Middletown Adds Thanksgiving Day Football Game To Schedule

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — It's back on the schedule for Nov. 26.

Middletown school superintendent Mary Ellen Walker announced late Monday that she has "tentatively" added the traditional North vs. South "Thanksgiving Day" football game to the schedule, to be played on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 this year.

Walker made the announcement on the school website Monday night, just a few hours after Patch published this article about the district's decision to nix the Thanksgiving Day game this year, due to COVID fears.

"Our administrative team, coaches and Board of Education understand our community’s deep desire to have a Thanksgiving Day game. Throughout the season, we have indicated that we would add a Thanksgiving Day game if the health data and other factors are favorable," wrote Walker. "To demonstrate our intention, we have tentatively added this game to the schedule."

There was a community outcry after Middletown Athletic Director Rich Carroll announced the Thanksgiving Day game would not be happening in 2020.

About 700 people signed this petition to reinstate the game, which has a 45-year history in Middletown. Many people — including students and North football players — were planning to speak at the virtual BOE meeting this Wednesday night, essentially begging the district to bring back the game on Thanksgiving Day.

It looks like the superintendent heard the community's cries.

Ray Jankowski, vice president of the Middletown North Touchdown Club, who also happens to be running for a seat on the Board of Ed. this fall, was very angered by the decision. Jankowski has been working with local parents, including Susan Cerbo, demanding the school district reinstate the game on Thanksgiving Day. Both he and Cerbo emailed Patch, asking for the media to cover the issue.

"I am thankful for the Middletown community's continued fierce involvement in our town and dedication to ensuring future generations continue to have the tradition that other towns have gradually given up, or quietly let slip away," said Cerbo. "Middletown working towards one common goal is an unstoppable force."

Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore is in fact working on a resolution with the Township Committee that all North vs. South games from 2021 and beyond will be played on Thanksgiving Day.

The football game then morphed into somewhat of a well, political football: Board of Education president Pam Rogers and vice president Robin Stella, also both up for re-election this fall, first stressed it was the school district's, not a BOE, decision to hold the game or not. They then said they do support putting the game back on the schedule. The 1,2,3 slate of Harmony Heffernan, Jackie Tobacco and Frank Capone, declined to comment.

"We feel it's a great tradition for Middletown and if the administration can bring it back safely, we support their decision," said Pam Smith, when asked by Patch. She is part of the 8,9, 10 slate of Smith, Brodin, Reed.

There is still a North vs. South game scheduled for this Friday, Oct. 30, said the superintendent. Due to state COVID and NJSIAA rules, fan attendance at both games is still limited to 500 people.

"Both the October 30 North/South game and the Thanksgiving Day game will be broadcast live on NFHS Network, which is a subscription service," said Walker. "The October 30 game will also be broadcast live on NJ.com. We ask the community to respect the guidelines set by the NJSIAA and the Governor’s Order for outdoor gatherings, and tune in and watch both the October 30 game and the Thanksgiving Day game from home. Only spectators who have tickets will be permitted on campus for either event."

"With this limit, only some parents will be able to attend the game and few students. Parents of senior (12th grade) participants will receive two tickets. Parents of underclass (grades 9-11) participants will receive only one ticket. The remaining tickets, approximately 100, will be split between North and South with 50 tickets per school being raffled off to students," said Walker.

Read Walker's football game announcement here: https://drive.google.com/file/...

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