The Martha’s Vineyard junior high football team, made up of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders from around the Island, known as the Mariners, defeated Mashpee 28-22 Thursday and claimed the Cape Cod Youth Football League championship.
The game was tied 22-22 late in the fourth quarter when the Island’s Cruz Cancellare (No. 44) returned a kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown with about a minute remaining in the game. His play secured the Vineyard’s win.
An 81-yard touchdown run by Octavio Da Silva (No. 12) in the second quarter and a 69-yard touchdown by Canelarre in the third quarter helped the team build a solid lead. Mashpee answered the Mariners’ strong running game with touchdowns of their own, keeping the game close, but the Mariners held Mashpee on defense when it really mattered at the end of the game.
The Mariners celebrated at the center of McCarthy Stadium as players hoisted a bucket of water and dumped it on Head Coach Timothy Millerick’s head. The Mariners then raised their trophy, a wrestling-like belt, up to the crowd and took in their victory.
“I think we have a good team, all 11 players on each side, offense and defense,” Millerick said. “Every time we had the ball, we scored, whether it was special teams or offense. It was a good, complete game between offense, defense, and special teams.”
Millerick said summer strength training contributed to the team’s success. Players reached out to him about working out over the summer, and the group trained as a team to prepare for the season.
“This was a great group of kids with future leaders in the community,” Millerick said.
He also praised the coaching staff that has worked with him for the past four years: Jason Blandini, Andrew Nicholson, and Curtis Chandler. All of the program’s coaches work in emergency services or local law enforcement, Millerick said.
“They’re great leaders in the community,” he said.
Da Silva, an eighth-grade running back and defensive end for the Mariners, said the team had their highs and lows, but they came out stronger.
“I think we did really well,” Da Silva said. “I knew we could win today. I knew we could do this, and everything just worked out, it was great.” The middle school team also beat Nantucket 12-0 on Oct. 31 when many Island teams made the trek to the other island for the Island Cup game and Battle in the Atlantic series.
Da Silva, who has played since sixth grade, called the championship win meaningful after earlier seasons when the team struggled to find success. He thanked his teammates and said he hopes to continue in high school with an eye toward college scholarships and eventually the professional level.
“I want to thank my teammates, I want to thank God,” Da Silva said. “My dream is to go pro.”
Millerick said the program is growing through a new flag football league that began this fall for players as young as second grade. He added that the younger players are recruiting friends and helping build numbers for tackle football in future years.
“For people questioning playing football, give the kids an opportunity to get out there. It’s one of the best team sports you can play. It teaches you delayed gratification. Football is once a week, you put in a lot of work for practice,” Millerick said. “I hope more parents give their kids the opportunity to come out and try this.”
