Updated Monday Nov. 28. at 1:30 pm
The Nantucket Whalers snapped Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) 12 year dominance of the annual Island Cup rivalry football game, crushing the Vineyarders by a 42-0 score on Saturday afternoon at Dan McCarthy Field in Oak Bluffs.
Back in 2013, then-senior Vineyarder Nate Horwitz mused before the Cup game that “everyone knows the streak will end. You just don’t want it to be in your year.” As it turned out, 2016 proved to be the year when the storied rivalry game went to a strong, skilled Whaler squad that ran for more than 200 yards and held the Vineyarders to 93 yards of offense. Junior running back Zach Moreis led the Vineyarders with 34 yards rushing.
The Vineyarders (1-10) were injured and overmatched on Saturday, generating little offense other than an early second half spurt that took them briefly into Whaler territory. Clearly, the 38th edition of the Island Cup was all Whalers. Vineyarder miscues, via four turnovers and a half-dozen facemask and personal foul penalties, led to three Whaler scores.
The Whalers (9-2) struck early and often, scoring four touchdowns in the first half for a 28-0 lead, then added two more scores in the second half behind three rushing scores by Whaler senior standout Travis Demby who had 86 yards rushing and contributions from junior running back Alex Small who amassed 93 yards and a touchdown on the ground. NHS senior JT Gamberoni and junior quarterback Jack Holdgate also scored for the Whalers, who were thirsty to drink from their long-delayed Island Cup. The victors kept the pedal to the metal throughout the contest, including unleashing long passes in their final fourth quarter possession with just over three minutes remaining.
If you are not from these parts, it is difficult to fathom the symbolic importance of this game to the two Island communities. If you are interested, author James Sullivan captured its essence in his 2012 book, Island Cup: Two Teams, Twelve Miles of Ocean, and Fifty Years of Football Rivalry.
Today, by virtue of their 12-year undefeated run, the Vineyarders still hold a 20-18 lead in Island Cup games, though they trail the Whalers 36-30-3 in more than 60 years of inter-Island play.
There were some unforgettable moments, including a pass reception by defensive end turned receiver Lucas Debettencourt who captured an Ivan Shepherd pass over the middle and trudged for 15 yards with multiple Whaler defenders dangling from his 6’ 6” frame.
Then, there was Whaler behemoth, 340-pound defensive lineman Nick Correia, who rose up majestically to block a Shepherd pass, which inexplicably lodged in his huge hands. Mr. Correia moved glacially forward for eight yards toward the Vineyarder end zone before succumbing to a tidal wave of purple jerseys. The kind of plays both men, and their former teammates, will chortle about around the firepit 20 years hence.
But it was the Whalers’ day, the kind in which a mishit Whaler punt turned into an onside kick, which they recovered. A day on which Wahler quarterback Holdgate found himself holding the ball alone in the backfield after a busted play, then found space to score from 21 yards out. Shortly thereafter, Vineyarder running back John Morris burst up the middle with nothing but green grass ahead before running into a wayward referee.
First-year Vineyarder coach Steve McCarthy took some bright spots from the game. “They gave great effort and that’s all we can do,” he said. “A booster remarked that we started the season with 48 players and ended with 25 players. These kids could’ve walked away but they didn’t. The season was a baptism by fire for the younger kids. They didn’t get to work up to it. Now they know what it’s like, the work that’s ahead of them. Bumps and bruises will turn into stars. We have to learn how to finish.
“We knew the Cup would be an uphill battle. Coach Brian Ryder has built a strong Whaler program.They brought 400 fans and it was good to see a big crowd ringing the field,” he said.
His young Vineyarder team did show future promise over a long season. Mr. McCarthy noted performances from underclassmen who logged significant time, including John McCormick, Michael Courtney, Hunter Cleary, Skylar Hall, Ivan Shepherd, Connor Bettencourt, Kyle Rollins, James Breth and Andres Garcia. They learned from juniors Zach Moreis, John Morris, co-captains Sam Rollins and Matteus Scheffer, Jerry DaSilva, Michael Moore, Perry Bliss, Connor Bettencourt, Cory Medeiros, and Cooper Bennett. Their hard work was bolstered by senior co-captains Lucas Debettencourt and Colby Scarsella, Elijah Matthews, Cody Caseau, Andrei Bernier, Cristofer Vought, James Sashin, and Ennis Foster.
While officials from both schools were wary of fan behavior before the game, only one incident emerged among the estimated 900 attendees. One Whaler fan ensconced himself among Vineyarder fans in the stands at the 50-yard line. He over-celebrated, long and loud, every Whaler success and Vineyarder mishap throughout the first half. Vineyarder fans seethed silently. He got no takers and exited stage left at halftime, blessedly to be seen no more.
The MVRHS Minnesingers turned in perhaps the best Island performance of the day, a flawless a capella rendition of the national anthem. Retiring Cape and Island state representative Tim Madden was also on hand to receive halftime accolades from the two Island communities he has served for the past eight years. Retired Vineyarder coach Donald Herman and arch-foe Vito Capizzi, retired Whaler coach, were on hand under glowering skies to witness the iconic Cup game they inaugurated nearly 40 years ago.
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