Turkey Day Football: Gloucester City High School vs Gloucester Catholic High School

NOTE: For decades, the annual Turkey Day football games between Gloucester Catholic and Gloucester High drew thousands of enthusiastic fans, filling the stands with cheers and excitement in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. In those early days, the thrilling clashes unfolded at the Charles Street stadium. With the construction of a new high school in the 1960s, the spirited rivalry shifted to that location.

What made these games such a spectacular event was the local pride displayed by the players from both schools. Fast forward to today, and that local flavor has faded, as the Gloucester Catholic team now boasts an array of players predominantly from outside the city. Although the game still gives the winner bragging rights, it doesn’t draw the number of fans that it once did. The following articles capture the history and spirit of this iconic event, as published in the Gloucester City News and Cleary’s Notebook News on the specified dates.

By LEA KOROS

Special to CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (November 2006) – With just a week to go until the highly anticipated Lions/Rams game, excitement is building! The “ELECTION” has wrapped up, and our incredible community of residents and alumni is diving into the cherished tradition that only those connected to GHS or GCHS can truly understand. There’s a buzz in the air meant for locals—it’s not the kind of chatter you’d hear on a bus from Deptford or Washington Township. No, this energy is alive at the Memorial A.A. church. I’ve sat in on those lively sermons, including one I recall about mixed marriages. Recently, the discussion turned to the question that ignites spirited debate: How can a Lion possibly marry a Ram? And how could they dare to send their kids to that school on Cumberland St.?

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