High School Football a Thanksgiving Day Tradition

I grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts as a kid. We lived there from when I was in kindergarten until I went to 7th grade. Growing up I always played sandlot football and idolized YA Tittle and the NY Giants. The then Boston Patriots had not yet arrived as a force as they are now.One thing I always remember is that I had uncles and cousins that played high school football for Watertown and we used to go and watch them play every Saturday during the fall season. I can still smell the fallen piled up raked leaves burning on the side of the street. Oh how I loved that smell.

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving it always makes me think of those Thanksgiving days where our whole family with aunts, uncles and cousins would head down to Victory Field and watch Watertown play Belmont in the annual Thanksgiving day rivalry. These games were the best games of the year as you were playing your arch rivals.

As I grew up and went to High School I went to Ashland High in Ashland Mass. and our arch rivals were the Hopkinton Hillers and we were the Ashland Clockers, mighty mighty Clockers. Yes, I typed it correctly, Ashland Clockers as that is where the first electric clock was made. Also, Hopkinton is where they start the Boston Marathon. The four years I lived in Ashland I would go and watch the runners pass by on route 135 in Ashland.

So, Thanksgiving day football rivalries have really become a staple in Massachusetts and I also know High School Football is real big in Texas, but, what I don’t know is Thanksgiving day football big in your town and state?

*** UPDATE*** 

Watertown was defeated by Belmont 20-12 at Watertown.

Ashland defeated Hopkinton  34-26 at Hopkinton, this was Ashland’s first winning season since 1998.