This is the final weekend of high school football prior to the Thanksgiving Day rivalry match-ups.
We have several ideas for our Thanksgiving football coverage, which will begin late next week, but I would like to extend an invitation to anyone who has fond Thanksgiving football memories. If you played in a great Thanksgiving game, watched a Turkey Day classic or you know of any good stories leading into this year's holiday games, please send along your thoughts and ideas to dguttenplan@newburyportnews.com.
We'd like to have a balance between sharing memorable Thanksgiving Day moments from the last 100-plus years and sharing expectations for the rivalries moving forward.
Amesbury and Newburyport will face off for the 87th time, Triton and Pentucket will share the field for the 35th time, and Manchester Essex and Georgetown will square off for the 50th time. I'm sure there will be plenty of memories to go around.
On to the picks.
Tonight's games
North Reading (2-7) at Amesbury (3-5)
The Indians have dominated the Cape Ann League Small over the last three seasons. They have posted a 12-3 league record since 2007, claiming each of the last two CAL Small titles. Sitting at 3-1 in the league this season, expect the Indians to be at their best over these final two games. Since 2004, Amesbury has posted a record of 13-4 in November as opposed to 16-23 in all other months.
The pick: Amesbury 22, North Reading 15
Wilmington (6-3) at Triton (6-3)
Second-year Triton coach Jim O'Leary collected his first November victory last week when the Vikings beat the Clippers, 14-7. Up next for O'Leary: earning his first CAL Large victory. The Vikings are 0-7 in their league over the last two seasons, while posting a 10-3 record outside the league. Without the CAL's leading rusher, Brendan O'Neil, who will likely miss the game due to a concussion, O'Leary will look to implement the same game plan his team carried out in the second half last week. With O'Neil receiving treatment in the locker room, O'Leary didn't move away from the run, calling on Derek Paquette and Jedd Hutchins as his workhorses in a run-heavy offensive scheme. With Triton's best running back sidelined and its quarterback, Blaise Whitman, only completing one pass all game, the Vikings still came out on top.
The pick: Triton 13, Wilmington 7
Tomorrow's games
Newburyport (4-5) at Georgetown (1-7)
The Clippers are having a head-scratching season. Three of their five losses have come by a touchdown or less. As far as quality wins go, the Clippers have the season's best win — a 17-14 victory over North Andover on Oct. 23 — of all the River Rival Region teams. But after posting that inspiring win, the Clippers followed it up with losses to Lynnfield and Triton. The bottom line is the Clippers are a young team with a first-year starter at quarterback, and the league loss to Lynnfield on Oct. 31 likely took a little bit of wind out of their sails. But finishing the season with league wins over Georgetown and Amesbury — and a winning record — would certainly give the Clippers some momentum heading into next season.
The pick: Newburyport 21, Georgetown 0
North Andover (7-2) at Pentucket (5-4)
Let's be honest: Who expected Pentucket to give Masconomet all it could handle last weekend? The Sachems, who started the season looking like a 4-7 team at best, won the battle in the trenches last week in a 37-20 loss to Masco. Veteran Chieftains coach Jim Pugh said following the game, "They ran the ball down our throats." Is it any wonder the Sachems appear primed for their third seven-win season in a row? Regardless of the personnel, Steve Hayden's team always seems to close the season much stronger than it starts it.
The pick: Pentucket 21, North Andover 20
