The regional high school football team pulls out of the Island Cup because of injuries, while the girls and boys soccer teams won Golden Anchors over Nantucket. And Halloween on the Vineyard gets spooky, with ghost stories, zombie crawls and haunted houses.

For the seniors on the team, the decision to cancel the Island Cup has been a tough pill to swallow, but a medicine they said the team understands was prescribed for their health and safety.

Football Coach Tony Mottola made the call on Saturday to not go forward with the rival game against Nantucket as injuries stacked up on the team, which was already down several players. 

There’s no crying in football. We beat ‘em on the Vineyard. We beat ’em on Nantucket. We almost beat ’em in Boston.

After missing a game-winning field goal with two seconds to go in the fourth quarter, the Vineyarders were unable to capitalize in the overtime period, losing 22-14.

A documentary about the Island Cup football game will be shown on NESN Monday and Tuesday. The footage comes from the leadup to the 2018 and 2019 Island Cup games from both Island perspectives.

The Island Cup is always a day to circle on the calendar. But this year, it’s an event to circle with a bigger, bolder marker.

For the first time in history, the Island Cup will be played at Fenway Park, with the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School football team heading to Boston this year to take on the Nantucket Whalers in the longstanding tradition.

The Vineyarders won the Island Cup for the second year in a row, with a dynamic 24-21 win over the Whalers. The boys and girls soccer teams were also victorious Saturday, each winning an inaugural Golden Anchor trophy.

Vineyard sports teams travel to Nantucket this weekend for the Island Cup and the new "Battle in the Atlantic" tradition.