End of Island Bowl leaves Vineyard hanging

For more than 50 years, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have met in the Island Bowl, a football game held the week before Thanksgiving matching two schools surrounded by water and with much more than an ocean in common. But not this year. And not ever again unless a new source of revenue is found. The game has been canceled apparently because neither school can afford to make the trip. With ferry service not an option in November, it costs approximmately $25,000 to fly a football team from Nantucket to the Vineyard. It's a cost the schools can't afford anymore.

But there's more than just money here. Both schools have mentioned a communications problem and neither is happy with the other. MV coach Don Herman said he found out about the cancelation via a third party on Aug. 8. Though the game was canceled long before that, Herman said no one bothered to tell him. Now he's desperately looking for another game. His last home game right now is Oct. 8 against Bishop Feehan. For the record, the series ends with Nantucket leading, 35-24-3.