The Thanksgiving Day football game is an area tradition that dates back more than 100 years, but the record books for the year 2020 will have a blank space.
After the MIAA voted last week to move football to a new “floating season” from Feb. 22 to April 25, the prospects of having the annual Thanksgiving games disappeared in an instant. Now, local football coaches are left to react, pick up the pieces and move on.
“I think with the guidance that came out from the MIAA the other day, all of us are happy that we’re at least moving toward being able to play a season, which is first and foremost,” said English coach Chris Carroll. “Now it’s certainly unfortunate that we won’t be getting that annual Thanksgiving morning game, but I think all of us would trade playing that morning for a chance to play an entire season.”
“It’s been a tough spring and summer with all of this anticipation, so it’s good to know that we’ll at least be able to provide our athletes every opportunity to compete on the field at some point,” said Lynnfield coach Pat Lamusta. “But at the same time, missing out on that traditional Thanksgiving game is going to be really tough.”
“As a die-hard New England high school football fan, coach and former player, Thanksgiving Day football obviously means the world to a guy like me,” said Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt. “I can’t imagine how hard of a decision this must have been for the MIAA and everyone involved, because they very easily could have said it’s not worth the risk and just cancel the season outright. The work that all these committees (working with the MIAA) have done over the past several months to give these kids a chance to play is worthy of everyone’s respect.”
“At this point beggars can’t be choosers, so we’ll take what we can at this point and we’re excited that we have an opportunity to play football,” said Revere coach Lou Cicatelli. “The Thanksgiving game is what high school football is about for a lot of people, so it’s tough to accept that we’re going to miss out on it this year.”
There are a number of Thanksgiving rivalry games that are particularly well-known within the North Shore. English and Classical have met 106 times, while Beverly and Salem hold the area’s longest-lived rivalry at 121 meetings. Several Thanksgiving games have been going on for more than 50 years, including Marblehead-Swampscott (109 years), Winthrop-Revere (98 years), Peabody-Saugus (76 years), Lynnfield-North Reading (61 years) and St. John’s Prep-Xaverian (51 years). There have even been some new rivalries forged, with Lynn Tech-KIPP Academy, St. Mary’s-Austin Prep and Bishop Fenwick-Malden Catholic beginning new Thanksgiving rivalry games last season.
“Waking up and playing that game on Thanksgiving morning is just a different feeling, it’s special,” Carroll said of the English-Classical rivalry. “But at the same time no matter if it’s on Thanksgiving morning or it’s at the end of April, if you get English and Classical together on the same field it’s going to be intense every time.”
But the decisions have been made, and high school football will begin in late February this year. With that knowledge, the coaches now start their work to prepare for what is sure to be an unprecedented season.
“I think the biggest key at this point is finding out what our parameters are and what we are allowed to do,” said Bettencourt. “The principals and ADs and other administrators are working that out now, so as a staff we’re going to see what happens and then adapt in whatever ways we have to.”
“It’s going to have to be a long-term plan that looks a lot like our normal offseason plans,” said Cicatelli. “If we can start practicing then we will try to do that, but if not then the kids will continue to do what they’ve been doing — working out together.”
“Our No. 1 priority is always safety for everyone involved, so that’s how we have to approach things,” said Lamusta, who also coaches boys lacrosse for the Pioneers. “Now as a coaching staff we have to prepare a little differently and work hard through the winter. Maybe if we can work it out, we can do some sort of a ceremony for the seniors and kids who are going to miss this last Thanksgiving game, but we’ll see.”