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Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) literally dropped its season opener by a 20-15 score as the Carver High School Crusaders used four first-half Vineyard turnovers to snatch a win on Friday night at Dan McCarthy Field in Oak Bluffs.
Before kickoff, the half-filled stands stood for a moment of silence to honor America’s victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, then were treated to a first-half highlight, a perfect a cappella rendition of the national anthem by MVRHS senior and Minnesinger Darby Patterson.
After a Carver three and out following the kickoff, Island fortunes turned ugly. The Vineyarders fumbled a kickoff and a punt return, and had an interception and an unforced fumble in the backfield, leading to three Crusader TDs in the first half of Coach Don Herman’s 28th and final season as head coach.
To their credit, the Vineyarders stuffed two of three Crusader point-after tries, and got untracked offensively to score two first-half TDs of their own on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Tucker McNeely to James Sashin and a 56-yard TD burst by running back Curtis Farrell.
The second half, in which the Crusader offense dominated play, was scoreless against a bend-don’t-break Vineyarder defense which included two goal-line stands. Before the season, Coach Herman expressed concern about injuries to a squad he described as talented but undermanned.
Two-way senior starter Austin Chandler missed the opener, awaiting results from an MRI on a knee injured in a scrimmage last week, and key defensive big man junior Lucas Davenport did not play the second half as a precautionary measure after tweaking an ankle in the first. Go-to running back Jacob Cardoza played sparingly in the second half after being shaken up.
The Vineyarders netted 114 rushing yards in the non-Eastern Athletic Conference contest. Senior quarterback Tucker McNeely was 5-15 for 85 yards, and Ben Clark rushed for 88 yards in a gritty performance.
“I was not pleased, not happy with the way we played, particularly in the first half,” Mr. Herman said. “Four unforced turnovers, three in the first quarter, led to us losing the ballgame, in my opinion. We looked disorganized and missed some opportunities to win it even after the early mistakes,” he said.
“I think part of the problem was that some kids who hadn’t played before were a little shell-shocked when the lights went on,” he said.
Mr. Herman then looked at the glass half-full. “Ben [Clark] had a phenomenal run for the touchdown. Curtis Farrell made a nice play on the touchdown pass. We played well defensively in the scoreless second half. We were in a position to win the game. I saw some things to build on, to help us get better. We need to get the ball in the hands of the playmakers more often,” he said.
The Vineyarders got standout defensive play from junior Elijah Matthews, the DeMattia brothers (Andy and Jimmy), and Mr. Clark. Diminutive sophomore Zach Moreis made a strong debut against an aggressive Carver team which showed multiple looks and a solid passing game.
While Austin Chandler’s knee injury will sideline him for more two weeks, the Vineyarders will have Jacob Cardoza, Lucas DeBettencourt, and tackle Joe Burchell back for Friday’s contest at Bourne High School. The Vineyarders and Canalmen kick off at 6:30 pm. The junior varsity tilt begins at 3:30.
“We’re challenged; no question we’ll miss Austin. But we have to work hard and balance the work with staying healthy,” Coach Herman said.
While the Vineyarders easily handled Bourne twice in 2014, Coach Herman expects a challenge this week. “They have completely revamped their program. They’ve become much more athletic, and they beat Monomoy 36-6 in the season opener. So we need to be ready,” he said.