Over Thanksgiving break, students everywhere were able to relax and enjoy both food and political conversations with relatives. Oh, and let’s not forget about football, which has a long-held association with this holiday.
Two high school-level football games took place at America’s favorite ballpark: Fenway.
The first game featured the reigning 11-time Division I state Super Bowl champion Crimson Tide of Everett High School and the Chieftains of Masconomet Regional High School. The other game rekindled the rivalry of the Hingham High School Harbormen and the Scituate High School Sailors. The outcome of these games held no impact on the Massachusetts state championship tournaments, so the only thing on the line was the honor of winning at Fenway.
The opening game lived up to its buildup of an exciting, high-scoring affair. The Crimson Tide struck gold first with a four-yard touchdown run on its first drive by tailback Kevin Brown. It was the first of three touchdowns Brown scored for the Crimson Tide. He also ran 100 yards on just 11 carries.
The Chieftains didn’t back down from the challenge as they answered with a touchdown drive of their own, capped by a five-yard run from Jay Theriault. However, they missed their extra point kick.
The defense built up the Chieftains momentum with an interception on the ensuing Tide drive. After, the Tide forced them to punt, and the special teams forced a fumble on the next change in possession. Despite the fortuitous opportunities, the Chieftains failed to capitalize. The Tide made certain those misses would be very costly by scoring on a two-yard run from Brown with a two-point conversion, and then blocking a punt that led to another score from Jordan Riggs for a 22-6 halftime lead.
While a 53-yard touchdown run from quarterback Peter Kitsakos gave an immediate adrenaline rush for the Chieftains, the halftime deficit would prove impossible to overcome. The Crimson Tide scored on two big touchdown plays: first, a 31-yard run from Brown, and then a 32-yard pass to Mike Sainristil, who eluded two defenders on his way to the endzone. With a 36-12 lead, it made the longest touchdown play of the game—a 54-yard pass from Kitsakos to Jack Seymour for the Chieftains—meaningless. The final score of 36-20 in favor of the Crimson Tide brought closure to a memorable occasion for both programs. 
Game two was the opposite of the first game. It was a low-scoring defensive struggle. The Harbormen brought the heat defensively, especially when it mattered most. Defensive captain Nate Bosnian led the unit with four sacks, three of them in the first half, and one on a 4th and 2 situation from Hingham’s 18 as the Sailors were pushing to score the first points. The game remained scoreless until late in the fourth quarter, when the Harbormen’s Jack Johnson hooked up with receiver Spencer Cassell for a touchdown. After the extra point kick, the Harbormen had all the points they needed in their 7-6 win over the Sailors. The score could be mistaken for a high-scoring baseball game, based on the venue where it took place.
There’s a certain appeal to have sporting events other than baseball played at Fenway Park. Even with less-than-ideal sight lines compared to usual American football stadiums, the fans in attendance really enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
The novelty of it could be one reason why next year’s Harvard-Yale game will take place at Fenway Park instead of Harvard’s self-named stadium. Had the University of Massachusetts Boston not disbanded its football program after the 2000 season, I guarantee supporters would have pounced on the chance for the team to play in one of the most iconic sporting venues in the world.
After all, the men’s hockey team played there last year and three years before that. The people at Fenway Sports Group have been working hard marketing Fenway Park as a host for more than just baseball. In my opinion, they have succeeded.