Fenway Park, the iconic home of the Boston Red Sox, will play host to four Turkey Day Classics over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Massachusetts and several other northeast states have been home to some of America’s longest and most heated rivalries, all played on Thanksgiving.
Wellesley vs. Needham, the granddaddy of Turkey Day games, will square-off for the 128th time on Thanksgiving Day at Fenway. The Wellesley/Needham game, which began in 1882, is the oldest public school rivalry in the country. Wellesley holds a 60-58-9 edge in the series.
Speaking of long-running rivalries, also on Thanksgiving, Boston English will face Boston Latin. These two have met every year since 1887, making it the oldest continuously played rivalry. Latin holds a huge edge in the series with 78 wins to English’s 36 with three ties. Normally, the game is played at Harvard Stadium.
The Thanksgiving Day appetizer, a doubleheader on Thanksgiving Eve at Fenway, will feature Xaverian taking-on St. John’s Prep. Xaverian leads the overall series 26-20. The other game will feature Boston College High facing Catholic Memorial. BC leads the series 36-16-1.
The doubleheaders will mark the first time that high school football has been played at Fenway since 1935. High school games at Fenway were common in the early 20th century, and the park even hosted the high school national championship game in 1912 when Massachusetts’ Everett High School beat Oak Park from Illinois.
