November 19, 2010 - Martha's Vineyard 10, Nantucket 7
NANTUCKET (by Jen McCraffrey, Cape Cod Times with additions by MVF webmaster) – The stage had been set in the 64th Island Cup for Nantucket to top Martha's Vineyard after seven consecutive Vineyarder victories. The Whalers entered the game with just one loss on the season and had already clinched a Division 5 Super Bowl berth. Moreover, Nantucket was hosting the Cup for the first time since 2008 – which was also the last game ever coached by legendary Whaler Vito Capizzo.

But the Vineyarders, who had won three of their previous four games after starting the season 1-5, ignored all the Nantucket hype. Martha's Vineyard walked away victorious in a 10-7 nail-biter at Vito Capizzo Stadium on Saturday for the eighth consecutive meeting and 11th in the last 12. Nantucket nearly pulled off a late fourth-quarter comeback but after driving to the Martha's Vineyard 35 with 27 seconds left, Whalers quarterback Taylor Hughes was picked off just in front of the end zone by cornerback Ryan Fisher to squash the rally and end the game. “What a great high school football game,” Martha's Vineyard head coach Donald Herman said. “It had everything. In 2004, we kicked a field goal to win the game with five seconds left and in 1992 we were down 12-2 with 4:46 to go and won the game 14-12, so this (win Saturday) ranks right up there. That was a great interception by our guy that sealed their fate.”

Hughes put Nantucket in good field position on the game's first series with a 56-yard scramble to the MV 13 but Vineyarders linebacker Michael Montanile made a key play and intercepted a Hughes pass two plays later at the Vineyarders 1 yard line. The pick set up a 21-play, 99-yard scoring drive for Martha's Vineyard's that ate up 13-plus minutes over the span of the first and second quarters. Running back Tyler Araujo capped the drive with the 1-yard score and Joe Turney rushed for the 2-point conversion to make it 8-0 with just more than five minutes left before the half. But that was the only score Martha's Vineyard would get off a staunch Nantucket defense. Whalers senior linebacker Alex Rezendes denied Martha's Vineyard on a fourth-and-1, turning the ball over to Hughes and his crew. Yet a high snap over Hughes' head nearly allowed two Martha's Vineyard rushers to snag a gift TD. When the ball hit the turf below his feet, Hughes attempted to kick it out of the endzone, but the Vineyarders ran into each other and did the job of pushing out, much to Nantucket's relief - a TD would have sealed their fate. But MV got the safety and took a later crucial 10-0 lead.

Nantucket was forced to kick after the safety and MV drove all the way to the Whaler two yard line, yet the Vineyarders could not punch it in within four plays, a brilliant goal line stand for the blue.

Then Whaler QB standout Hughes (16 carries, 136 yards) wouldn't go down without a fight, leading a drive with the wind at his back and scoring on an 8-yard run on the Whalers' next possession. A Sam Earle kick put Nantucket within three. MV couldn't get a critical first down on the ensuing possession and had to punt. Hughes was faced with a huge 4th and 15th but converted on a scramble and pass to his tight end. The Whalers looked to pass to the endzone with 30 seconds on the game clock, but the Fisher interception ended the comeback and kept the Island Cup on Martha's Vineyard.

For the Vineyard purple & white, this marks the 8th straight Island Cup victory which began with 2003's win and consequent Super Bowl championship. It also makes for 11 of the last 12 Cup wins for MV. Despite the loss, the Whalers (9-2, 5-0 Mayflower Athletic Conference Small) still lead the series 35-26-3. MV finishes its season 5-6, 2-2 in the Eastern Athletic Conference. “I'm proud of the way our guys finished the season winning four of our last five games – that is tremendous,” said Herman, now in his 24th year with the Vineyarders.

The Vineyard also received a trophy from the U.S. Marine Corps, which had selected the game to be part of its Greatest American Rivalry series. While the loss hurt for Nantucket, head coach Bill Manchester said it will give the team extra motivation for its Super Bowl matchup against Latin Academy on Dec. 3. “It's going to sting,” Manchester said. “But we have to face a little adversity and get better for it. We've got a great group of seniors. So two weeks can sometimes be too much time, but we'll watch film and learn from our mistakes.”