Despite the snow and cold, the winter sports season is off to a hot start at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School with the boys’ basketball and hockey teams posting early big wins.
Meanwhile, the girls’ hockey team has been shaken by the sudden departure of longtime head coach Sam Sherman just two games into the season. Athletic director Sandy Mincone said Mr. Sherman turned in his resignation last Friday; the Vineyarders were 0-2 on the season after opening with losses to Whitman-Hanson last Saturday and Sandwich last Wednesday.
There was a noticeable feeling of loss around the Vineyard this week.
“I can’t believe we’re not playing Nantucket this weekend,” one man lamented Monday while waiting for a haircut at Bert’s barber shop in Vineyard Haven. “What is the world coming to?”
For the first time in nearly 50 years, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard will not play the Island Cup football game this weekend, one of the most celebrated and storied traditions for both Islands that was cancelled this year for financial reasons.
After losing their season opener, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School field hockey team went on a hot streak this past week, winning two games in impressive fashion while tying two others, including a stalemate against Division I powerhouse Somerset, widely considered to be one of the strongest teams on the Vineyard’s schedule this year.
Coach Lisa Knight is ecstatic about her team’s performance. After a frustrating loss to Sandwich in the opener, team members were eager to get back on the field and prove themselves.
A little sun, a little rain, temperatures hovering in the upper 40s and the wind blowing hard — it was perfect weather for the opening weekend of Vineyard Youth Soccer’s little-heralded, largely-accomplished and newly expanded travel program on the fields at the West Tisbury School.
The Island’s travel soccer teams kicked off the first round of the season with home openers against several teams from the South Coast Soccer League on Saturday.
The dream season for girls' lacrosse came to an end Friday on a muddy, rain-soaked field at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School against a
powerful team from Hingham. The Hingham girls prevailed 11-8 in the second
round of the state tournament. The Vineyard girls, who have been undefeated
all season and had advanced to the second round with a solid win on
Wednesday, could not get the job done before a cheering crowd on a soggy
day.
“I couldn't be prouder of the kids. They've been terrific all season
long.
Vineyard sports fans who love edge-of-your-seat contests had a good holiday week as both the boys’ hockey and boys’ basketball teams went down to the wire in thrilling but ultimately disappointing games.
The basketball team lost 55-54 to Harwich in the final seconds of the second round of the Cape and Islands Christmas Classic in Mashpee on Saturday, while the boys’ hockey team on the same day skated to a 5-5 tie against Bourne in an early season match-up of old rivals.
As the weather warms, so do high school athletics, and several teams surged out of the gate early this spring, including girls’ lacrosse, girls’ softball, baseball and the ever-steady track team.
The dream season for the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls’ lacrosse team came to an end on Friday in a 12-8 loss to Hingham in the Division 2 South quarterfinals of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament.
After defeating Oliver Ames on Wednesday, the Vineyard girls had advanced to the second round of the state tournament.
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School hockey team rolled over Bridgewater-Raynham by a score of 5-0 on Wednesday to win both ends of a home-and-home series with the Trojans and run their record to an impressive 6-1-1 on the season.
As they near the half-way mark of the season, the boys’ hockey team is almost a lock to qualify for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament.
Things are looking bright for many Vineyard high school athletic teams early in this spring sports season. There were fewer games and matches this week due to April vacation.
Girls’ Lacrosse
The team led by coach Betsy Dripps continued its dominance last Thursday with a 13-3 drubbing of Fairhaven on the road. With the win, the Vineyarders remained undefeated and moved to 6-0 on the season.
