Patriots rev up for gridiron clash at Fenway on Thanksgiving eve
The Lexington and Acton football teams aim to make their own bit of history when the longstanding rivals meet November 26.
Millions of New Englanders remember their first look at Fenway Park’s emerald grass and the looming Green Monster. Since 1912, cheering on the Red Sox at the stadium has been a summer tradition.
Beyond baseball, Fenway Park has a long and storied football history, including serving as the early home of the NFL’s Commanders and the Boston Patriots (who practiced at Emerson Field in their inaugural season), as well as countless college and high school matchups.
This month, Acton-Carlisle High School football will add to this legacy when the CCHS Patriots play the Lexington Minutemen on November 26 in the 103rd edition of their matchups. The Patriots lead the series 53-42-7.
The Thanksgiving Eve matchup at Fenway is a particular highlight in the rivalry, which was already 19 years old when Fenway Park opened in 1912 — roughly a half-century before Acton High School became CCHS. Though the two teams didn’t face off every fall, the rivalry endured.
In 2025, with Lexington and Acton marking the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, the two squads are gearing up to make their own bit of history.
‘They are psyched’
“I am happy for the players to get the opportunity to play a historic game at Fenway Park,” Acton-Carlisle Head Coach Josh Reed says.
“They’ve earned it, and I know they are psyched to play on the same field as Red Sox legends. I’m beyond grateful to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with this team, our coaching staff, and the CCHS community,” he says. “The outreach from alumni and community members has been incredible, and we know that they will pack the stands, representing with true Patriot pride.”
Co-captain Eric Nick says he’s excited to “showcase our skills at such a historic venue.” Co-captain Christian Meyer has “always been a diehard Red Sox fan, and playing at one of the most historic stadiums in all of sports will be an incredible experience.”
Milestones for the Pats
CCHS has played in many big football games in vaunted venues, including the old Foxboro Stadium, Gillette Stadium, and Nickerson Field. At historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Bernie Megin’s undefeated 1953 Acton High School squad defeated Wilmington’s New Hanover High.
Yet there is no record of any CCHS team playing in the shadow of the Green Monster.
Reed remembers going to Fenway as a 9-year-old with his family: “We sat in the nosebleeds, and I remember getting a ‘Chunky bar’ baseball glove, because they were doing a giveaway.”
Co-captain Liam King says, “I vividly remember my first game with my grandfather and my dad. It was a surreal experience watching that game with my family and participating in the infamous ‘wave’ at Fenway for the first time.”
Co-captain Finn Ruhmann is “super-excited to finish out my high school football career under the lights at historic Fenway Park with all my fellow seniors. It will be awesome in the moment and an amazing memory to look back on.”
Tickets are $22, are available at redsox.com under “special events” tickets.
