Kirkwood–Webster Groves Turkey Day Game facts for kids
The Turkey Day Game is a special American football game played every year in Missouri. It's a big rivalry between two high schools: Kirkwood High School (called the Pioneers) and Webster Groves High School (called the Statesmen). Both schools are in St. Louis County, Missouri. This exciting game has usually been played on Thanksgiving Day.
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History of the Game
How It Started: 1898 to 1923
The rivalry between Kirkwood and Webster Groves is very old! In 2007, they celebrated 100 years of playing football against each other. The first known game was way back in 1898.
For a long time, the game wasn't always played on Thanksgiving. It only became a regular Thanksgiving tradition starting in 1928. There were some years when they didn't play at all. For example, in 1904, Kirkwood didn't have a team. In 1918, they couldn't play because of World War I and a serious flu outbreak.
A big break in the games happened between 1924 and 1927. This was because of a huge fight that broke out on the field in 1923. Even people watching from the stands got involved! In that game, the referee called back three of Kirkwood's touchdowns because of penalties. This allowed Webster Groves to win 7–0. That win was Webster Groves' eighth win in a row against Kirkwood.
Thanksgiving Tradition: 1928 to 1974
The game started up again in 1928 and was played every Thanksgiving Day until 1974. It became one of the most famous Thanksgiving high school games in Missouri. Other similar games were stopped by the state's athletic commission after 1950, but the Kirkwood–Webster Groves game was allowed to continue.
In 1975, the game wasn't held on Thanksgiving. This was because the professional football team in St. Louis (the Cardinals) played their own Thanksgiving game that year.
Modern Times: 1976 to Today
The Turkey Day Game was also skipped on Thanksgiving in 1980 and 1985. Sometimes, the two teams even played each other twice in the same year, like in 1983.
A new challenge came with the "Show-Me Bowl." This is a statewide championship tournament for high school football in Missouri. Both Kirkwood and Webster Groves are often strong teams that try to win the state title.
To make sure the Turkey Day Game could still happen, the schools made an agreement. It's called the "Turkey Day Agreement." If either Kirkwood or Webster Groves makes it to the state championship game, then the younger, non-varsity players (junior varsity and freshman teams) play the Turkey Day Game instead. This agreement was first used in 2002, and then again in 2003 and 2006.
From 2009 to 2012, the main varsity teams didn't play each other on Thanksgiving. This was because at least one team always made it to the Show-Me Bowl. So, the junior varsity teams played instead. In 2010, the varsity teams actually played each other in the state semifinals just before Thanksgiving! Webster Groves won that game.
In 2013, the varsity teams finally played on Thanksgiving again after five years of JV games. Kirkwood won that game by a lot, 44–0. Kirkwood also won in 2014 (33–6) and 2015 (42–13).
In 2016, Kirkwood moved up to a higher division (Class 6) in the Show-Me Bowl. This meant they could play in the state championship and still play the Turkey Day Game with their varsity team. Kirkwood won the state title that year and also won the Turkey Day Game 17–6.
In 2020, the game wasn't played because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rivalry started again in 2021. Kirkwood won that game 65–0, making it their eighth win in a row. It was also special because both head coaches were Black, which was a first for the series. In 2023, Kirkwood won their tenth Turkey Day Game in a row, beating Webster Groves 65–13.
The game location switches each year. It's played at Moss Field (Webster Groves) in even years and Lyons Field (Kirkwood) in odd years. As of the end of 2023, Webster Groves has won more games overall (58 wins, 56 losses, 7 ties). But if you only count the Thanksgiving Day games, Kirkwood is ahead (46 wins, 37 losses, 5 ties). Kirkwood has won every game since the varsity series started again in 2013. The Turkey Day Game is now the last ongoing high school football game played on Thanksgiving west of the Mississippi River.
Festivities and Trophies
The "Turkey Day" celebration is more than just the football game. It includes fun activities all week long before Thanksgiving! Both schools have many events.
One tradition is the Friendship Dance. It's held at the school that isn't hosting the game that year. This dance is a way for the schools to show friendship. Each school also chooses a "Friendship Queen" and "Friendship King." Students from every grade decorate a hallway in their school with a special theme. These decorated hallways are then judged.
The week of activities ends with exciting pep rallies. These happen on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and again on Wednesday night. After the Wednesday night pep rally, both schools have a big bonfire!
Even though it's a rivalry, the Turkey Day Game is a huge event. Thousands of people come to watch it every year. Local news and TV channels often broadcast the game. It has even been recognized by ESPN and featured in a special article in Sports Illustrated.
Since 1952, the winner of the Turkey Day Game gets a special trophy: a bell from an old train! This bell was given by the Frisco Railroad Company. The winning team gets to keep the "Frisco Bell" until the next game. The first time the Bell was given out, Kirkwood got it, even though the game was a tie. This was because Webster Groves had lost the year before.
Since 1940, the losing team also gets a trophy called the "Little Brown Jug." This jug used to have the years and scores of the games painted on it. Now, there's a "Centennial Jug" that shows the history of the coaches.
Broadcasting the Game
You can listen to the Turkey Day Game on the radio station KTRS (AM 550).
In 2017 and 2018, the games were also streamed live online by KSDK (channel 5).
