PEABODY — Since 1944, the Peabody and Saugus football teams have duked it out on the gridiron on Thanksgiving Day.
Currently, the series stands at 51-28 in favor of the Tanners, but it wasn’t always so lopsided. In fact, during the first four decades through 1984, the Sachems led the series 22-19.
But that all changed in a hurry when the Tanners went on a 17-0 tear from 1989-2005 to seize control of the series.
Fast forward to 2025, when both teams struggled through what can only be called disappointing seasons. The Sachems (2-9) started 0-2, but finally broke through in Week 3 with a win against Lynn Tech. The Tanners (1-9) weren’t so lucky, losing their first nine games before finally prevailing against Waltham in Week 10.
Truth be told, both teams have found it extremely hard to generate any offense. The Sachems have been outscored 271-46, scoring an average of only 4.6 points per game. Only once have they scored double-digit points in a game.
The tale of the tape is similar for the Tanners, who have been outscored by a 329-112 margin.
But Thanksgiving Day isn’t necessarily about the numbers, statistics and records; it’s about rivalry against your archrival in which what’s happened before doesn’t matter. All that counts is being able to walk off the field a winner, especially if you’re a senior who has just played the last game of your high school career — and, for many — the last football game you’ll ever play, period.
“There’s nothing more exciting or meaningful than Thanksgiving Day football in New England,” Peabody senior captain Luke Maglione said. “To be able to be a part of this rivalry that has gone on forever it seems, is special. It’s surreal.”
Both teams entered the game with a win in their last regular season game, but Peabody looked to extend its 10-year-long Turkey Day stranglehold. At the end of a long day, the Tanners got the job done, winning 28-26 in a thriller.
“Our big thing was we wanted to come out and play like us,” Saugus coach Steve Cummings said. “Today, we came out and played well early. We got in all those little things we were looking for and got ourselves in a good position early. At the end of the day, they made that one last play and we didn’t.
“Our senior class has been fantastic. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but they weather the storm. We wanted this one badly for these guys. We just came up a little short. Nonetheless, I’m really proud of what these guys have done. Maybe in two weeks, they’ll feel better, but we really wanted to walk off the field with that trophy,” Cummings said. “Right now, all that’s important is that we get with our seniors and walk off the field one last time.”
Bettencourt said the Turkey Day game always comes down to a battle, regardless of records.
“It’s always a fight,” Bettencourt said. “I personally have a great idea of what this rivalry is all about. My senior year, it was 8-1 Saugus and 9-0 Peabody and the winner goes to a Super Bowl. The year before that, in Saugus, we had two .500 teams playing for nothing and that game was 14-13. We won it on the last play when we stuffed a two-point conversion. You’d think that you’d just forget about it, but it’s a rivalry you can’t forget.”
2024 Peabody High graduate Eli Batista, a sophomore on the Bentley University football team, agrees with Bettencourt.
“This is the one game you want to win — no doubt about it — especially if you’re a senior,” he said. “It’s a special tradition for both teams, who you know will leave it out there to win this game. These games are probably the thing you remember most about high school regardless. It’s just always going to be special and there is nothing better than walking off the field as a winner on Thanksgiving Day.”
