The debut of the first Vineyard football team, under the guidance of Coaches John Kelley, Daniel McCarthy and Stanley Whitman, will take place tomorrow afternoon on the newly laid-out field at t
You don't have to be a fan of high school football to understand the rare chemistry that can transform a team and a sporting event.
The Vineyarders not only beat arch rival Nantucket 14-6 on Saturday for the Mayflower league championship and their first play-off berth ever, but they managed to produce two big plays and hold the line against an intimidating opponent with a spirit that doesn't come along very often.
It is easier to be philosophical when the winners are celebrating across the Sound with the Island Trophy, but there were good signs in the Vineyard's performance against Nantucket on Saturday.
The 38-14 Whalers victory at Memorial Field on Nantucket assured them' a slot in the Division 5 superbowl and a 10-0 season. Yes, they are fast and big and the defensive line was relentless, but Martha's Vineyard is one of only two teams to score more than 8 points against them all year.
Almost everyone on the Island knew it even before the final seconds ticked off the clock. If they didn't, they knew it before the Nantucket fans sailed for home at 4 p.m. The Vineyarders beat the Whalers in the final football game of the season. It was a good contest – and it was a sweet victory.
The Vineyarders should have known better. No one eats whale meat anymore, and they couldn't change that Saturday on Nantucket.
More than 500 Vineyard fans chanted: "What do we eat? - Whale meat," as the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School football team lost to its Whaler rivals, 14-0.
