Middleboro football team looses to Carver in close Thanksgiving game

CARVER — Middleboro and Carver residents packed into the Carver High School football stands Thanksgiving morning for a yearly athletic tradition. 

The Middleboro High School football team lost its final game of the season, ending the match just one point away from victory. 

While the team was up by 13 points by halftime with a 21-8 score, Carver pulled ahead with two touchdowns and a two-point conversion to end the game 22-21. 

Coach Patrick Kingman said it was a disappointing loss, especially for the seniors on the team, but it was a well-deserved win for Carver. 

“You want to come out and win the last football game,” he said. “We were a good football team, and then we just kind of hit a skid.”

With practices running since June, he said it had been a long season and was happy to wrap up the season despite the day’s loss. 

“It stinks, but it's a relief at the same point,” Kingman said. 

He said the Thanksgiving game is a decades-old tradition and an important part of Massachusetts high school football. 

The Middleboro marching band, cheer squad and majorettes performed at halftime and during the game to boost the crowd. 

Among the attendees was Kristen Murphy who attended the game in support of her son, JD Vitale, a freshman on the Middleboro team. 

She said it was her first time at a Middleboro Thanksgiving game, and was excited to see her son and his teammates play.

"It's nice to be here, and he's had a good season,” Murphy said. “They're a really strong team. They really have a strong bond with each other.”