High School Football Returns to Fenway Park for the First Time in 80 Years in a Showcase of the Area’s Top Thanksgiving Rivalries

Local high schools to compete in traditional Thanksgiving rivalries at the iconic ballpark; Games cap off week of Fenway events including Boston College vs. Notre Dame Football and the AIG Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival

Boston, MA – Fenway Sports Management (FSM) announced that the longstanding Massachusetts tradition of Thanksgiving Football rivalries will take main stage at Fenway Park with doubleheader games on both Thanksgiving eve and Thanksgiving Day on November 25 and 26, 2015.Four games will be played over the two days at Fenway Park, featuring some of Greater Boston’s most iconic perennial matchups

Four games will be played over the two days at Fenway Park, featuring some of Greater Boston’s most iconic perennial matchups including: St. John’s Prep vs. Xaverian, BC High vs. Catholic Memorial, Wellesley vs. Needham, and Boston Latin vs. Boston English.

“High School football takes center stage on Thanksgiving in one of New England’s longest-standing sporting traditions,” said Fenway Sports Management President Sam Kennedy. “This is going to be an unforgettable experience for all the young athletes, parents, alumni and fans of these high school football teams.”

The four high school games represent some of the most venerable Greater Boston Thanksgiving matchups:

Wednesday, November 25

  • Xaverian vs. Saint John’s Prep – Two of the Boston-area’s preeminent football schools, Xaverian leads St. John’s Prep in the overall series 26-20.
  • Boston College High vs. Catholic Memorial – 2015 will be the 54th time the two teams meet, with BC High holding a 36-16-1 series lead over Catholic Memorial.

Thursday, November 26

  • Wellesley vs. Needham – The oldest public high school rivalry in the country, Wellesley holds a slight 60-58-9 edge over Needham in the pairs’ 127-year history.
  • Boston English vs. Boston Latin – This will be the 129th year these two rivals have met, making it the oldest continuous high school football rivalry in the U.S. Boston Latin has a 78-36-13 series lead over Boston English since the two started playing in 1887.

High school football games were commonly played at Fenway Park in the early 20th Century. The ball park also hosted the 1912 high school national championship game when Everett was defeated by Oak Park, IL. High school football was last played at Fenway in 1935, when a series of games were held featuring high schools from around Boston.

“We would like to thank Mayor Walsh and the city of Boston for helping to make these events possible and securing the participation of Boston Public Schools,” Kennedy continued. “It is wonderful to have the opportunity to open our ballpark to our young athletes and bring the community together to celebrate one of New England’s time-honored traditions. We strive to bring new and dynamic events to Fenway Park and these games will be a special day for all those involved.”

A full schedule of high school football games at Fenway Park can be found at redsox.com/hsfootball. Tickets go on-sale October 8 at 12:00 p.m. and cost $20. $5 of every ticket sold will be given back to the school each patron is supporting.

The contests cap off a week of fall events at Fenway Park including the first football game at Fenway in nearly 50 years and the AIG Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival. On Saturday, November 21, the Boston College Eagles will play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a 7:30 p.m. game at Fenway to be televised on NBCSN. The last football game played at Fenway was December 1, 1968 when the then Boston Patriots defeated Cincinnati, 33-14.

The next day, Sunday, November 22, the sport of hurling will return to Fenway Park for the first time in more than 60 years with the AIG Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival. All-Ireland Finalist Galway will take-on Dublin in an exhibition comprising some of the top hurling players from the Emerald Isle. Hurling, believed to be the world’s oldest field game, combines agility, strength and intensity to make it one of the fastest paced games played.

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About Fenway Sports Management (FSM)
A wholly owned subsidiary of Fenway Sports Group, Fenway Sports Management (FSM) is a leading sports and entertainment marketing agency that advises elite properties, athletes, and brands.

FSM serves as the sponsorship sales arm for Fenway Sports Group’s prestigious sports portfolio: the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club, New England Sports Network (NESN), Roush Fenway Racing and the Pawtucket Red Sox. FSM is also the exclusive marketing agency for LeBron James and Johnny Manziel through a strategic partnership with LRMR. Additionally, FSM provides consulting and event management services to blue chip consumer brands and sports properties. For more information, visit www.fenwaysportsmanagement.com.

Media Contact
Keith Gainsboro, Elevate Communications: 617-895-7905, kgainsboro@elevatecom.com

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