Martha's Vineyard Regional High School

History

MVRHS opened in September 1959. It is the larger of the two high schools located on Martha's Vineyard, the other being the Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School in West Tisbury. MVRHS is part of the Martha's Vineyard Public Schools and serves the six towns on the island: Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Tisbury, West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah.

Academics

MVRHS has a comprehensive high school with a Career Tech program that offers training in automotive, building trades, horticulture, culinary, maritime studies, and health assisting. MVRHS offers an alternative program known as the Rebecca Amos Institute, an open-campus program offering individualized instruction for a small group of students. Students can choose to engage in extracurricular activities including community service, sports, art, drama and debate. MVRHS won two National Blue Ribbon School Awards. MVRHS is one of the very few schools to have won this honor two times. Most recently, MVRHS was the only public high school in Massachusetts selected for Award and one of 111 nationwide.

Athletics

Martha's Vineyard's athletic teams are called the Vineyarders, and their colors are purple and white. Martha's Vineyard is a member of the Eastern Athletic Conference, which competes at the Division 2 and 3 levels of competition. Members of the EAC are Bishop Feehan High School, Bishop Stang High School, Coyle & Cassidy High School, and Somerset-Berkley Regional High School. Before they joined the EAC in 2010, they had previously been a member of the Mayflower League, which competes at the Division 5 & 6 level, and is also the largest high school athletics conference in Massachusetts.

Football

The Vineyarders have a long-standing rivalry with Nantucket High School. Their rivalry culminates every year in the annual Island Cup. Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are located approximately 15 miles apart from each other, and the only way to reach the islands is either by ferry or by airplane. In 2010, the U.S. Marine Corps chose to include the Nantucket vs. Martha's Vineyard football game on their list of 42 Great American Rivalries. It was the only New England football game to make the list. As of 2010, the Vineyarders possess the cup, and have for the last twelve years in a row.

Under head coach Donald Herman, who took over the coaching reins in 1987, the Vineyarders football team won five Massachusetts State Championships and appeared in eight state championship games in total. He also led the Vineyarders to two undefeated seasons, in 1997 and 1999. Furthermore, they have won nine league championships under Herman's leadership. Herman has also been selected as the Boston Globe Coach of the Year on two occasions, among numerous other accolades. At the end of the 2015 season, Herman announced his retirement from the head coaching position of the football team. During his 28 years as head coach at Martha's Vineyard, Herman had a record of 216 wins and 90 losses. Former QB Randall Jette went on the play cornerback at UMass, where he was a prospect for the 2016 NFL draft.

Football accomplishments

• State champions – 1991, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2003
• State finalists – 2000, 2001, 2008
• League champions – 1973, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2023
• Undefeated seasons – 1963, 1997, 1999

Basketball

The girls' basketball team achieved even greater success. They have won state championships, in 1979 and 1981, won a sectional championships, and played deep into the state tournament on numerous occasions. The girls' basketball team has produced numerous players who won all-state honors, including 1,000-point scorer Erin Hill, who was named Boston Herald First Team All-Scholastic in 2016.

Hockey

References

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2. "Matt D'Andrea Named Next Schools Superintendent". VineyardGazette.com.
3. McCann, Cathryn. (January 29, 2016). "Sara Dingledy selected to be regional high school principal". MVTimes.com.
4. "Martha's Vineyard Regional High". National Center for Education Statistics.
5. "The High School View". MVRHS.org.
6. (September 11, 1959). "The Vineyard Gazette".
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8. "Courses". MVRHS.org.
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11. (November 23, 2010). "Vineyard wins Island Cup". Martha's Vineyard Times.
12. Waite, Jackson. (October 19, 2015). "Martha's Vineyard football coach goes out on a high note". MVTimes.com.
13. Godfrey, Paul. "School football: Donald Herman retiring at Martha's Vineyard". CapeCodTimes.com.
14. "Girls Hockey Recognized With Sportsmanship Award".
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18. "Skatepark Is Back and Everyone Is Dropping In".
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