The Vineyarders notched their first mark in the win column Monday with a 42-0 victory over Monomoy on a sunny afternoon in Harwich.

Defense and the ground game were the keys to success for the Vineyard as they ran for 308 yards on 34 carries and forced four Monomoy turnovers. By the end of the game, Vineyard head coach Donald Herman said all of his players saw action on the gridiron.

“I thought we played well, especially defensively,” Coach Herman said. “We made some nice plays, tackling was much better, there was definitely improvement.”

The Vineyarders secured their first points with a pass by Zach Smith to Braden Sayles for an eight-yard score. Smith finished 3-3 on the day with 21 yards, a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion.

Ty Mathew led the Vineyard’s rushing attack with 90 yards and two touchdowns. Gabriel Brito scored his first career touchdown with an 80-yard burst, and Hunter Meader rumbled for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Along with his offensive output, Meader, a middle linebacker, played well on defense in his first game of the season, Coach Herman said.

“He was an impact player on both sides of the ball for us.”

Also on defense, defensive linemen Brian Torres and Owen Metell and linebackers Hiaggo Goncalves and Alec Calverley recorded sacks while linebacker Oscar Shepherd had four solo tackles and a fumble recovery. Sayles, playing safety, made two interceptions and Von-Trai Porter ran back a fumble recovery for his first career touchdown.

Next up for purple and white is a short week of practice before the first home game of the season Saturday at noon. The Vineyard will play a rematch against Sandwich, who topped them 14-0 in their first meeting on the Cape.

Fans are not allowed at the game except for players’ parents and siblings. Parents of players on the visiting team can also attend the game. Families need to arrive together and sign-in at the gate before entering the facility.