Turkey Time: Barnstable Heads to Falmouth for Age-Old Rivalry

When this Thanksgiving Day rivalry began, players did not wear football helmets.

Or shoulder pads or knee pads or thigh pads or sticky receiver's gloves or mouthguards or "screw-in" cleats. Heck, when Barnstable and Falmouth first met in 1894, there weren't even coaches pacing the sidelines, shouting in plays, arguing with referees, or firing high-tech headsets to the frozen or muddy ground. Back then, the coach was usually the team captain who was also, usually, the team equipment manager, top player, chief fundraiser and any other ancillary function a football team leader could possibly be responsible for.

But one thing that has not changed in this 119-year-old battle of Cape Cod's two largest high schools, is the spirit, ferocity and esprit de corps that year-in, year-out has had more fans in attendance than most state championship games. This game is The Game. This game, come tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. at Elmer "Guv" Fuller Field in downtown Falmouth, is a season unto itself.

Want proof? Regarless of either Falmouth or Barnstable's repsective regular-season records, either team can walk away with the Selectmen's Trophy hoisted high above and if it can happen on a football field, well, it has happened in this affair. Of course, Barnstable at 6-4 and this year's Old Colony League Champions, is heavily favored. Yes, Falmouth is 2-7 on the 2011 campaign. But it matters little. Consider three seasons ago when Falmouth came to W. Leo Shields Memorial Field with just 22 substitutions and 11 men on the field for a grand total of 33 rostered players. Barnstable suited up 100 players that day, and intimidating sight to any visitor. But it mattered little as Falmouth made a true game of it and won, 26-21.

Senior quarterback and team tri-captain D.J. Crook was just a freshman that year (2008), but he started each game at the helm. This year, Crook has been nursing a fractured thumb since the Red Raiders fell on the road to New Bedford, but his performance in non-league games was enough to earn him a fourth straight Old Colony League all-star nomination. Junior wide receiver Nick Peabody, also an OCL all-star in his first, full varsity season, switched to the QB spot and steered Barnstable to the OCL title, defeating Dartmouth (37-0), Taunton, and Bridgewater-Raynham, as well as non-league opponent Plymouth North. Sophomore Hayden Murphy, whose father, grandfather and great uncle all served as BHS captains (1981, 1954 and 1921-22, respectively), also served in the QB role and was instrumental in the Red & White's overtime win over OCL archrival, B-R.

Meanwhile, Falmouth has struggled overall in recent years, largely due to a declining student population as well as the establishment of Mashpee High (Mashpee kids used to attend Falmouth High). Still, it matters little when the clock strikes 10:00 a.m. on Turkey Day.

As Leo Shields himself said in 1948: "Anybody can win this game."

As history holds it, Barnstable holds a slight edge on Thanksgiving Day games versus Falmouth, 41-39-4, while Famouth holds the overall record at 59-59-8. Barnstable and Falmouth used to play twice a season, first on or around Columbus Day, and then again on Thanksgiving. But Barnstable and Falmouth haven;t always played on Thanksgiving. Twice in school history, Barnstable halted the Turkey Day game due to riots and fisticuffs between Barnstable and Falmouth fans. In 1932, for example, no game was held between both teams because the season before, according to local news reports from the 1931 Thanksgiving Day game, fans and police engaged in a virtual free-for-all in the end zone when Barnstable fans attempted to tear down the old wooden field goal posts.

In fact, in addition to Falmouth, Barnstable has played Bourne, Provincetown, Yarmouth and Middleboro on Thanksgiving Day.

The Falmouth-Barnstable Turkey Day affair has seen games with scores as low as 2-0 (1954) and as high as 52-24 (2009). It has seen school records set for most interceptions thrown in a game, and most touchdowns thrown in a game. It has seen balmy, beautiful mornings and zero degree, bone-chilling snow and muck-fests. It has seen champions rise, and superstars fall.

But one thing it always promises to do is deliver good, old-fashioned, battle-the-elements high school football.

The Quarterback Club, the booster club for Barnstable High School football since 1967, opted to cancel the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade due to forecasts of inclement weather.

School officials actually postponed the 2006 Thanksgiving Day game due to the threat of inclement weather although by game time the weather had cleared. The Parade and Pep Rally went on as planned.

In addition to Crook and Peabody garnering OCL All-Star honors this season, Jason Frieh, Ryan Litchman, Dylan Morris, Andrew Ellis, Tom Grimmer and Theo France also earned honors. France, who has 863 yards rushing so far this season, needs just 137 yards to eclipse the vaunted 1,000 yards rushing mark. No one has rushed for 1,000 yards in Barnstable since Erik Ellis in 2003 (1,061).

A win for Falmouth would mean the Selectmen's Trophy heads to Falmouth Town Hall. Today, it sits behind glass in the gymnasium entranceway at BHS. A win for Barnstable would mean a 7-4 record, but either way the game has no bearing on Barnstable's first trip to the playoffs. BHS faces Lincoln-Subdury on Tuesday, Nov. 29. It would be the first playoff victory in football in school history. Barnstable's previous two trips to the Div. 1 Super Bowl (1995 and 1999), both victories, came under different MIAA Super Bowl pairing guidelines.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students at the gate.