By Geena Monahan-For the North Star Reporter
In a tradition dating back to 1921, the North Attleborough Rocketeers and the Attleboro Bombardiers will face off for their annual Thanksgiving Day game on Thursday, Nov. 27, at 10 a.m. on Attleboro High School’s Tozier-Cassidy field.
Attleboro closed out its season on Saturday, Nov. 15, against Brockton – entering the final game with a 2-7 record. Head coach Jim Winters described this year as one marked by “growing pains” for his young team.
“We have a lot of sophomores and juniors starting for us this year,” said Winters. “We lost some tight games.”
Despite the record, Winters said his players remain energized by the Thanksgiving tradition and look forward to this game all season.
“Thanksgiving is a game you always remember no matter what, so it’s something the kids have been focused on,” he said. “We reiterate that this is the last game for a lot of these seniors. We’re a close team and have a family dynamic where the younger kids want to send the older kids out with a victory.”
North Attleborough enters the rivalry matchup with a 7-2 record following a playoff-opening win against Milford on Nov. 7 – a position that head coach Michael Strachan said certifies his team to be named Hockomock League champions for the first time in six years.
Strachan played high school football for North Attleborough under longtime coach Ray Beaupre and later spent 13 years as head coach for Attleboro before returning to his alma mater five years ago.
Experiencing the Thanksgiving Day game as a young player, Strachan said, is something he considers a “forever game.”
“When you look back 20 years from now, your buddies are going to ask how you did on Thanksgiving – who you played, what you scored,” said Strachan. “It’s a very important game to us and to the community. It’s something that will last forever in these kids’ minds, especially the seniors.”
Reflecting on past Thanksgiving games, Strachan said his favorite memories are shaped by the community pride and familiar faces that show up each year. He also noted how much emphasis players place on competing for “Hilda,” referencing the trophy awarded to the winning team.
The trophy’s name dates back to 1952, when Hilda Gay – mother to North Attleborough Hall of Fame player Clark Gay – became the first in a group of mothers to host a pre-Thanksgiving breakfast for the football team. The following year the trophy was named in honor of her hospitality, a tradition that continues to this day.
Since becoming Attleboro’s head coach in 2022, Winters has yet to bring Hilda back to Attleboro – something he hopes to change this season. He called North Attleborough a “challenging opponent,” and said his team is preparing to counter the Rocketeers’ physical football style.
“They have some big kids, led by Frankie Strachan – he runs the ball hard – so there’s no secret to what they’re going to do,” said Winters. “We have to find a way to slow that down at least.”
Regardless of the final score, both coaches emphasized the pride and community spirit that defines a rivalry spanning more than 105 years.
“The communities of North Attleborough and Attleboro who come together to support our kids – it’s really meaningful,” said Strachan. “The kids play at a very different level that day and step up to do some amazing things.”