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The Massachusetts Thanksgiving high school rivalry game is an unbelievable experience for every community. It is an opportunity to see the hard work dedication and teamwork of football teams, high school bands, and cheerleading teams. Alumni have an opportunity to connect with classmates and school staff. It is an exceptional day.
Boston Herald journalist, Gerry Callahan captures significance and the emotion of the day in an article, For Seniors, Thanksgiving is Game of their Lives (1st published in 1992).
In the article he captures the beauty and excitement of the day as it was prior to the current football playoff format. For anyone who has been part of a Thanksgiving high school football game,
It is a great journey down memory lane. Each year will be a new perspective.
Some of the incredible insights are
“Tomorrow will be your famous final scene on a football field, Thanksgiving Day, and for the boys under the pads and helmets, there never will be anything like it.”
“All the college kids are home. Everyone has the day off. Nothing else is going on. Just this. Your game. Your day.”
“It’ll feel like you are standing in the center of the universe, with all eyes upon you, as if nothing more vital is happening anywhere in the world.”
“You’ll make plans with your buddies for later tomorrow night, knowing things never will be the same. You’ll never get the feeling back you had out there on the field. Next year, you will sleep a little later. You’ll get in line and buy a ticket and watch the game from the hill.
You’ll look for your old number, and you’ll feel pretty good if the kid can play at all.”
AP History teachers often stress, the theme of Continuity and Change. The MIAA has listed the history of the Massachusetts High School Football Playoff Format.
Continuity:
- Thanksgiving Day football games are still played.
- Seniors play their final games, perform their final music performance, and cheer for the last time.
- Games have significant meaning for most communities.
Change:
- With the playoff format, the intensity of the rivalries has changed in a few cases.
- Superbowl teams often do not play varsity starters for fear of injury and jeopardizing the teams chances of winning a Super Bowl.
- The decisions of the coaches and teams playing in the Super Bowl.
Let’s take a look at the different possible match-ups on the Thanksgiving day based on a team’s situation.
Traditional Thanksgiving Game (Final Game for Both Teams)
This is the best scenario for all the teams involved. One final game, against a long-time rival for all the marbles!
Final Four Runner-up Challenge
The Final Four football games are played on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Final Four runner-ups, who have had the dream of winning state championship shattered six days before Thanksgiving, have to regroup mentally and physically. The emotional roller coaster of a high school football season which started in late August is immense.
The pressure of high school football is magnified each year, reaching the highest level senior year. Starters, impact players, and all-league all-stars feel an increased burden. A great majority of the players will be playing the final game of organized football on Thanksgiving.
It is expected that professional football players can manage a quick turnaround between games. However, with a teenage mind, it is very challenging to deal with the most disappointing loss of the season, then turn around and play in the big Thanksgiving game. NFL playoffs teams DO NOT PLAY another meaningful game after being eliminated.
Super Bowl Contender vs. Eliminated Team
Super Bowl Contenders
Winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal of a high school football team. Eliminating the chance of injuries to starters is certainly beneficial to this goal, however, it does not make for a quality Thanksgiving football experience. The game will not be competitive. In these days of gambling scandals on anything and everything, these games would be taken off the board because there is no doubt of the outcome.
Super Bowl contenders have had a huge shift in thinking, the old exception has now become the rule.
Prior to 2021, the rule seemed to be to play the starters no matter what. Others might play the starters for a half or a quarter. Newspaper writers and sports anchors were all up in arms in 2016 when Duxbury Dragons coaching staff elected to sit the starters on the Thanksgiving day match-up against the Marshfield Rams. This was probably the first instance where the New World order in Massachusetts high school football reared its head. Many felt it was an ugly head.
Marshfield won 53 – 0 and had a 40 – 0 halftime lead.
In history, we always value eyewitness accounts. Check out the following clip of legendary Marshfield Coach Lou Silva. (The clip is 0:33 – 2:19)
The team that takes the field for the Super Bowl contenders will be participating in the most lopsided event of their high school careers. The difference in physical strength, maturity, experience and talent is incredible. Some of these player’s parents have safety concerns for their child.
There is a high likelihood the offense will generate few if any first downs and will put up zero points unless the opponent puts in their 2nd and 3rd string players too.
The well rested Duxbury football team went on to win the Super Bowl. An interesting twist, the Duxbury Super Bowl rings were engraved with undefeated, even though the record book shows the loss against Marshfield on Thanksgiving day game.
Opponents of A Super Bowl Contender
Many feel this is the most challenging Thanksgiving Football scenario. It is important in life to have an attitude of gratitude.
Thanksgiving Quote: “Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.” Roy T. Bennett
We are a little bit old school in our thinking, but we are trying to shift our paradigm and look at the positives of playing in a Thanksgiving game, even if it is against 2nd and 3rd string players.
- “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) Dr. Seuss The final score will probably be the most lopsided margin of victory in the season and maybe career.
- Starters will have an opportunity to shine with their teammates, some with whom they have played since 2nd grade, on last time.
- Role players who are seniors will play a significant amount and have an opportunity to make some big plays in a varsity (ish) game.
- It is a great day for Hudl highlights. Long TD runs and completions, punt and kickoff returns, and big plays on defense.
- It is almost assured that a few of the big plays will be on the local TV news and all over social media.
- Players will have bragging rights (???) of beating a possible Super Bowl champion.
- Players will be able to really soak in and process what an incredible experience it is to be a varsity football player.
- Players will get to walk off the field one last time as a victorious high school athlete.
Super Bowl Contender vs. Super Bowl Contender (Example St. John’s & Xaverian)
Option #1 Varsity vs. Varsity: If a league title is on the line, it might be an old-school Thanksgiving rivalry game, with both teams going all out!
Option #1 Varsity vs. Varsity: If a league title is NOT on the line, it might simply be an evenly matched JV game.