Thanksgiving Football 2017: Beverly, Salem High School Faceoff

BEVERLY, MA — What's Thanksgiving without a little friendly football?

The Beverly Panthers will face the Salem High School Witches in the annual Thanksgiving Day play Thursday morning. The rival teams meet up this year at 10 a.m. Last Thanksgiving it was at Hurd Stadium, this year it's Bertram Field in Salem.

The game between the two is one of the oldest rivalries in the country: The two first played in 1891.

In fact, in 2013 USA Today named the Beverly-Salem game as one of the best rivalries in the state.

But the annual Thanksgiving Day game actually begins the Monday before the game. That's when the teams meet up face to face on Veterans Memorial Bridge, which connects the two towns.

On that day, the Panthers and Witches meet for a "Bridge the Gap" handshake ceremony. The pre-game tradition is an effort to promote sportsmanship. Did you notice red, white, orange and black balloons in the middle of the bridge this week? They're the remnants of the meet-up.

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