New London Tube: The NL-NFA Rivalry

It's yet another distinguishing feature of 's already highly visible football program: a historical rivalry with our northern neighbors.

According to ESPN, NLHS and Norwich Free Academy have sparred annually since 1875. The schools now go head to head each year in a Thanksgiving tradition. I'm writing this in advance, and the game time was set for 10 a.m. at NFA today, so hopefully this year's game is completed by now and fans and players are all sitting down to their turkey and stuffing. And, all respect to NFA, but hopefully the Whalers had it in the bag.

Speaking of time distortion, I could certainly use some help in figuring out how the anniversary is calculated. This year's competition was billed as the 150th anniversary game, something I thought wouldn't happen until 2025. Host Trisha Hoffman says the video shows New London students gearing up for the 147th showdown with their rivals, suggesting by the current declared anniversary that this was shot in 2008. In reality, it seems like this visit occurred in 2009, since it was uploaded in June of 2010 and NLHS athletic director Jeff Larson first elicits some pep from the Class of 2010 on through the Class of 2013.

Time travel aside, it's a pretty good look at the festivities before the big game. The rivalry caught the attention of High School Football America, a site founded by a couple of journalists to cover the oft-passionate world of hometown gridiron contests, and they visited New London to put together this video. The one comment on the video gripes that they didn't bother to visit Norwich, though HSFA's response says that came about as a result of NFA failing to return their calls.

Here's to a happy Thanksgiving and a continuing sportsmanlike rivalry. Oh, and to NLHS for always returning calls.