The high school winter sports season is at full sail, and the Vineyard boys hockey and basketball teams are leading the way with six and five wins each.
The high school winter sports season is at full sail, and the Vineyard boys hockey and basketball teams are leading the way with six and five wins each.
On the Ice, the Vineyarders have bested Nantucket and Monomoy twice by a combined score of 22-5. Only once did things get close, as the home opener against the Sharks went into overtime after Monomoy scored the equalizer in the closing seconds. However, it was Joe Mederios to the rescue for MV, scoring the game-winner off a pass from Donnie Gregory.
In non-league play, the boys took two out of three in their annual trip to New Hampshire for the Heuchling and Swift Memorial Classic last week. They beat Oyster River 6-1 and Saint Thomas 5-3. Their lone defeat on the year came at the hands of Keene by a score of 3-2.
So far this season, Gregory and Mederios are the team’s top scorers with 11 and eight goals, respectively. The boys next two games are on the road against Falmouth and Dennis-Yarmouth. They’re back home next Wednesday, Jan. 14, to play Sandwich at 5 p.m.
Driving against Nauset.
Driving against Nauset.
The girls hockey team has won two of its five games to start the season. First, they defeated Marshfield 5-2 on the road to kick things off, then won their home-opener by the same score against Scituate on New Year’s Eve.
Against Marshfield, five different Vineyarders put the puck in the net: Elle Mone, Abby Geary, Reese Malowski, Grace Cotton and Evelyn Lavigne. Against Scituate, Geary led the charge with a hat trick and MV also had goals from Mone and Mackenna Metell.
The girls will also be on the road for their next two games, first taking on Dennis-Yarmouth, then Falmouth this week. Their next home game is against Nauset next Wednesday at 3 p.m., before the boys play Sandwich.
On the hardwood, the boys basketball team lost its first game of the season but has stormed back with five straight victories. Within that five-win stretch, there have been a couple of nailbiters: a 42-41 win over Monomoy on the road, and 65-64 over Scituate on the Vineyard. They have also defeated O’Bryant 50-34, Nauset 56-48, and avenged their lone loss of the season against Nantucket with a 75-67 win over the Whalers at home on Saturday.
At halftime, the rivals were neck-and-neck. Nantucket led 39-35, but MV came back with a different energy in the second half to pull ahead and keep their winning streak alive. Landon Lepine was the Vineyarders’ high scorer with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Jacoby Light contributed 21 points and had three steals, while Tauras Biskis chipped in 14 points, and Fletcher Zack had eight points and seven rebounds.
Taurus Biskis takes to the skies.
Taurus Biskis takes to the skies.
Against Scituate, the script was flipped. At the half, MV held a large lead and had to stifle their opponents’ valiant attempt at a comeback. The Vineyarders held on for the win and were led by Lepine with 20 points and 11 rebounds, Light with 19 points and six steals, and Biskis with 10 points.
Up next, the boys will be home to play New Mission High School of Hyde Park on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
The girls basketball team holds a .500 record with three wins so far this year, the first of which came in the season opener at home against Nantucket. The girls held on to win 36-32 after the Whalers almost eliminated MV’s 13-point fourth quarter lead. Ava Townes led the Vineyarders with nine points, three assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Their second win came against Fairhaven at home. The girls beat the Blue Devils 42-21. Olivia McCormick stood out with nine points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Last Saturday, against Cape Cod Tech, the Vineyarders won 44-27. McCormick had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Townes and Madis Pitman also had strong stat lines with nine points each. Townes added five assists and Pitman eight steals.
Next, the girls will travel to the Cape to play Saint John Paul II on Friday before returning home to play Dennis-Yarmouth on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Coach Mike Joyce encourages his players.
Coach Mike Joyce encourages his players.
The Vineyard indoor track team has been very busy to start the season. They have attended three Cape and Islands League meets and several events in the Boston area as well. So far, the Vineyarders have been crowding the podium at the Cape and Islands League meets.
Notable finishers include Maria Xavier, with three first place finishes in the 55 meter, two second place finishes in the long jump and, at the MSTCA Speed Classic at the Reggie Lewis Center, a ninth place finish in a field of 206 in the 55 meter and a sixth place finish in a field of 63 in the long jump.
Luis Costa had two first place wins and a second place finish in the 600 meter, and he came in fifth in a field of 123 in the same race at the Speed Classic.
Enzo Reis dominated the 55 meter hurdle race with three first place finishes, and he came in third out of 47 at the Speed Classic. Ben Fuller had a first in the one mile race and a second in the 1000 meter, Sophia Alves had a first in the 600 meter, Katelyn Tankersley had a first in shot put, and George McDow had a second in the 300 meter.
For the junior varsity, the girls 4x200 relay team of Jaylynn Warburton, Julia Rodriguez, Khalani Christie and Leona Hyton had two firsts. Hyton also had an individual first in the 55 meter, and Jamison DeMello had a first in the same race. DeMello is also a member of the boys 4x200 relay team that took a first with Dalvin Titus, Robert Diaz, and Maleeq Gordon. In shot put, Gianni Navarrete had a first, while Isaiah Geddis and William Halloway earned seconds.
The swim team began its season at home against Nantucket, with the boys taking home the victory. Highlights from the meet included Grady Stalgren winning the 100 fly and the 100 backstroke, Claus Smith winning the 100 freestyle, and the relay teams of Smith, Phillip Pruciano, Dylan Hitchen and William Simmons winning the 200 freestyle and Stalgren, Smith, Moses Thompson and Michael Calheta winning the 400 freestyle.
In their second match of the season, against Durfee in Fall River, both the boys and girls teams took home the win. Stalgren qualified for the South Sectional postseason competition in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:01.64. He also won the 100 butterfly while Kyla Webster won the race for the Vineyard girls. Other winners on the girls’ side included Zoe Higgins in the 100 freestyle and Leah Thompson in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.
Leah’s brother Moses also won the individual medley for the boys, while Smith won the 50 and 100 freestyles. In the 100 breaststroke, Calheta was the winner and also a part of the winning boys 400 free relay team along with Thomson, Simmons, Smith and Stalgren. The girls 400 freestyle relay team of Webster, Higgins, Nora Motahari and Maybeline Brown was also victorious.
Up next, the Vineyarders will swim against Barnstable Thursday on the Cape.
The wrestling team has not yet competed but will host its first-ever home meet Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 4 p.m. in the high school gymnasium against Falmouth.
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