A Thanksgiving Football Tradition Put On Pause Is Back In Play

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — More than a century of tradition forced into silence on high school football fields across the state last year will make a triumphant return this Thanksgiving morning.

The quintessential New England day of rivalries, reunions and memories relived on the sidelines and stands — all locked down amid the canceled coronavirus season in 2020 — will roar back to life with each squad that races from the end zone to the cheers of family, friends and fans.

High school seniors, who were sophomores the last time games were played on Thanksgiving, will get the chance to finish their respective careers the way generations of players did before them —proof that history paused is not history forgotten.

"It's always a crazy atmosphere regardless if we are at home or away," said Marblehead High senior captain James Doody, whose undefeated Magicians will travel to face undefeated Swampscott in the 111th edition of that rivalry. "Both towns show tremendous support and love for the teams. We have a lot of mutual respect for a big rivalry. It's always a good game no matter what.

"Not having Thanksgiving last year, having it be full capacity after the pandemic, and two undefeated teams playing for a conference (title), there is a lot more at stake here. It's going to be awesome."

For Marblehead and Swampscott, Thursday's game won't be the final step in this year's journey. Both squads have qualified for their respective Super Bowls in the new statewide playoff format next week.

But after one Thanksgiving with no football, and a contentious ending to the spring game the teams played as part of last year's "Fall 2" makeup season, there is no looking past the border battle this holiday.

"For us going there and not giving 100 percent was not a question," Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. "We feel we need to go there and take care of business and then take the Super Bowl after that. Resting players, sitting players, was never an option.

"It will make it sweeter winning a Super Bowl knowing we beat Swampscott too. That's what our goal is. We're not being cocky. But that's our plan."

Not surprisingly, Swampscott has a conflict with those plans.

"We haven't beaten Marblehead in eight years — we'd like to change that," Swampscott High senior captain Dylan Dubiel said. "It's always been a big dream of mine to beat Marblehead growing up watching the older kids — playing football on the backfield at halftime.

"Even though this generation is a little different from back then, we still take this game very seriously."

While some Massachusetts programs have changed their Thanksgiving "rival" every few seasons for a variety of reasons, there are plenty of games — like Marblehead/Swampscott — where the school names are synonymous with each other for that one special day each year.

Beverly/Salem, Needham/Wellesley, Malden/Medford, Brookline/Newton North, Woburn/Winchester, Lynn Classical/Lynn English, Boston English/Boston Latin are among the elder statesmen of the Century Club of rivalries that withstood world wars, depressions, recessions and, yes, pandemics too, only to find their way back to the field against each other.

"For a lot of people when something is taken away you grow a little more appreciative of the opportunities," said North Reading coach Ed Blum, whose squad will face Lynnfield in those schools' 60-year-plus rivalry Thursday before facing Swampscott in the Div. 5 Super Bowl next week. "It's a special situation to be here playing on Thanksgiving. That's the community game. For our seniors, it's the last opportunity to play in front of the home crowd.

"Missing last fall, you have a greater appreciation for each game even though you've got another game after that. For us, the focus is strictly Lynnfield."

More than 20 months into the pandemic, many things remain not quite the same, and it may be a while longer before many of them will be.

But with loss comes a yearning for the type of comfort the return of Thanksgiving football can bring in a way a Friday afternoon game in early April never really could.

Even for the teams with plenty more to play for this year, the significance of this day is not something they will take for granted after waiting for it so long.

"We've all gone to these Thanksgiving games growing up," Marblehead High senior captain Craig Michalowski said. "We've seen all these teams play and have done all the people watching. It's just an honor to just be a part of that and be a captain for this team.

"It's really going to be a battle. Two good teams really going at it. It's a special opportunity to have."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)