GROTON, Conn. – Fitch Football will host the annual Turkey football game, defending the famed sword in the process.
Fitch High School will play Ledyard in their annual Thanksgiving Day Football Game. This is the Falcons’ last regular game of the season and will be the team’s senior day. The Football game will be played at home on the Falcon Field on Nov. 28. The game will start at 10 a.m. The tradition of the sword on Thanksgiving day was started in 2001 and has been ongoing since. Fitch won the Thanksgiving game last year, with their overall record for the sword being 10-12.
Fitch and Ledyard are in separate conferences, but both teams will be playing their last regular season game. Ledyard stands at a 6-3 overall record. Fitch stands at a 5-4 overall record. Both teams stand third in their leagues. This game will determine if the Falcons qualify for states.
“Last year we had a stronger team. This year we’re more immature and young with less playing experience,” said Griffin Pollard, a senior on the football team. He said he feels confident moving into this game after the win against Stonington. “It’s feeling like we are moving in the right direction”.
Fitch played Stonington Nov. 15, a non-conference game. The Falcons won by a score of 48-28.
Pollard says the team will have to put more points up than Ledyard to win, stressing that this is a win-and-in game for both teams, so it’s important for them to win.
“[We plan to] play as a family, stick to our roles, and outright play better than them. If we keep the game simple we will win”.
The team is hoping for a win in this game to move forward into states.
“All the kids playing this game, I saw them start their high school career so it’s nice to see them play out of their last high school games together,” said Tommy Rogers, a senior at Fitch.
Tickets for the Thanksgiving Football Game can be purchased now on GoFan for $10. Children under 5 have free admission.
The sword is displayed in the trophy case in the Fitch hallway. The outcome of this year’s game will determine whether or not Fitch will keep the sword for the next season, or if it returns to Ledyard.
