As the regular season winds down for Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School athletics, four teams will see post-season play. The girls tennis team will play for a third straight state championship when playoff competition begins next week.
For the past two years the girls team has been undefeated in both match and tournament play. This year’s undefeated season ended on Tuesday, when they were defeated by Sharon High School, a division one, non-league team.
“We had a very good match but lost to them,” said Coach Nina Bramhall. “That was a first for us, but they were by far the strongest team we’ve played, so it was a good test for us.”
The team won their final match against Foxborough, a D2, non-league team, on Wednesday afternoon, bringing their regular season record to 15-1.
The team also competed in the individual MIAA Division 3 South Sectional tournament on Sunday, where the doubles team of Victoria Scott and Lizzie Williamson defended their title. Victoria and Lizzie were state champions last year and they continue their march to another state title on June 17 at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury.
Boys tennis will compete in the postseason as well. They also lost to Sharon High School on Tuesday, but followed that up with a win against Bishop Stang on Wednesday, bringing their record to 11-2.
Coach Bill Rigali said that given their excellent record, they are hoping for a high seed in the tournament. “It looks like in tournament competition, our toughest competition will come from Old Rochester and Dover-Sherborn,” he said. “We know they have very good players and would be tough foes for sure.”
Coach Rigali emphasized that the team is stronger than it was last year. “We’re looking forward to having a good stretch in the playoffs.”
Boys baseball will compete in the league tournament beginning next week. Their record is currently 12-7. The team lost 8-0 to Nauset, a non-league team, on Monday. The game was called at the bottom of the sixth inning because of bad weather.
Following a Wednesday 2-1 win against Norton, they have one more game left in the season, a home game on Monday against Bishop Feehan.
Coach Gary Simmons said the team has a good chance of finishing in second place in the league, and he feels optimistic about the postseason. “Our guys are really sharp and ready to go. They’re playing with a lot of confidence now.”
A number of athletes on the track and field team have qualified for the eastern Massachusetts division meet this Sunday. Andrei Bernier, Jerry DaSilvia, Lucas Debettencourt, Curtis Fisher, Ennis Foster, Nathaniel Packer and Patrick Rebeiro and will compete for the boys team. Mackenzie Condon, Rose Engler, Julia Hart, Natalija Lakis, Madison Moreis, Olivia Smith, Whitney Schroeder and Pearl Vercruysse will represent the girls team in the meet at Norwell high school on Sunday.
“They’ve done incredibly well this whole season,” Coach Joe Schroeder said. “If they can do as well as they have the rest of the season, then they’re going to come out okay on Sunday.”
Those who place in the top four spots in their events will move on to All State championships. “There’s at least three or four events where there’s a better than good chance for them to advance just based on how they’ve placed in big meets over the last several weeks,” Coach Schroeder said.
He commended the team for their performance, particularly given that they don’t have a track to host home meets. “Being on the road the whole time, it’s even more impressive that these athletes have flourished the way they have.”
Comments
Comment policy »