Several Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School sports teams are gearing up for postseason play, set to begin this week. Many players are tournament veterans, while others are looking at their first taste of offseason play, a high stakes environment where one loss ends the season.
The teams headed to the playoffs this year include girls and boys tennis and girls lacrosse. The MVRHS sailing team also made it into the postseason last month, finishing in eighth place in the Terk Trophy racing tournament.
Track stars Nate Parker (shot put) and Mackenzie Condon (400 meter hurdles) are heading to the Massachusetts All-State Meet on Saturday at Fitchburg State. Condon will also represent MVRHS at the Outdoor Nationals at North Carolina A&T State University on the weekend of June 15 to 17.
Athletic director Mark McCarthy said he is proud of how all the teams improved over the season, whether they made the playoffs or not.
“Teams we thought would do well did well. Teams that were building grew throughout the season,” he said.
Girls Tennis
Coach Nina Bramhall’s team is no stranger to the postseason, with three consecutive Division Three state championships. Winning a fourth won’t come easy, though, as the team moved up to Division Two for the playoffs this year. The higher division means the Vineyarders will face new teams with a higher level of play, but Ms. Bramhall said the team will be up for the challenge.
“We need to keep our eye on the ball,” she said. “Going into an unknown will force us to do that. We’re taking nothing for granted.”
Ms. Bramhall said the team is feeling confident after two big wins over Sharon High School, the reigning Division One champion. She also praised her players for their consistency and positive attitude throughout the season. As the first round looms, Ms. Bramhall said she particularly hopes senior standouts Kat Roberts and Lizzie Williamson get to end their high school careers with a smash.
“Hopefully we’ll just blast right through it,” she said.
The team received the No. 2 seed this year and a preliminary round bye. They play the winner of No. 14 Middleboro vs. No. 18 Holliston on Thursday at 3 p.m. at home.
Boys Tennis
Few first years on the job go as well as coach Tony Omer’s first season with the boys tennis team, with only two losses on the record, including one from division one powerhouse Sharon High School. He’s quick to credit the team, which he said continues to get better with each match.
“Everybody is healthy and I think the level of tennis has improved over the course of the season,” he said. “They’re a very tight group and very supportive of each other.”
He went on to call his players seasoned veterans who developed their high level of play early on at Vineyard Youth Tennis. He said he’s been surprised by the depth of the team as the season progressed and pointed to Christopher Ferry and Eric Reubens as two players who have stepped up in big moments.
Mr. Omer also praised his co-coach, Ryan Sawyer, for being a skilled teacher and tactician over the season. With solid coaching and such a talented team, he added that he’s not sure if the group has a weak spot as they head into the postseason.
“What we need to do is continue our focus, get sleep before matches, keep eating well and drink water...if we can do that I think we’ll be successful,” he said.
Boys tennis is ranked No. 6 and will also get to skip the preliminary round. They face off against No. 11 Cape Cod Academy on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at home.
Girls Lacrosse
Before the season began in March, assistant coach Bob Hayman told his team that spring would be over in the blink of an eye and that they should give it their all. The team, led by junior Addy Hayman’s 100-goal season, responded with an impressive 13-5 record capped with a dominant double-digit victory in their final match of the season Thursday.
“Hopefully we keep on going and winning like we’re doing,” said Mr. Hayman. “That way they can walk away with no regrets.”
Mr. Hayman praised several players for their leadership and high level of play that only got better as the season progressed. He said sophomore goalie Evanna Quinn has been reliable guarding the net and senior captain Lily Pigott packs a lot of firepower in her stick.
Most of all, he said, he’s proud of how the team has juggled school activities such as prom and graduation with practice. As the competition increases with each match from here on out, he said he hopes the team makes great memories and leaves the field satisfied that they did the best they could.
“The girls have worked hard all season long,” he said. “It’s so much fun to coach and watch it all come together.”
The girls lacrosse team is ranked No. 7 and is scheduled to play No. 10 Old Colony in the first round on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at home.
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