Vineyard Downs Carver in Home Opener
By MAX HART
With just under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter of the
Martha's Vineyard Regional High School football team's
season-opener Sunday, it seemed somewhat odd that the Vineyard
cheerleaders were still throwing candy to fans in the crowded stands.
After all, with the Vineyard offense scoring almost at will, the
defense stymieing the opposing quarterback and the scoreboard showing a
commanding lead over the Carver Crusaders, it's not like the
wound-up crowd needed the sugar rush. The Vineyarders had provided all
the stimuli necessary.
SRC="http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2005/09/20/content/donald_herman_sm.jpg" Combining a potent running game and efficient passing attack with a
suffocating defense, the Vineyarders routed Carver 37-6 at McCarthy
Field in Oak Bluffs. Several personal fouls that led to Carver's
only score late in the third quarter were the only blemishes on an
otherwise perfect afternoon that featured bright sunshine, clear skies
and a Vineyard team hungry to play.
"Not a bad first game," a reserved head coach Donald
Herman said. "I was fairly pleased with the effort, and I think we
saw some positive things."
Erasing memories of last year, when the team struggled to score
points en route to a 5-6 record, the 2005 Vineyarders scored three
touchdowns and a field goal in the first half, taking a 23-0 lead into
halftime and never looking back. The Crusaders' offense, led by
talented tailback Michael Grant (who ran for 133 yards against the
Vineyarders last season), was shut down by a Vineyard defensive squad
that showed its strength is in its speed and tenacity. Carver rarely
moved the ball for a first down and was mostly contained in its own
territory.
SRC="http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2005/09/20/content/defense_sm.jpg" Senior quarterback Ryan Rossi threw for 135 yards, three touchdowns
and no interceptions. He was seven for 10 in completions, spreading the
ball out to five different receivers. Senior Tony Cortez (eight carries,
58 yards) and junior Taylor Pierce (five carries, 37 yards) led a
stampede of six Vineyard running backs who totaled 152 yards on the
ground.
The game Sunday was rescheduled from Friday night, when torrential
rains from tropical storm Ophelia forced the postponement. It was, by
all measures, a complete performance on both sides of the ball: while
the offense chewed up 287 total yards, the defense beat up on an
outmatched Carver team. The Vineyard snatched two interceptions, forced
a fumble and blocked Carver's only extra point attempt.
"The entire offense is steadily improving each week, and that
is what you want to see," Coach Herman said. "But we know
we'll have to get better as we face bigger challenges."
On Sunday the challenge was figuring out how to move the ball
against a Carver defense built to stop the Vineyard running game.
"They were putting nine guys up on the line to stop the
run," Coach Herman said. "They were daring us to throw the
ball, so we did."
SRC="http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2005/09/20/content/ross_willey_sm.jpg" Rossi was up to the task, looking at ease throughout the game. He
resembled little of the tentative junior of last year as he barked out
plays, moved comfortably in the pocket and fired long passes down the
field. After a 27-yard field goal by senior E.J. Sylvia in the first
quarter made it 3-0, Rossi struck twice, first to sophomore tight end
Matt Lucier for a 31-yard touchdown and later to senior tailback Tristan
Atwood on a five-yard catch for a score.
Standout cornerback John Swann picked off Crusaders quarterback
Keith Littig with 2:36 left in the first half and returned it 36 yards
to the end zone to make it 23-0 at the half.
"Ryan's arm has gotten stronger, he has more confidence,
and he is more comfortable with the offense," Coach Herman said.
"Our offensive line protected him well and he really wasn't
rushed so he was really never under pressure."
Rossi was especially effective at the play action pass -
faking hand-offs to his tailback, rolling outside the pocket and firing
spirals downfield to open receivers. The quarterback was also efficient
on third-down conversions, often connecting with an open receiver for
long yardage. He opened the second half with a third-down-and-12 strike
to senior tailback Anthony Sullo for a first down, and moments later hit
Lucier down the right side for a 35-yard touchdown that made it 30-0.
SRC="http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2005/09/20/content/matt_lucier_sm.jpg" Carver's only score came after the Vineyard was charged with
three personal foul penalties, which moved the ball deep into Vineyard
territory. The Crusaders scored on a pass into the end zone, but had
their extra point blocked by Atwood, who raced to the ball untouched and
batted it away with a resounding thud.
With that score, Rossi was rested and replaced by junior backup
quarterback Cliff Ibarrondo. But by the time the fourth quarter rolled
around, a tired and dejected Carver was struggling to stop a Vineyard
offense comprising mostly backups. A relentless rushing attack
throughout the fourth quarter showed just how much depth the Vineyarders
have at the tailback position.
Juniors Tyler Hathaway and Pierce announced their arrivals by taking
advantage of a fatigued Carver secondary while the Vineyard's
starting tailbacks Atwood, Sullo and Alan Fortes rested on the
sidelines. Twenty-seven of Pierce's 37 rushing yards came on two
runs that set up the final Vineyard touchdown, an eight-yard run by
Cortez. Hathaway also impressed with several long runs of more than 10
yards in the fourth quarter.
"Taylor and Tyler are two good backs, and I think they
illustrate how deep we are at the position," Coach Herman said.
"Kudos to Matt Lucier, too. He stepped up big."
SRC="http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2005/09/20/content/excited_fans_sm.jpg" Lucier, who is listed as a running back, stepped in to fill a hole
at tight end left by Sylvia, who is still recovering from an injury and
is not yet cleared to play the position. Lucier learned how to play the
position in just four days of practice.
The Vineyarders' next opponent is the relatively unknown Lynn
Classical, a Division II school that is 1-1 on the young season. The
game is home on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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