Sports

By Don Lyons - November 1, 2007

Football team rebounds

The MVRHS football team returned to winning ways, Saturday, besting South Shore Tech at Hanover, 17-0.

It was the Vineyarders sixth win and third shutout.

Neither team scored in the first quarter.

In the second, the Islanders went from their own 35 yard line to the Vikings 14, gaining most of its yardage through the air as QB Mike McCarthy connected with Nick Gross, Josh Paulson, and Mike O'Donoghue before stalling. Zach Coutinho, the Vineyards kickmeister, was called upon and he answered with a 29 yard field goal.

After a good runback, the Vikes began play on the MV 47, but after three incomplete passes, punted. Nick Viera returned the ball to MV's 48. McCarthy ran for a first down on an 11-yard keeper, then threw to Paulson, who got out of bounds on the SS 28. A pass to O'Donoghue netted eight yards. Another to O'Donoghue moved the line of scrimmage to the Vikings 5, and one to Paulson in the endzone with no time remaining in the half made it 9-0. Coutinho's foot added an extra point.

South Sore received to begin the second half but failed to move the ball beyond their 30. The ensuing punt was taken by Nick Viera. Nick handed off to Paulson who found a lane down the right sideline and scampered 58 yards for the touchdown. Coutinho simply doesn't miss, and the score was 17-0, the winning total.

It might have been more. A 70 yard scoring run by Cody Brewer was cancelled by a block-in-the-back penalty.

A bone-chilling off and on rain bothered the fans more than the players

It was the third shutout of the season pitched by the Vineyard defense and improved the team's record to 6-2 (1-2 in the league).

Friday's game with Southeastern (7-1) begins at 6 pm.

Jayvees repel Viking raiders

The MV junior varsity gridders treated the visiting South Shore Vikings to a 30-18 lickin' Monday. Randall Jette ran for more than 100 yards and scored two touchdowns. Rick McAuliffe and Josh Baker were also big gainers. Brooks Billingham kicked a field goal and three extra points.

The jayvees play at Southeastern on Saturday at 11 am.

Visiting Brits win

Junior High students from Bridgewater, England, were guests of West Tisbury youth for ten days, visiting on- Island and off-Island places of interest including Boston's Museum of Science and Freedom Trail.

On Friday, their last full day on the Vineyard, the visitors took to the soccer field with their hosts and treated them to a friendly 9-3 pasting.

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