The signs of fall on the Vineyard are here: the sound of the cannon in the end zone, long final whistles from referees and chilly nights under the lights when sweatshirts are finally necessary again.
After scrimmages and two-a-day practices ate up the final week of summer, the Island’s student-athletes got their first taste of game action this week.
The football team opened their season Friday at home against Mashpee. It was a tough night for MV, who fell 38-12, but there were still several bright spots.
Defensive end and wide receiver Griffin Buehler racked up over 100 receiving yards, including a 56-yard touchdown catch where he bulldozed all in his path to the end zone. He also recorded a sack and multiple tackles on defense.
Sophomore quarterback Adam Parchment scored the other Vineyard touchdown on a 70-yard keeper and scrambled for over 100 yards on the ground.
Charles Sebastian also stood out on defense with an interception and a goal-line fumble recovery. Ian Nunes made the hit that jarred the ball loose.
Next, the boys will play Sharon and North Worcester on the road before returning home to play the Monomoy/Saint John Paul II co-op team on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.
Other teams fared better during the opening week.
Last year, the girls soccer team reached the second round of the playoffs, and were the best defensive team in the Cape and Islands League, allowing 17 goals in 21 matches. Goalkeeper Lucy Doyle recorded 11 shutouts as a freshman, and she opened her sophomore season with number 12 on Tuesday.
The Vineyarders headed east to Harwich to take on Monomoy and returned home with a 4-0 victory. Helena Goncalves scored twice, while Josey Johns and Isabella Larsen each scored their first varsity goals.
Coach Matt Malowski credited his defense in the win, saying they were diligent and dedicated in front of their keeper.
The Vineyarders will play their home opener Saturday, Sept. 12 against Nantucket at 11 a.m.
After the girls’ matchup, the boys will take their turn against the Whalers. With two wins already under their belts, a victory over their rival could set the tone for the rest of the season.
The boys opened their season Sunday with a 4-3 road win over Lowell Collegiate Charter. They followed that up Thursday in their home opener, defeating Monomoy 3-1.
The Vineyard struck first off a corner kick, but with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Moses Thomson perfectly placed the ball over the Monomoy defense to set up a Bryan Marcal breakaway for the equalizer.
In the second half, Marcal became the playmaker. He sent an expertly timed through ball to Lucca Rosa who found the net to give the Vineyarders the lead. The insurance goal came with 15 minutes remaining, when Miguel Mantesso assisted Victor Da Silva for purple’s third goal.
“It was another strong team performance,” Coach Rodrigo Honorato said.
The field hockey team will also host Nantucket on Saturday, with the game scheduled for 12:45 p.m.
The girls have split their first two games of the season, both on the road. They started Tuesday with a shutout win over Wareham 4-0 then dropped a close one 2-0 to Whitman-Hansen on Thursday.
The rivalry action doesn’t stop at field hockey, as the cross country team will also race Nantucket through the state forest Saturday.
Last weekend, the 19th annual Vineyard XC Invitational brought 23 teams to the Island. The Vineyard boys finished 6th overall.
The Island’s top runners were Nevah Fitzgerald, who finished the 5K track in 21:29.2 to place 16th among the varsity girls; Ben Fuller, who finished 18th in the varsity boys race at 17:49.2; and Mason Burns, who finished 5th in the boys junior varsity race at 19:32.4.
The golf team is off to a hot start after beating Nauset and Barnstable last week. First, they beat the Warriors 245-258 at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster. Then they defended home turf at Farm Neck, beating the Red Hawks 238-258.
Up next, the team will host Cardinal Spellman at Farm Neck on Monday.
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