The Martha’s Vineyard varsity football team played their hearts out against Bishop Stang on a cold, misty night, but they came up just short, 21-19. After trailing 7-0 at halftime, the Vineyarders clawed their way back. The running game was working, with Jacob Cardoza carrying the ball for 88 yards and two touchdowns and Curtis Farrell tallying 40 yards. But it was not enough. After Martha’s Vineyard scored to cut the lead to 14-13, the Spartans blocked the extra point. And those points would prove to be the difference in the game.
Down 21-13 with eight minutes left, the Vineyarders went on a last-ditch drive. Quarterback Mike Mussell scrambled and threw his way towards the end zone, and ultimately the Vineyarders punched it in with a one-yard run by Ben Clark.
With the score now 21-19, Martha’s Vineyard went for a necessary two-point conversion to tie the game. But Mike Mussell’s pass was overthrown and the conversion failed, making the comeback incomplete.
The defense played well, though, with linebackers David Macias and Austin Chandler combining for 27 tackles. Martha’s Vineyard is now 0-4 overall and 0-2 in Eastern Athletic Conference play.