🏈 The Ridge–Bernards Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl Rivalry. We could hold our tongue no more. It needs to come back so we had to tell the history and why we’d love to get it back.
Rivalry (1963 – 1977) 15 consecutive years
Ridge Wins: 8
Bernards Wins: 7
Largest Margin of Victory: Ridge (52 points, 1977)
Closest Game: Ridge 7–6 (1968)
Final Streak: Ridge won the last six straight (1972–1977)
Small-Town Thanksgiving Tradition
From 1963 through 1977, Thanksgiving morning in Somerset County meant one thing: Ridge versus Bernards. Before the turkey, before the parades, fans from Basking Ridge and Bernardsville bundled up and headed to the field for one of the fiercest small-school rivalries in New Jersey. The two schools met each Thanksgiving, alternating between Lee Field in Basking Ridge and Olcott Field in Bernardsville. The Rotary Club of Bernardsville even hosted a pre-game dinner at Pistilli’s Restaurant, where both teams’ captains and coaches came together in good spirits before squaring off.
Pre-game meals, parades with floats, bonfires, and yes, Thanksgiving Day football.
🗞 “This pre-game get-together has been a tradition now since the teams first met in 1963.” — Phil Nardone, The Bernardsville News (1968)
Building a Rivalry
The first game in 1963 set the tone. Bernards dominated, 25-7, establishing early control. By the mid-1960s, the Mountaineers were the team to beat, taking four of the first five contests. The rivalry peaked in 1970, when Bernards completed a 9-0 undefeated season, captured the Central Jersey Group 1 title, and capped it all with a 20-6 Thanksgiving victory over Ridge before a packed home crowd. But that would be the Mountaineers’ last Thanksgiving triumph.
1970 Bernardsville News
The Ridge Era (1971–1977)
From 1971 on, Ridge High School turned the tide. Under Coach Harry Bush, the Red Devils evolved into a Mountain Valley Conference powerhouse. For the rest of the decade, Ridge controlled Thanksgiving morning — winning six straight games and outscoring Bernards by wide margins.
🗣 “Ridge takes nothing for granted when it plays a Bernards squad. We know they’ll be tough, they always are.” — Coach Harry Bush, pre-game interview, 1977
A Bernardsville News story previewing the 1977 matchup, the 15th annual game, listed Ridge as the overwhelming favorite with a 7-0-1 record. Bernards, then 3-5, was rebuilding under Coach Bob Henderson. Ridge extended its streak again, marking eight consecutive Thanksgiving victories. Just one more reason to bring back the rivalry.
Total Games (1963–1977): 15
Why The Tradition Ended
By the late 1970s, the evolution of the NJSIAA playoff system and changes to the school calendar made scheduling Thanksgiving games more challenging. Ridge’s annual finale eventually shifted to Watchung Hills, and Bernards joined different conference alignments.
The 1977 game marked the final Thanksgiving Day matchup between the two rivals, bringing to a close a 15-year tradition that united two proud communities.
“No matter what their records are, they both want to win this one badly.”
A Legacy That Needs A Comeback
Today, alumni from both Ridge and Bernards remember those mornings vividly, the crisp air, the marching bands, the smell of cider, and the roar of the crowd.
The Ridge–Bernards Thanksgiving rivalry wasn’t just a football game. It was a community gathering, a small-town holiday ritual, and a symbol of local pride that lives on in the memories of every player and fan who experienced it. And with a series this tight, why would you not do it?
Fun Facts
🗓 First Game: 1963 at Bernards (Bernards 25 – 7)
🏟 Fields: Olcott Field (Bernardsville) & War Memorial and later Lee Field (Basking Ridge)
🏆 Longest Streak: Ridge, 7+ wins (1971–1977)
📰 Covered By:The Bernardsville News and Courier News
🎓 Final Year: 1977 (15th Annual Game)
Comments…
Now it’s your turn. For the record (and others), share a year and a memory in the comments section below.
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