Vineyard played at home against Old Rochester Saturday. On Sunday an Old Rochester player tested positive for Covid-19, triggering contact tracing and quarantine protocols.
Mark Alan Lovewell

Island Cup Is Canceled After Covid Exposure

The Island Cup football game between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket has been canceled due to exposure to Covid-19.

The Island Cup football game between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket has been canceled due to exposure to Covid-19.

Speaking to the Gazette by phone Tuesday, Vineyard head coach Donald Herman said a player from Old Rochester tested positive for the virus Sunday after the game against the Vineyard on Saturday.

As a result, multiple members of the Vineyard team identified as close contacts have entered quarantine and will not be eligible to return in time for the game against Nantucket.

The game was set to be played on Nantucket this coming Saturday.

“We’re devastated about the way the season ended,” Coach Herman said. “It didn’t . . . end the way any of us expected or wanted. We felt strongly about our chances against Nantucket this year.”

Coach Herman said he looked into the possibility of postponing the Island Cup game but the high school spring sports season is set to begin on Monday and the two seasons cannot overlap.

“I feel so bad for the seniors,” the coach said. “It’s a hard life lesson and a hard way to learn there’s things you can’t control.”

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/22/2021 - 15:37

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JT MV

How the heck do they not extend the season one more week to let these kids play? I have been serious about covid since day 1, but these contract trace rules the schools are using are ridiculous. At the very least, they better change before the start of the next school year, but to end this season without playing the Island Cup game is just plain cruel for these poor children.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/23/2021 - 09:28

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PM Chilmark

You would think that both schools could make an exception and play the game on May 1st.......

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