SOMERSET — When last season’s Thanksgiving eve game between Somerset Berkley and Rhode Island’s Central High concluded, players from both sides were grateful for the holiday opportunity.
The Raiders came away with a hard-fought 26-22 win against the visiting Knights in the first meeting.
SBR and Central High — a Division 1 public school — did not have a turkey day opponent until mid-August last season when the two teams signed a pact to play the day before the big feast for the first time.
The Knights are the third school in Rhode Island that faced a Massachusetts high school team on Thanksgiving. The first being North Smithfield in 1977 when it faced Bellingham for one year. Uxbridge had a long rivarly with North Smithfield from 1979-1997. Bishop Feehan butted heads with St. Raphael from 2002-2005, each resulting in Shamrocks’ victories.
Raiders athletic director Joseph Francis stated last August when he signed a pact with Central High, “We will take this game and relationship one year at a time. In the meantime, we are thrilled to have an opponent for our student-athletes, coaches and community.”
When asked recently if there was any luck with his search for a Massachusetts opponent, Francis had no comment. He said SBR football will play Central High as scheduled on Wednesday Nov, 28 at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve.
Case ended a long-standing Thanksgiving Day tradition with Somerset Berkley in January 2023. Cardinals athletic director and head football coach Anthony Palladino announced his team, which is in Division 7, will play against the Division 8 Atlantis Charter/Westport co-op football team instead of the Raiders, a Division 3 school. The 90-year tradition dated back to the 1930.
SBR was presented with its first, nameless trophy in the newest rivalry against Central High after last season’s game.
Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @Chezsports
2024-05-21 08:11:44
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