Thanksgiving Week Rivalries Take Over Massachusetts High School Football 🏈
Written by b87fm on 11/25/2025
Thanksgiving week in Massachusetts means one thing: rivalries, bragging rights and packed sidelines as some of the state’s most storied matchups return—this time with several teams also preparing for Super Bowl appearances at Gillette Stadium just days later.
Even programs headed to championship weekend aren’t expected to hold back. The trend in recent years has been clear: rivalry pride outweighs caution, and Thanksgiving football remains sacred.
Here are some of the biggest matchups on tap across the state.
TUESDAY 🏈
Melrose vs. Wakefield, 4 p.m. (Fenway Park)
One of the region’s longest-running rivalries heads to an iconic new stage, as the 115th meeting kicks off under the Green Monster for the first time.
WEDNESDAY 🏈
Newton North vs. Brookline, 1:30 p.m. (Fenway Park)
The 130th installment of this historic matchup finds Newton North chasing its first winning season in nearly a decade. The Tigers still hold the overall series edge, 68-55-6.
Malden Catholic at Saint John’s of Shrewsbury, 6 p.m.
A newer-era rivalry between Catholic Conference programs that surged late in the season. Expect a hard-hitting showdown.
THURSDAY (THANKSGIVING DAY) 🏈
St. John’s Prep at Xaverian, 10 a.m.
The Catholic Conference title is on the line in a heavyweight clash that doubles as a Super Bowl preview. These two will meet again Dec. 6 at Gillette for the Division 1 championship.
Foxborough at Mansfield, 10 a.m.
A rivalry that spans nearly a century returns with Hockomock Davenport implications. Whoever wins will share the league crown with North Attleborough.
Walpole at Weymouth, 10 a.m.
Weymouth can lock up the Bay State Herget title with a victory as it tries to tighten a lopsided series. Walpole and Milton are also in the mix for a split title.
King Philip at Franklin, 10 a.m.
Franklin leads the all-time series 33-30-1 and looks to earn a share of the Hockomock Kelley-Rex crown at home.
Hanover at Norwell, 10 a.m.
With Norwell preparing for its first Super Bowl appearance since 1999, the question is whether starters will rest. Last year’s meeting delivered a double-overtime thriller.
Swampscott at Marblehead, 10 a.m.
A rivalry known for huge crowds and dramatic finishes returns for the 115th time. Marblehead holds the historical advantage, 59-49-6.
Marshfield at Duxbury, 10 a.m.
Marshfield has dominated recent matchups, and for the first time in years, Duxbury enters Thanksgiving not looking ahead to Gillette.
Needham at Wellesley, 10 a.m.
The oldest public school football rivalry in America rolls on with its 138th game. Wellesley leads the longtime series.
Boston Latin vs. English High, 10 a.m. (Harvard Stadium)
The nation’s oldest continuous high school rivalry takes center stage once again. Latin maintains a commanding series lead, though English has momentum in recent years.
Lynn English vs. Lynn Classical, 10 a.m. (Manning Field)
Classical seeks its 60th win in a historic city rivalry, while English enters hungrier than ever after missing the Division 3 postseason despite winning the GBL.
Scituate at Hingham, 10 a.m.
Super Bowl-bound Scituate enters on a postseason high, while Hingham rides the emotional lift of beating Duxbury for the first time since 2007.
Bedford at Burlington, 10 a.m.
Only the fourth meeting between these strong programs following changes in their traditional rivalry slates. Burlington enters after its first undefeated regular season since 2006.
Fairhaven at Dartmouth, 10:30 a.m.
A razor-close rivalry renews as Fairhaven holds a narrow series lead and prepares for another Division 6 Super Bowl appearance.
And as the holiday dust settles and our Thanksgiving rivalries fade into the rearview, it’s impossible to ignore what’s happening across Boston’s own football landscape — or more accurately, what’s disappearing from it.
This year, there were no touchdowns at White Stadium. Excel High (formerly South Boston) didn’t even field a team. Madison Park, once home to the first touchdown in school history, hasn’t had a program in more than five years. Charlestown and Brighton — both state champions less than two decades ago — must now combine just to suit up enough players. Hyde Park has no team. Burke is gone. Excel/Southie is gone. For too many Boston public high schools, football has quietly slipped into extinction.
Similarly to the overall quality of life for Bostonians, specifically minority communities, as participation drops and resources thin out, the sports programs that once bonded entire neighborhoods are becoming memories. In a city with a deep, proud football tradition, it’s a loss felt far beyond the field. And no one seems to care!
That’s why B87FM is turning the spotlight right back where it belongs — on Boston, on our young people, and on the real political and social issues shaping our neighborhoods.
Notorious VOG returns LIVE, Monday, January 5th, 2026, hitting the streets with Boston’s biggest interviews and hard-hitting conversations about the challenges our communities face — that’s not being talked about, including the failure of Boston Public Schools to keep high school sports alive.
And as the MIAA football season barrels toward a state championship game at Gillette Stadium, we’ll be right there with you — celebrating the teams still fighting, remembering the programs we’ve lost, and pushing for the change Boston kids deserve.
The road to the Super Bowl may run through New England with our 10-2 Patriots — and so should urban conversations. Stay locked in to B87FM. We’re just getting started.
