Martha's Vineyard bit first, and second, and third, and didn't let up the attack until late in the 3rd period, when it was out of reach for Nantucket.

The Vineyard kept its "hit squad" kickoff and defensive smashes going and pulverized the Whaler's John O'Mara into turning the ball over to Tristan Atwood's fumble recovery on the 2nd play from scrimmage. MV's Ryan Rossi then executed a beautiful play fake and then lasered a 20-yarder spiral to EJ Silvia for the TD and the purple & white had a lead they would not relinquish. On the ensuing kickoff, Alan Fortes crushed Ethan Farrell, causing the ball to pop out again and although the Whalers held, Silvia made it 10-0.

The Whaler's offense couldn't get past their own 15 until a 15-yard roughing the punter foul got them moving up field. On a nice 15-yard gainer, Tyler Hathaway stripped O'Mara from behind, and David Amabile deftly picked it up and sprinted by the Vineyard sideline for 66 yards and 6 points - a 17-0 head start and essentially all they would need to retain the Island Cup for a 3rd straight year and 6 of the last 7 years as MV went on to a 24-0 halftime lead and an eventual 27-12 victory.

Martha's Vineyard finished the season 7-3, 4-1 Mayflower Large and left the field for the final time this year to ponder coming up 5 yards short in Hanover against a good South Shore team they could have defeated with a crisper effort. Delete 1 or 2 of the Vineyard's 5 fumbles - like a handling miscue at the Viking's 5-yard line in the 2nd half with the game tied at 7, or another that gave the new league champions the ball at the MV 30, or the following late hit personal foul penalty that gave them an auto 1st down at the Vineyard 5 instead of 4th down and long.

But - what could have happened, did. And although that was a bad day, the Vineyarders responded by pounding the next three opponents, including a merciless destruction of 6-1 Bristol-Plymouth, to win out and enjoy a very successful season despite the lone MLL loss.

Both the MV Junior Varsity and Junior High teams also won easily, with the JVs prevailing 28-20 and the Middlers 14-0.

Read the full Island Cup game report at the Cape Cod Times here.
MV Times has reports on all three games and pictures here.
Or try the Vineyard Gazette report with some pictures.
Nantucket Enquirer & Mirror report has a catchy "Purple Rein" caption and also has a nice picture gallery.

MARTHA'S VINEYARD 27, NANTUCKET 12
Saturday, Nov. 19, at Oak Bluffs

Nantucket (1-9)	0	0	0	12	12
Martha's Vineyard (7-3)	17	7	3	0	27

MV - E.J. Sylvia 20 pass from Ryan Rossi (Sylvia kick)
MV - Sylvia 25 FG
MV - David Amabile 66 fumble ret. (Sylvia kick)
MV - John Swan 8 run (Sylvia kick)
MV - Sylvia 27 FG
N - Mark Dwyer 8 run (rush failed)
N - Robert Anderson 24 pass from Geddes Paulsen (rush failed)

Othe MLL scores:
B-P 40, Holbrook 12
Blue Hills @ Southeastern, Nov. 24
Cape Cod Tech @ Mashpee, Nov. 24
W. Bridgewater @ South Shore, Nov. 24