 92-86.
Cash had the game-high 45. Monte Bizzarro contributed 16 and Joe McCormick 13. The Lakers' leading scorer was captain Heath Estrella (27). Others reaching twin columns were Brian Scott, 19, Karl Kallinich, 17 (with 17 rebounds), and Jeff LaBell, 10.
Pat Mercier wore the striped shirt, helped in the first game by Joe McCormick, in the second by Sandy Fisher.
The Legends versus Heat final 2-of-3 series to decide the league championship begins Monday at 6:15. Game 2 will be played Wednesday, same time, same station. If needed a third game will be Friday.
Peter Ferrini scores one of his game high four goals.
LaX season begins
The boys varsity lacrosse team. under the tutelage of new head coach John Stabile, opened its season Saturday with a whomping of visiting Mashpee, 17-1.
Mashpee has no feeder program and many of the Mashpee athletes who sign up for the sport have not had a stick in their hands until they reach high school, according to the school's A.D. - proof positive of the significant contribution made by the Vineyard's youth lacrosse program.
There was no effort to run up the score. Coach Stabile pulled his starters at the half and virtually cleared his bench but Mashpee was unable to take advantage of the opportunity offered.
Ben Rossi splits the defense.
MV high-scorers were Riley Dobel with 2 goals , 5 assists, Peter Ferrini with 2 goals, 4 assists, and Duncan Meyst who scored three times.
The next boys varsity game is guaranteed to be a test as it travels to Nantucket today to take on the tough and talented Whalers. On Saturday M.V. is at Sandwich, and Bourne visits Tuesday.
Dartmouth's in town again
The girls varsity lacrosse season begins today at home with visiting Dartmouth at 4 pm. Saturday the girls are at Walpole and Tuesday they host Nantucket at 4 pm.
