Warde vs. Ludlowe Thanksgiving Football Tradition Continues

The storied Thanksgiving Day football rivalry between Fairfield's two public high schools resumes this Thursday, November 24, 2022. Warde will travel cross-town to battle Ludlowe Thanksgiving morning.

When Warde and Ludlowe reopened after nearly two decades of consolidation at Fairfield High School on the Warde campus, the historical Thanksgiving Day football rivalry was resurrected 17 years ago.

However, the first Thanksgiving football game between the original Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high schools took place November 27, 1975. In fact, this author still has the official game program from that day.

Little did anyone know, but the original Thanksgiving football series between the two schools would only last 10 years. The last game was played in 1984. The Crimson Eagles won the last five games of the series and won the overall series against the Flying Tigers, seven games to three.

Just over two decades later, the rivalry was resurrected when Fairfield Warde traveled to Fairfield Ludlowe for a Thanksgiving Day football game in 2005. Although the Falcons won the first game and three of the first five, the Mustangs have dominated the series ever since.

Warde won three years ago, 46-20, and, truth be told, the margin of victory could have been much greater. The Mustangs avenged a heartbreaking one-point loss to Ludlowe in 2018, which snapped Warde's five-game winning streak in the series. The Mustangs have won six of the last eight games and eight of the last 11 for a 10-6 lead in the modern-day Thanksgiving rivalry.

How dominating has Warde been? Since 2010, the Mustangs have won all but three contests against their cross-town rivals. The Mustangs scored 321 points in their last eight victories for a 40.1 points-per-game average. Warde won five consecutive Thanksgiving football games from 2013 to 2017, matching their predecessor's five-game win streak to close out the original series (1980 through 1984).

Cumulatively, Warde owns a 17-9 series lead dating back to that very first Thanksgiving Day meeting in 1975.

Here are the Thanksgiving football results between Warde and Ludlowe, including the original series (1975 through 1984) and the modern-day series (2005 through 2019):
 

Andrew Warde Crimson Eagles vs. Roger Ludlowe Flying Tigers

1975 to 1984

(Series: Warde 7 wins, Ludlowe 3 wins)

1975: Warde Eagles 28, Ludlowe Tigers 6

1976: Warde Eagles 20, Ludlowe Tigers 13

1977: Ludlowe Tigers 20, Warde Eagles 13

1978: Ludlowe Tigers 35, Warde Eagles 6

1979: Ludlowe Tigers 41, Warde Eagles 25

1980: Warde Eagles 17, Ludlowe Tigers 14

1981: Warde Eagles 14, Ludlowe Tigers 8

1982: Warde Eagles 23, Ludlowe Tigers 0

1983: Warde Eagles 26, Ludlowe Tigers 6

1984: Warde Eagles 16, Ludlowe Tigers 13

Fairfield Warde Mustangs vs. Fairfield Ludlowe Falcons

2005 to 2021

(Series: Warde 10 wins, Ludlowe 6 wins)

2005: Ludlowe Falcons 20, Warde Mustangs 14

2006: Warde Mustangs 21, Ludlowe Falcons 12

2007: Warde Mustangs 28, Ludlowe Falcons 0

2008: Ludlowe Falcons 10, Warde Mustangs 8

2009: Ludlowe Falcons 24, Warde Mustangs 14

2010: Warde Mustangs 21, Ludlowe Falcons 16

2011: Warde Mustangs 52, Ludlowe Falcons 13

2012: Ludlowe Falcons 31, Warde Mustangs 13
2013: Warde Mustangs 44, Ludlowe Falcons 21
2014: Warde Mustangs 27, Ludlowe Falcons 12
2015: Warde Mustangs 35, Ludlowe Falcons 14
2016: Warde Mustangs 41, Ludlowe Falcons 20
2017: Warde Mustangs 55, Ludlowe Falcons 22
2018: Ludlowe Falcons 34, Warde Mustangs 33
2019: Warde Mustangs 46, Ludlowe Falcons 20

2021: Ludlowe Falcons 50, Warde Mustangs 21

Cumulative record: Warde 17 wins, Ludlowe 9 wins

Crimson Eagle Extras: I was honored to be the public address announcer at the Thanksgiving Day game three years ago. It was the fourth time in the last seven years I announced the Thanksgiving Day game at Ludlowe ... It was great to see several fans wearing original Andrew Warde Crimson Eagle jackets with the unmistakable "W" on them ... Fellow classmate Brian Pander (AWHS Class of 1976) won the halftime trivia contest in 2019. He correctly knew that Kolbe High School was Andrew Warde's original Thanksgiving Day football rival. Brian and I chatted briefly in the press box at halftime.

Paul