By Michael Letendre
The scholastic football decade of the 2010’s started off with the program from Bristol Eastern winning several times on Thanksgiving.
But about halfway through the decade, Bristol Central had a reversal of fortunes against its crosstown rival.
The Kingstreeters won three of the five games by single digits but by 2015, it was all Central in terms of victories.
But the last three games were decided by 13 points and the Rams needed overtime to seize the last battle in 2019.
Here’s the latest chapter of Central/Eastern Thanksgiving Day football rivalry as the 2021 contest is on the horizon:
2010 – Bristol Eastern, 35-0: Dylan Ouellette rushed for 208 yards – on 18 carries – and a touchdown as the Lancers posted a rare shutout against the Rams.
2011 – Bristol Eastern, 21-14: The Lancers led 21-0 but had to hang on to dear life as Eastern earned a seven-point decision for its fifth straight victory over the Rams. Eastern running back Jahmil Effend scooped up 118 yards on 22 carries.
2012 – Bristol Eastern 17-6: Eastern won for the sixth consecutive time over Central. A 49-yard pass from quarterback Tommy Curtin to Sean Aiudi in the third quarter gave the Lancers some needed breathing room. Eastern’s Nick Crowley rushed for 201 yards on 37 carries while kicker Jeremy Meccariello dropped in a 25-yard field goal – the longest make ever on Thanksgiving. Central’s defense collected seven sacks over the losing effort.
2013 – Bristol Eastern 21-18: Gerry Ouellette snared 211 yards on 26 carries as Eastern was a winner over Central for the seventh time in a row, holding on to win by three. The 211 yards by Ouellette was the sixth best Thanksgiving Day performance in school history to that point of the series. Central back Tyler Burrow worked hard as he scooped in 125 yards on 21 carries.
2014 – Bristol Eastern, 20-18: Eastern won by two points, capturing a school record eighth straight victory over Central in a very close battle. The Lancers were penalized 187 yards in the showdown, but Gerry Ouellette managed 144 yards on 27 carries. Central’s D’Andre Conaway added 128 yards on 28 rushes.
2015 – Bristol Central, 12-4: The Rams finally got to the win column – withstanding a series record two safeties by the Lancers – to nab an eight-point victory. Noah Cruz ran for 122 yards on 19 carries to help secure Central’s first Thanksgiving victory since 2005.
2016 – Bristol Central 30-12: It was two in a row for Central as Eastern was held to negative yardage totals in the 18-point defeat. Luis Medina rushed for 233 yards on 27 rushes while quarterback Isaiah Miller added 102 yards on 19 carries for the Rams. Eastern’s Edgar Hernandez made a 70-yard fumble return which is a record on Thanksgiving.
2017 – Bristol Central 33-27: Dathan Hickey went wild for four touchdowns and 333 yards on 28 carries as Central won the showdown by six. The game was tied at 21-21 before two huge 75-yard TD rushes from Hickey put the Rams up for good. Central wrangled up 437 rushing yards with Hickey’s 333 yards the second highest rushing total on Thanksgiving Day ever.
2018 – Bristol Central 24-19: Justus Fitzpatrick scored the game-winner, a one-yard touchdown with 7:17 to play, as Central came from behind to beat Eastern by five. Fitzpatrick had quite a day with 171 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. He also went 5-of-6 in Central’s passing schemes for 65 yards. The Rams outgained the Lancers, 318-231.
2019 – Bristol Central 34-32 (OT): In what became an instant classic, the team’s battled into overtime for the first time ever on Thanksgiving. And on Central’s first possession of overtime, Central’s Victor Rosa sprinted 10 yards into the Eastern goal to knot the score at 32-32 before the speedster rushed the ball in for a two-point conversion to salt the event away. Rosa ended the day with 31 rushes for 171 yards and five touchdowns – tied for the most TDs scored in a Thanksgiving Day game along with Washington (2000). Eastern’s Elijah Gagliardo made a Thanksgiving Day-tying eight receptions while Alex Marshall had 37 carries for 159 yards.
2020 – No Game held due to the pandemic
2021 – ???
