BUT The Vineyarders are a powerful team, also with three straight wins against tougher opponents, and 4 of the last 5 against good Mayflower Large teams. Can the class of 2007 do something no MV class has ever done before - win the Island Cup for four straight seasons? History says that's a tall order - especially on Nantucket, where weird things happen.

This much is true: when the first shoe touches the pigskin at 1 o'clock Saturday, all bets are off, all records are moot, past history is nothing, it's the Vineyard against Nantucket. If you like sports, if you like football, if you like rivalries - this is on the pinnacle. Featured in the past in Life Magazine, USA Today, NBC Sports, and every Boston station, it's a classic battle of discipline, will, and gotta wanna. We can't wait! High school football at its best, the weather looks splendid, and the boat is ready.

November 10, Oak Bluffs - Martha's Vineyard came out hard against a tough and determined 7-1 Bristol-Plymouth team. There never has been any love lost between these two opponents, and tonight was no different. It started with a personal foul against MV for a hit into the B-P sideline that gave the Craftsmen the opening yards of a long drive straight down the field - a portent of things to come on this long evening. But at the end of the first quarter, the MV D held and allowed them to nada at the 15 in a great show of defense.

Then the Purple took over with a key forced fumble at the B-P 30 in the 2nd, and eventually MV QB Mike McCarthy broke the plane first with a 4-yard keeper to put MV up 6-0 at the half.

In the 3rd, the Vineyard special teams roared the crowd. Josh Paulsen took the opening kick 76 yards down inside the B-P red zone, with Tyler Hathaway scoring from 8 yards out and Zach Coutinho adding the PAT to make it 14-0. On the next drive MV stuffed the Craftsmen, forcing them to punt. There the rush blocked the punt, with Bastille Lucier catching it over his shoulder and rumbling 16 yards, tackled at the 15. Paulson then used excellent speed to score from 13 out, Coutinho added another and MV was in control 20-0.

B-P then made some great defensive adjustments, going to the 5-3 defense, and both teams couldn't get much O going. Matt Lucier became a great defense with his foot: he boomed some amazing clutch, deep punts to keep B-P in their own end.

It was about midway through the 4th when the B-P visiting side seemed to swell with many rowdy fans right on the edge of play, Nantucket coaches and players, and the B-P squad, frustrated and chippy. Twice play had to be halted as players started to get nasty with each other and flags were littering the green field. At one point there were more flags down than officials (each official carries two). A weak interferance call on a stop of a B-P 4th down pass (both appeared to be going for the ball, but often a team behind will get that call to make the game interesting), gave B-P a chance to score and they did to cut the deficit to 20-6.

It was clear the B-P squad were attempting to incite emotions. When David Amabile made a key fourth down stop late in the 4th into the B-P bench, his helmet was ripped from his head, and two MV players dove in to assist him. That was worth four personals on one play. (One against the B-P bench, one against Amabile for having his helmet off on the field, and two for the MV players jumping in.)

Now the referee had to stop play, figure out the penalty walk offs, and have a conference at midfield with both coaches.

While that was being figured out, MV Coach Mike McCarthy and his colleagues came up with a solution for the 5-3, and they ran for two key first downs and ran out the clock.

No handshakes were made, and the teams were kept separated for the obvious reasons, but the Vineyard had proven a point: they were the better football team, and were left to consider if they had performed in the fashion of the last three games the same way on a crucial night against Cape Tech, things would have been different in the Mayflower Large. In fact, if not for an untimely block in the back penalty, MV may well have been putting the finish on a league title. But, as they say, what couldda happened, did. Not this year: Cape Tech pounded South Shore 35-0 to grab the league and the playoff spot.

SO, next up? NANTUCKET!

GLOBE TOP 100, NOV 8th& This week's matchups:
46. Cape Cod Tech/Harwich @ Southeastern - not a good playoff tune up
49. Bristol-Plymouth up against Blue Hills - nasty game here!
68. Martha's Vineyard flies to Nantucket to defend the Island Cup
81. Blue Hills at B-P
97. Nantucket makes a showing beating up on the little guys

COACH'S AWARDS - Bristol-Plymouth
Offense - Fin Kaeka
Defense - Alan Fortes
Coaches - Mike Cecilio
Special Teams: Terrell Johnson