On the hardwood and on the ice, in the pool and on the track, the regional high school winter sports teams have excelled in every arena this year, with nearly all the teams qualifying for post-season play, and the track team sending four to the New Balance National Indoor Championships in March.
“We are having a great winter,” said athletic director Mark McCarthy. “It’s a combination of youth and experience across the board.”
Boys basketball is 17-1, boys hockey compiled an 11-game winning streak, girls basketball has more than doubled their win total from last year, and girls hockey is headed to the state tournament for the first time in 10 years.
“You look down the pipeline to see what the youth programs are doing and waiting for them to get here,” Mr. McCarthy said of the girls hockey team. “And now they are here.”
Senior leadership has been key for boys hockey along with the addition of younger kids, Mr. McCarthy added, and
boys basketball is led by Coach Mike Joyce, who has been coaching now for 27 years. “He’s Mike Joyce,” Mr. McCarthy said. “What else is there to say.” “We are seeing a lot of great leadership on the court too,” Mr. McCarthy continued. “The juniors and seniors have been playing together for a long time. And Mattheus [Rodrigues] has been dominating throughout the league.” The boys basketball team notched its 17th win of the season on Monday, taking on Abington for the second time this season. Tobey Roberts led the team with 18 points during the 68-53 win. Matheus Rodrigues had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Josh Lake 15 points and 8 rebounds and Cam Napior had 11 points with 5 steals.
Coach Joyce said Roberts had his best game of the season. “He played with so much energy and was all over the place.”
He added that Napior “put on a clinic of how to defend and disrupt an entire team.”
Coach Joyce said team camaraderie has been a big factor in their success.
“They really like each other as a whole group, they’re very good at including everyone and have a lot of fun,” he said. The Vineyarders wrap up the regular season with a four-team tournament starting Monday. Home court advantage for the playoffs will depend on the outcome of the tournament.
On the ice, the girls hockey team made a statement by defeating perennial powerhouses Barnstable and Falmouth in back-to-back games.
Against the Red Hawks of Barnstable, Coach Geoghan Coogan said his girls were excited for the rematch after they lost a squeaker earlier in the season. Coach Coogan said goaltender Nellie Long “really stood on her head in the first period and kept us in the game” as the girls battled back and forth to eventually reach overtime tied up 2-2. After each team took penalties it was three-on-three hockey.
“In that format, it’s sort of anyone’s game if the right break happens,” Coach Coogan said. “But Maia Donnelly didn’t let that happen, she made a great rush by herself and buried the game-winner.”
With the 4-2 win over Falmouth the girls clinched a tournament spot. They have now won four-straight, clobbering Nantucket 9-0 and then a tough Latin Academy team 3-2. Senior day, the last regular-season home game, is scheduled for Monday at 1:30 p.m. against Norwood.
The indoor track team produced seven top-three finishes and tied a school record at the Cape and Islands championship meet last week. Daniel da Silva and Daniel Serpa placed one and two in the 1000 meters, flying to the finish line within less than a second of each other and almost 20 seconds faster than third place, with da Silva posting 2:36.31 for a school record and Serpa running a 2:36.89.
The 4x800 relay team consisting of Serpa, da Silva, Broden Vincent and Rodeo Purves-Langer also finished first with a 9:10.63 time. Camille Brand earned a first place finish for the Vineyard girls in the high jump with a five-foot leap. Eloise Christy also placed third in the event with a four-foot eight inch jump and took fourth in the 300 meters with a 43.94 finish. Adrienne Christy finished second in the two mile with a 11:45.56 time, Madison Mello tossed the shot put 31’05 for second place and the girls 4x200 relay team of Caroline Bettencourt, Shantavia Whylly, Eloise Christy and Camille Brand placed third with a 1:57.55 time.
The swim team also participated in championship action over the weekend as they traveled to the Sterling YMCA in Beverly for South Sectionals. Coach Jen Passafiume said Olympia Hall faced some fierce competition in the 50 and 100 freestyles but finished strong in both with times of 27.49 and 59.66 which landed her 33rd and 22nd place.
Christian Flanders also swam the 50 and 100 freestyles for the Vineyard and finished in 23.64 and 53.26, good for 24th and 25th place. The boys 200 free relay team of Flanders, Emmett Silva, Nathan Cuthbert and Kaua De Assis finished in 1:36.18, setting a new school record and placing 13th. The 400 free relay team of Andy Carr, Cuthbert, Silva and De Assis finished 18th with a 3.43.61 time.
The girls basketball team wraps up their season this week after playing a game just about every other day since Feb. 6. Last week, Delilah Oliver led the Vineyarders to a 39-17 over Sturgis West with 15 points and seven rebounds. The girls were back on the boat Friday for a trip to Bourne where Maria Andrade posted a 20 point, 10 rebound, double-double that unfortunately wasn’t enough to take down the Canalmen as MV lost 54-38.
The final game of the regular season is scheduled for Friday against Saint John Paul II. Tipoff is at 4:30 p.m.
This weekend, the boys hockey team is looking to get back in the win column as they prepare for the 23rd annual Farleigh Dickinson tournament. This year Hudson, Lynnfield and Hopkinton are scheduled to arrive on the Island as the Vineyarders attempt to defend home ice starting Saturday at 7 p.m.
Next Wednesday the team takes on Nauset for the final regular season competition before the state tournament begins.
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