Vineyard Gazette
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
Island Cup
Football
Aaron Wilson
For the first time in six years, the Island Cup is staying on the Vineyard. In a battle of wills, the Vineyarders outlasted Nantucket 14-13, holding their rivals scoreless in the second half.
Island Cup

1981

The script for homecoming weekend was not followed as planned. The Vineyarders were supposed to beat Nantucket and then celebrate with a victory dance at the high school. The dance was a success, but the Vineyarders were on the losing end of a 25 to 0 football game on a gloomy Saturday in a freezing, 30-knot gale.
 
Of course, for Nantucket it might as well have been Miami Beach. The win put them in third place in the Mayflower League with a 6 and 4 record. The Vineyard finished the season 4 and 6, which is quite respectable.
 

1980

The 40 knot wind howled on Saturday afternoon and it was guaranteed that the Nantucket Whalers football team and their fans would be screaming with delight Saturday night. They had won their 10th game in a row to cap an undefeated league season. Unfor­tunately, the Vineyarders were the team they beat, 31-12.
 

1979

 
The end-zone boys were the only ones in or around the high school field Saturday afternoon who didn’t flinch at the negative-five windchill factor.
 
These hardies stood under the goal posts dressed in light sweatshirts and watched the Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard football teams battle up and down the hard-packed field. When the Vineyard broke a big gain, they threw their fists into the air and shouted approval.
 
The wind was blowing a gale across the field — the fans were all bundled up and the two classic rival teams, the Vineyarders and Nantucket Whalers were on the field, ready to play an excellent football game.
 
At the end of four quarters the Whalers had defeated the home team 28-6. They were undefeated in league competition this year and the Vineyard win clinched the Mayflower league title.
 

1978

 
There are times when every reporter figures there must be another angle from which to look at something. When the score ends up 36-0 for the bad guys, it’s one of those times. Fortunately, the Vineyard-Nantucket clash is a story in itself, beyond the football field.
 
Saturday morning, you may recall, was a bit on the blustery side. Not to mention soggy. I called Lois DeBettencourt hoping for a cancellation in the flight plans, but she said, “We’re going!”
 

1977

Multi-colored confetti burst through the cold fall air whenever the Vineyard gained or Nantucket slipped. Orange plastic horns delivered toots of approval at touchdowns and penalty calls. Pompoms waved wildly and feet stomped the bleachers in loud, chaotic support.
 
All signs at the Saturday afternoon battle with Nantucket said this was a football Island: a community which cheered or jeered every play and never missed a game.
 

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