The oldest high school football rivalry in the nation will play once again on Thanksgiving Day. A century and a half later Norwich Free Academy Wildcats and the New London Whalers will go head to head, showcasing this rivalry is still standing strong. This isn’t just any rivalry; since the year 1875, it’s been a longstanding battle between the two schools.
Before the New London Whalers became the Whalers they were previously called the Bulkeley Tigers. The school colors shifted from orange and black to green and gold. The NFA Wildcats have remained bleeding the colors red and white from the beginning. Within just two years of Bulkeley opening, the rivalry quickly got the communities involved. However, since the year 2000 it’s been a Thanksgiving Day tradition that has brought not only the local New London and Norwich communities together, but all of southeastern Connecticut.
It’s not just a rivalry, it’s a legacy.
Jason Bakoulis, former player for NFA (2000-03) and head coach for the Wildcats (2017-21), describes the traditions surrounding the game. He recalls during his senior year there was a breakfast between the two teams.
“We did the captains’ breakfast. And what happened was, our captains and then the captains from New London were there. We’re in the library in one of the rooms, and it’s kind of funny because they put us in the rooms as athletes, rivals together. And then all the coaches and aides and the adults were in another room,” said Bakoulis, who remembers his uncle in Florida seeing this moment on the news.
Rivals, but they certainly seem like good friends, ready to battle on the field.
New London head coach Marquise Ruffin is in his first year in this role, but has been a former player and coach for NFA. Although, he isn’t suiting up in the red and white colors this time, he still has been part of the rivalry.
“Once you put on the helmet of the school in which you represent, you’re playing for not only the logo, your teammates, but the history prior. And that fame alone has so much history entrenched with it that you can do nothing. It’s almost like nothing else matters but that game,” Ruffin said.
The game certainly seems to coaches like Bakoulis, as icing on the cake to your season if you win.
He describes it: “As far as preparation now, I mean, you do your job, you know, you show up, you practice hard, you do your job one day at a time and you build up that. It’s really more so the morning of the game. Or if it’s a night game, it’s, you know, that afternoon, like, really making sure that we’re locked in and ready to go.”
The reps are being put in by both teams before they take the field on Thanksgiving Day this year.
Dylan Schroth, second year head coach for NFA, describes the moment when he stepped foot on campus and experienced the rivalry for the first time. At the time, he wasn’t aware of the strong connections players from both teams shared.
“When I came to NFA last year, I never knew how much connection there was between the two towns. All these kids know each other. They played against each other or with each other their whole lives. Some of them are cousins and related,” Schroth said.
From family, to rivals in youth football, to close friends on and off the football field, this game is about culture and tradition.
Keyandre Dixon, a sophomore at New London Multi-Magnet school has been playing youth football in a New London uniform since he was little, now playing a crucial role for the Whalers. He recalls when he played against Norwich growing up. When Dixon came to play for the Whalers, he was unsure of what the rivalry would entail, now excited to participate for his second year in the game.
“Last year when I came up here, I didn’t really know what high school was about my freshman year. You know, getting to, like, see the intense rivalry on the field, instead of in the stands,” Dixon said.
As the Wildcats and Whalers prepare to take the field at New London at 10 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, the 150 years of history follows both of the schools onto the field. Dating back to 1875, the rivalry between the two schools has grown as an elucidated tradition that binds generations, families and the entire community. Coaches who at one point lined up as players return to the field in a different role, bringing these high school student-athletes to grow into leaders and create lifelong friendships beyond the team colors.
The NFA vs. New London rivalry is more than a game or Thanksgiving Day tradition; it’s a living legacy built on pride, connection and the shared love for the sport of football.
Every kickoff each year adds onto the rivalry, continuing the oldest high school football rivalry in the country.