Two of the Garden State’s best-known Thanksgiving Day high school games proved the theory that you can throw-out the records in these rivalry games.
At Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, Phillipsburg, ranked No. 9 in the latest High School Football America New Jersey Top 10, played its arch-rival Easton (Pennsylvania) for the 111th time. Easton beat the Stateliners 21-14, giving P’burg its first loss of the season Easton, which entered the game 7-5, has now won three straight against the Stateliners, the winningest team all-time in New Jersey. Easton leads the all-time series 64-42-5.
Next week, Phillipsburg (10-1) will try to rebound when it plays North Hunterdon for the New Jersey North 2 Group 4 sectional championship to close-out its season.
The longest played Thanksgiving Day rivalry game between two New Jersey schools is the game between Long Branch and Red Bank Regional. This year, the two played for the 95th time on Wednesday instead of on Thanksgiving Day.
Red Bank, which had won only one game coming into the contest, shocked their rivals 21-20 in overtime. Next week, Long Branch (8-3) will try to rebound when it plays Freehold Boro for the Central Jersey Group 4 title. Long Branch leads the all-time series with Red Bank 61-31-3.
New Jersey’s oldest overall rivalry was renewed for the 146th time on Thursday between Vineland and Millville. Vineland won 28-18 giving the Fighting Clan a 65-62-19 lead in the series.
Paterson Kennedy beat Paterson Eastside 16-6 in the 93rd battle between the two. Kennedy leads the series 46-40-7.
The curtain fell on the Madison and Millburn Thanksgiving Day tradition with the 85th game between the two. Madison won 13-7 to close-out the series in favor of Madison 52-28-5
Earlier this month, the two school agreed to discontinue the rivalry with the following statement:
“The joint decision to discontinue the Thanksgiving Day game has been made between administration and coaches at both high schools. Ultimately, all agreed that this decision is athletically and educationally in the best interest of both schools and their student-athletes. The (North Jersey) Super Football Conference, which both schools are members, also recommended that we discontinue this game to allow greater flexibility in scheduling competitive crossovers for both teams.”
Then there’s the disturbing story that schools officials decided to cancel the Asbury Park-Neptune Turkey Day tradition because of threats of violence.
Asbury Park Superintendent Lamont Repollett released the following statement:
“We received a credible, criminal threat that there were individuals who wanted to come in and cause harm to people attending the game. We understand this game has a long-standing tradition and is important to both communities. Unfortunately, there are individuals looking to destroy the spirit of Thanksgiving.”
Thursday’s game would have been the 90th meeting between the two. Neptune leads the all-time series 48-37-4.
New Jersey Turkey Day High School Football Scores
Absegami 21 Oakcrest 7
Atlantic City 36 Holy Spirit 32
Audubon 20 Haddon Township 6
Barnegat 21 Pinelands 0
Bishop Eustace 29 Pennsauken 20
Burlington City 44 Palmyra 6
Camden 8 Woodrow Wilson 6
Camden Catholic 32 Paul VI 7
Carteret 41 Perth Amboy 6
Cherokee 38 Seneca 9
Cherry Hill East 48 Cherry Hill West 12
Cinnaminson 47 Delran 7
Clearview 28 Kingsway 27
Cumberland 38 Schalick 14
Dumont 43 Tenafly 6
Easton (Pennsylvania) 21 Phillipsburg 14
East Orange 21 Barringer 0
Edison 26 J.P. Stevens 14
Egg Habor 41 Mainland 0
Florence 59 Riverside 0
Glassboro 22 Deptford 6
Gloucester Catholic 22 Gloucester 0
Governor Livingston 28 New Providence 13
Hackensack 19 Teaneck 18
Haddonfield 47 Haddon Heights 27
Holmdel 34 Raritan 9
Lakewood 26 Toms River South 12
Lenape 45 Shawnee 0
Lower Cape May 21 Middle Township 20
Madison 13 Millburn 7
Manasquan 20 Wall 6
Metuchen 41 Highland Park 9
Middlesex 40 Dunellen 24
Middletown South 21 Middletown North 7
Montclair 49 Bloomfield 13
New Egypt 48 Bordentown 14
North Burlington 27 Pemberton 14
North Plainfield 20 South Plainfield 7
Ocean City 34 Pleasantville 32
Old Bridge 49 East Brunswick 0
Overbrook 44 Lindenwold 2
Passaic 42 Clifton 35
Paterson Kennedy 16 Paterson Eastside 6
Penns Grove 34 Pennsville 21
Piscataway 40 Franklin 14
Rahway 21 Johnson 13
Rancocas Valley 35 Burlington Township 12
Roselle Park 7 Roselle 6
Rumson-Fair Haven 24 Shore 6
Salem 30 Woodstown 14
Shabazz 7 Weequahic 0
South Brunswick 42 North Brunswick 20
Steinert 20 Hamilton West 19
Sterling 27 Collingswood 6
Timber Creek 42 Winslow 14
Triton 21 Highland 18
Union 22 Linden 19
Vineland 28 Millville 18
West Deptford 35 Paulsboro 26
Westfield 37 Plainfield 7
Williamstown 44 Washington Township 7
Woodbury 58 Gateway 16
