The old days of HS Football on Thanksgiving Day

[NYBuckeye96]

The casual fan may not be aware of this, but in the first few decades of high school football, many schools in Ohio held games on Thanksgiving Day. In the old days of the SEOAL, the Thanksgiving Day game was always a matchup of the biggest rivals.....(example: Nelsonville vs. Logan).

These games were always hyped in the old newspaper articles. It seems like fans loved playing the big rivalry games on Thanksgiving Day. The games were typically played around the noon hour or earlier.

I know many other leagues also played Thanksgiving games throughout the state back in those days. Some states still have Thanksgiving Day Rivalry Games to this day.

Today, it would be impossible to have Thanksgiving Day games in Ohio, as the football playoffs begin in the beginning of November (back then there were no playoffs).

Having said that, if it were a possibility (which its not), would you like to see a big high school football rivalry game on Thanksgiving Day or do you think it's too much of an inconvenience with the holidays and travel involved for something like this???

[2trap_4ever]

I would love it, that would just be another family tradition to start of Thanksgiving, eat the meal, watch a little football on tv then go watch two high school teams get it on that evening, what could be better.

[jottings]

From 1951 through the 1970s my dad and brothers would go to the Jackson-Wellston game on Thanksgiving morning, go back home and eat a big turkey dinner, then motor up to Middleport or Pomeroy for the annual Turkey Day tilt in the afternoon.

Before I started going to GAHS games, the Blue Devils always played Pt. Pleasant on Thanksgiving Day from 1921 until 1940.

Bad weather was one of the reasons the game was returned to the regular season schedule, which was from the first week in September through the second week in November. Pre-season drills always began on Aug. 20 back then.

[questionmark]

How 'bout an 'Classic Alumni Game'

Say Old Nelsonville-York vs. Old Athens ...

The Teams have to be old graduates, Imagine the hype you could get for the game by bringing back old athletes, athletes who have been part of the traditions...

Imagine seeing the likes of
Gregory, Hewitt and that Athens team with other Athens teams from whenever (and whoever could still play)...
vs.
Chase Elliot, The Stalder Boys, and other NY players from whenever (and whoever could still play)...

For a Team Like NY, you ask Dave Boston, Meade and Junior to Coach
For Athens, you get guys like Champlin, Adams and the Coach from the 1989 team I can't remember his name...

Each year, the Game is Played at one Field, the next year it moves to the other...

You could try to get some local places to Sponsor the Game like Rocky Boots, Nelsonville-TV Cable from NY and something like Pepsico, Wendy's from Athens...

I could see a Rivalry taken to the Next Level...
Just some fun thoughts...would be tough to put together but would be fun as H*** to watch some old talent form both squads...

[Orange and Brown]

How 'bout an 'Classic Alumni Game'

Say Old Nelsonville-York vs. Old Athens ...

The Teams have to be old graduates, Imagine the hype you could get for the game by bringing back old athletes, athletes who have been part of the traditions...

Imagine seeing the likes of
Gregory, Hewitt and that Athens team with other Athens teams from whenever (and whoever could still play)...
vs.
Chase Elliot, The Stalder Boys, and other NY players from whenever (and whoever could still play)...

For a Team Like NY, you ask Dave Boston, Meade and Junior to Coach
For Athens, you get guys like Champlin, Adams and the Coach from the 1989 team I can't remember his name...

Each year, the Game is Played at one Field, the next year it moves to the other...

You could try to get some local places to Sponsor the Game like Rocky Boots, Nelsonville-TV Cable from NY and something like Pepsico, Wendy's from Athens...

I could see a Rivalry taken to the Next Level...
Just some fun thoughts...would be tough to put together but would be fun as H*** to watch some old talent form both squads...

The boys from the 81 state championship team would whip the pants off whoever Athens brought. That game wouldn't even close!!!

But that doesn't mean I don't want to see it!!!!
You set that up for next thanksgiving.

[kahn]

Back in Cincinnati, Elder and Western Hills used to play on Thanksgiving Day. They even played that game at Riverfront Stadium a few times.

[ironman02]

From 1951 through the 1980s my dad and brothers would go to the Jackson-Wellston game on Thanksgiving morning, go back home and eat a big turkey dinner, then motor up to Middleport or Pomeroy for the annual Turkey Day tilt in the afternoon.

My grandparents talk all the time about the Jackson-Wellston games on Thanksgiving Day. Sounds like a great way to spend the holiday.

Jackson also played Oak Hill for several years during the last week of the season, which I assume was also a Thanksgiving Day game. Nothing like a county rivalry, family, and food all in the same afternoon.

[questionmark]

How 'bout an 'Classic Alumni Game'

Say Old Nelsonville-York vs. Old Athens ...

The Teams have to be old graduates, Imagine the hype you could get for the game by bringing back old athletes, athletes who have been part of the traditions...

Imagine seeing the likes of
Gregory, Hewitt and that Athens team with other Athens teams from whenever (and whoever could still play)...
vs.
Chase Elliot, The Stalder Boys, and other NY players from whenever (and whoever could still play)...

For a Team Like NY, you ask Dave Boston, Meade and Junior to Coach
For Athens, you get guys like Champlin, Adams and the Coach from the 1989 team I can't remember his name...

Each year, the Game is Played at one Field, the next year it moves to the other...

You could try to get some local places to Sponsor the Game like Rocky Boots, Nelsonville-TV Cable from NY and something like Pepsico, Wendy's from Athens...

I could see a Rivalry taken to the Next Level...
Just some fun thoughts...would be tough to put together but would be fun as H*** to watch some old talent form both squads...

The boys from the 81 state championship team would whip the pants off whoever Athens brought. That game wouldn't even close!!!

But that doesn't mean I don't want to see it!!!!
You set that up for next thanksgiving.

I'd say that they may have the Championship...but I still have time on my side...
I'm a little less seasoned as they are now...

[tl895]

how can jackson and wellston be playing on thanksgiving in the 80's when the playoffs started long before those years and started in early november?? no the season is long enough leave well enough alone

[Orange and Brown]

How 'bout an 'Classic Alumni Game'

Say Old Nelsonville-York vs. Old Athens ...

The Teams have to be old graduates, Imagine the hype you could get for the game by bringing back old athletes, athletes who have been part of the traditions...

Imagine seeing the likes of
Gregory, Hewitt and that Athens team with other Athens teams from whenever (and whoever could still play)...
vs.
Chase Elliot, The Stalder Boys, and other NY players from whenever (and whoever could still play)...

For a Team Like NY, you ask Dave Boston, Meade and Junior to Coach
For Athens, you get guys like Champlin, Adams and the Coach from the 1989 team I can't remember his name...

Each year, the Game is Played at one Field, the next year it moves to the other...

You could try to get some local places to Sponsor the Game like Rocky Boots, Nelsonville-TV Cable from NY and something like Pepsico, Wendy's from Athens...

I could see a Rivalry taken to the Next Level...
Just some fun thoughts...would be tough to put together but would be fun as H*** to watch some old talent form both squads...

The boys from the 81 state championship team would whip the pants off whoever Athens brought. That game wouldn't even close!!!

But that doesn't mean I don't want to see it!!!!
You set that up for next thanksgiving.

I'd say that they may have the Championship...but I still have time on my side...
I'm a little less seasoned as they are now...

I will admit that if you get through the hole you would Still be gone!!!!!!! Mays and Woodson wouldn't let you get past the LOS!!!!!
I wonder if Frank would let Jay play?? Don't see that happening for a couple of more years, but I would love to see him take a snap and roll out 1 more time!

[jottings]

After Wellston-Jackson quit playing on Turkey Day, the Ironmen played Oak Hill on Thanksgiving until the playoffs began in the 1970s.

[loganlocos]

Logan and Nelsonville traditionally played on Thanksgiving in the '20s and early '30s.

A couple years the game was played in Haydenville due to problems that had occured when the game was played in both Logan and Nelsonville. It was pretty heated at that time.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Here is the program to the 1938 Thanksgiving game between Portsmouth and the Huntington High Pony Express. I don't know when Huntington changed their name.



I thought this stuff was pretty cool. We had a practice for the playoffs one hear on thanksgiving, and it was fun. I really wish we could find away to get some games on Thanksgiving again. It would be a lot of fun to watch. I wonder if the OHSAA would let teams that had already been knocked out of the playoffs, play an exhibition against each other? You could schedule one league champ vs. another, then if one of those 2 teams was still playing have it drop to then next team in the league. Kind of like a bowl game. I know it will never happen but it would be neat to see.

[FANOSPORTS]

The "Pony Express" of Huntington High changed there name when they consolidated with Huntington East a few years back to form the new Huntington High.

[FANOSPORTS]

Also, picture 1938 in your minds with the highway sytem and travel (school districts scream about travel times today along with costs and god knows a dollar didn't stretch as far with inflation figured in as it does today before the big war and after the depression). This Portsmouth schedule includes away games @Springfield, Chillicothe, Middletown and Toledo and the home games on the schedule had teams coming in from Akron, Cincinnati, Steubenville, Columbus, Ironton and Huntington. Wow, and everyone cries now if they have to travel 2 counties over. The " greatest generation" were called that for a reason. God bless them all !!!!!

[oneoak]

FANOSPORTS, could some of those teams have traveled by train back then? I recall that being the case, but I can't remember specific teams.

[oneoak]

Jackson and Oak Hill played on Thanksgiving Day from 1955 through 1960. Here are the scores (except for 1957, I don't know if the game wasn't played that year or if the newspaper article just didn't list it).

1955 - Jackson 13, Oak Hill 12 A newpaper account states that this may have been the greatest Jackson-Oak Hill game of all time. Jackson was SEOAL Champs and Oak Hill, who entered the game at 8-0, the OVC Champs.

1956 - Jackson 18, Oak Hill 13. Jackson was the SEOAL champs for a fourth straight time with a 8-1 record going into the game. Oak Hill was 6-2-1 going into the game.

1958 - Jackson caps off an 8-2 season with a 6-0 win over the Oaks.

1959 - Jackson 26, Oak Hill 12 Jackson entered the game with a 7-2 record and an SEOAL championship. The Oaks entered with a 6-3 record and had just defeated Fairland 50-0.

1960 - Jackson 30, Oak Hill 14. The game was tied at 14 at the half.

[FANOSPORTS]

FANOSPORTS, could some of those teams have traveled by train back then? I recall that being the case, but I can't remember specific teams.

There was an older gentleman years ago who had kids my age and ran a grocery store in Middleport (and a lot of people on here know who I'm talking about) that graduated from Middleport in the late 30's when they had some very good teams in all sports. He was always a good storyteller and we would talk about different sports years ago and he told me about taking trains to Logan games in the old SEOAL back when he played so I don't really know how often this happened but there used to be plenty of track in southeastern ohio with passenger service. My grandfather worked at the Hobson yards just south of Middleport and my dad used to talk of taking trains to Columbus especially around Christmas time to shop with his mother so maybe a lot of people, schools, etc. did this probably up until around the early 50's when most of the passenger service disappeared.

[ironman02]

oneoak,

Jackson's records show that the 1957 game was also the last game of the season, which I assume would have been on Thanksgiving. Jackson won 7-0.

Thanks for posting that information. Interesting stuff.