The high school winter sports season has arrived on the Vineyard, and the Island’s student-athletes are ramping up their practices in anticipation of the first games next week.
The high school winter sports season has arrived on the Vineyard, and the Island’s student-athletes are ramping up their practices in anticipation of the first games next week.
Girls hockey made the playoffs last year.
Girls hockey made the playoffs last year.
Both the girls and boys hockey teams will welcome six teams to the Island this weekend for scrimmages after tryouts conclude on Wednesday. Both teams are coming off playoff appearances last year, and the boys have a new head coach for the first time in 27 years. Mike Snowden, a MVRHS alum and Edgartown police lieutenant, leads the boys hockey team into a new era.
Last year, the boys faced plenty of adversity, including injuries to their top line and key defenders. Despite the early injury bug, they still finished strong with a 9-9-2 record and earned the 14th seed in the playoffs. They were defeated 2-1 in a close first-round matchup, but the younger players gained plenty of experience as they look to lead MV back to the tournament this year. Their first official home game is next Thursday at 4 p.m. against Monomoy.
Boys basketball starts season with a four-game roadtrip.
Boys basketball starts season with a four-game roadtrip.
The girls hockey team is also poised to return to the playoffs, coming off an 11-8-1 season and a tough 3-2 overtime loss in the first round. Head coach Mallory Watts’ team was very young last year, with eighth graders and freshmen seeing time on the ice. A year later, the camaraderie that fueled last year’s team should be even stronger as they build on a season where the Vineyarders defeated three perennial Cape powerhouses: Falmouth, Nauset and Sandwich.
The girls’ first home game doesn’t come until Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. against Scituate. Before then, they’re on the road to face Marshfield, Sandwich and Milton.
First home game for girls basketball is Dec. 12.
First home game for girls basketball is Dec. 12.
Last season was a building year for the girls and boys basketball teams. Both won eight games and just missed the playoffs. However, they still had some signature wins and respectable winning streaks. With another year under their belts, the Vineyarders should be back in playoff contention.
The girls start things off with four home games, the first coming against Sturgis West next Friday at 2:30 p.m. After that, they play Nantucket, Monomoy and Fairhaven.
Indoor track gets some outdoor workouts in.
Indoor track gets some outdoor workouts in.
The boys are on the road for their first four games, starting with Mashpee, then Nantucket, Monomoy and O’Bryant in Roxbury. Their first home game is Sunday, Dec, 28, against Scituate at 2 p.m.
The wrestling team is coming off a Cape and Islands League title last year after defeating Barnstable for the first time since the program was reestablished as a varsity sport. Interest in wrestling at the high school is continuing to grow as the boys continue to refine their skills and look to defend their league title. This month, the Vineyarders will travel to Sandwich for two meets where they’ll face seven different schools. First, they’ll go against Randolph, South Shore Tech, Tri-County Vocational and Sandwich on Dec. 13, then, Boston Latin, Josia Quincy and Nauset on Dec. 20. On Wednesday, Jan. 7, MV will host Falmouth at 4 p.m. in the school’s first home matchup since reestablishment.
Swim team has become a powerhouse in recent years.
Swim team has become a powerhouse in recent years.
The indoor track team is looking to build on the success from the cross country season and last year’s triumphs at the Cape and Islands indoor championship. In cross country, the boys won the league title for the first time since 2021 and went on to make an appearance at the division two state championship. Last year, at the indoor championship, the Vineyarders brought home a gold, three silvers and a bronze. The indoor season begins next Thursday against Nauset at Wheaton College.
Finally, the swim team is coming off an excellent year where the boys went undefeated and won their second consecutive league title. They also finished the highest a Vineyard team has ever placed in the sectional championship and at the state championship.
The swim season starts next Thursday against Nantucket at home at the YMCA. Races begin at 2 p.m. and are sure to be competitive. Before MV’s recent reign in the Cape and Islands League, the Whalers were the dominating force. Last year, the Vineyarders bested them by over 100 points in the standings.
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