Warde Hopes to Rebound in Annual Thanksgiving Day Football Rivalry Against Ludlowe

The 19th meeting of the modern-day Thanksgiving Day football rivalry between Warde and Ludlowe high schools takes place Thursday, November 28, 2024, at Taft field on the campus of Fairfield Ludlowe High School.

I'm looking forward to being the public address announcer for the game. In fact, I have been the "voice" of Ludlowe football since 2012, even though I am an alumnus of Warde (Class of 1976).

Warde dropped its third straight Thanksgiving Day game against Ludlowe, 42-12, at Tetreau-Davis Field last year. Ludlowe's win cut the Mustangs' holiday advantage in the modern-day series to 10-8. 

The cumulative record, including the original series between the Andrew Warde Crimson Eagles and the Roger Ludlowe Flying Tigers, is 17-11 in favor of Warde.

Here is a look at the history of the Thanksgiving Day rivalry between Warde and Ludlowe:

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 2023

(Series: Warde 10 wins, Ludlowe 8 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

2022: Ludlowe Falcons 28, Warde Mustangs 15

2023: Ludlowe Falcons 42, Warde Mustangs 12

Cumulative record: Warde 17 wins, Ludlowe 11 wins

Paul Piorek

Aiello Carried Warde Over Kolbe in Come-From-Behind Fashion on Thanksgiving Morning 51 Years Ago Today

Senior halfback Ken Aiello exploded for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the second half to carry Andrew Warde High School to a 28-18 come-from-behind victory over Kolbe, Thanksgiving morning, November 22, 1973.

Aiello's fourth-quarter scoring runs erased an 18-14 Friars' lead as the guests failed to notch their first win in the annual Turkey Day series between the two schools. Warde extended its winning streak to six games, dating back to 1968.

Aiello, who finished with 155 yards on the ground, earned the Warde Most Valuable Player award for his efforts, while Kolbe halfback Ken Iassogna, who churned out 129 yards in 18 carries and scored a touchdown, was the Friars' recipient.

Kolbe's effort was one of its strongest in the series. The Friars were in command until the Crimson Eagles mounted a ferocious running attack in the second half. Quarterback Jim DelVecchio gained all of his 74 yards in the second half on a long touchdown jaunt in the third quarter.

Kolbe made a bid to put the game away early in the second half, however, as the Friars used up five minutes to drive 57 yards in 10 plays for a score on the opening series of the half. Quarterback Frank Borres, who rushed for 72 yards and passed for another 122, went over from three yards out to give Kolbe a seemingly sturdy 18-6 lead.

Less than two minutes later, DelVecchio was off and running toward paydirt. Tom Connelly's subsequent conversion rush narrowed the Kolbe lead to 18-14. It appeared that Warde's momentum was stopped at the outset of the fourth quarter when the Kolbe defense held the hosts on downs at the Friar 11. However, a crucial fumble on Kolbe's next series gave Warde new life.


Julius Dudics recovered Iassogna's fumble at the Kolbe 26, and Warde assumed its first lead moments later when Aiello bolted over the goal line from 11 yards away. His subsequent two-point rush made it 22-18, and his 54-yard scoring run four minutes later sealed the victory.

The two clubs traded touchdowns in the early minutes of the first half as Borres hit Ed Daniels with a 22-yard scoring strike for a 6-0 Kolbe lead. Connelly returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to tie the score at 6-6. Iasoggna's 26-yard touchdown run in the second quarter sent the Friars to the locker room with a 12-6 advantage.

Statistically, Kolbe enjoyed a 342-221 edge in total offensive yardage. The Crimson Eagles outgained the guests on the ground, 271 to 220 yards. Borres, who clicked on five of seven passes, gave Kolbe a 122-55 margin in yards passing.

Paul Piorek

Dramatic Finish to 1976 Thanksgiving Day Game Between Warde and Ludlowe Ranks as Most Memorable in Storied Rivalry

The annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Warde and Ludlowe takes place Thursday, November 28, 2014, at 10 a.m. at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. There have been many memorable Thanksgiving Day games between the two-arch rivals, who met 10 times between 1975 and 1984 in the first installment of the rivalry.

The 1976 Thanksgiving Day football game between Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high schools was arguably the most dramatic and most memorable in the long and storied history of the Fairfield rivalry. If you were one of the 7,000+ fans who packed the Ludlowe field to witness the game, you no doubt were sitting on the edge of your seat. If you were one of the players, it's a game you'll never forget.

The Warde Crimson Eagles were bidding for their ninth straight Thanksgiving Day game victory after sweeping a seven-game series with Kolbe from 1968 through 1974 and capturing the inaugural Turkey Day contest with the Flying Tigers in 1975. Although both teams combined for only five victories heading into the game, the season records, as usual, were meaningless when the Eagles and Tigers met for the third time in two seasons.

The Crimson Eagles were clinging to a precarious seven-point lead, 20-13, when Ludlowe drove to the Warde two yard line with only 11 seconds left in the game. However, an illegal motion penalty against the hosts negated quarterback Brian Curry's clutch pass to Dan French, and the football was spotted back at the 27-yard line.

An incomplete pass and Dan Capodicci's sack of Curry ended the game. The victory extended Warde's perfect Thanksgiving Day record to 9-0 and gave the Eagles their third straight win in two years over their bitter rivals. Both Warde, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary, and Ludlowe finished the campaign with identical 3-7 records.

Bill Davis, the late Crimson Eagles' coach, stood at midfield following the game, trying to convince fans, players, and the media that he wasn't concerned when the Tigers apparently had moved close to the Warde goal line. "I saw the flag on the play," he was quoted as saying. "I prayed that it was with us." His prayers were answered, improving his unblemished Thanksgiving Day record as coach to 7-0 since taking over for Fern Tetreau in 1970.

Ludlowe, which trailed 13-0 after three quarters, finally came alive in the final stanza, thanks to the receiving of French, Jack Tetreau, and Dave Williams. Williams opened the fourth quarter by grabbing an 18-yard aerial from Curry, only the fourth completion in 13 attempts by the Tigers' signal caller. Nine players later, Curry threw a strike to Williams, who split two defenders on a post pattern, for a 15-yard touchdown to cap a 78-yard drive. Curry's point after kick cut the Eagles' lead to 13-7.

The hosts played solid defense on Warde's next possession, and the Tigers got the ball back at the Eagles' 46-yard line with just 7:37 left in the game. Tetreau, the son of former Warde coaching legend Fern Tetreau, made a sensational one-handed grab of a deflected pass for an eight yard gain, and French made a diving stab of a Russ Gordon option pass for a 25-yard pickup and a first-and-goal at the Eagles' seven yard line.

After Ludlowe was pushed back to the ten-yard line, French made another diving catch on third down, this time on a post pattern in the end zone, for the tying touchdown with 5:39 remaining in the game. However, a poor snap from center foiled the conversion attempt, and left the score deadlocked at 13 apiece heading into the final minutes.

Two key plays on Warde's ensuing drive helped stop Ludlowe's momentum and led to the winning score. First, quarterback Joe Giesken came up with huge gain of 25 yards on a counter run up the left sideline. A personal foul on the play advanced the pigskin to the Ludlowe 37 yard line. Then, four plays later on a fourth-and-three from the 30 yard line, Jim Babian bulled off right tackle for a five yard gain and an Eagles' first down at the Ludlowe 25.

Two plays later, sophomore halfback Joe Ciccia threw a perfect option pass to Duane Meier for the winning touchdown with just 1:25 left in the game. The play was used six times by the Eagles. Ludlowe answered with its last-ditch effort before the Warde defense rose to the occasion and thwarted the Tigers' potential game-tying score.

The guests jumped out to an early lead. On Ludlowe's first play from scrimmage, Ed Kish, who intercepted three passes in the game and was voted Warde's Most Valuable Player, picked off an errant Curry aerial and returned it 22 yards to paydirt as Warde drew first blood. The winners added to their lead when Ciccia threw a perfect 77-yard halfback option to Meier.

Now, 48 years later, the modern version of the rivalry continues next Thursday morning at Warde.

Paul Piorek

Capacity Crowd Watched Injured Quarterback Lead Warde Over Ludlowe in Thanksgiving Day Clash 41 Years Ago

Despite separating the shoulder on his throwing arm a week before the Thanksgiving Day football clash with arch-rival Roger Ludlowe High School in 1983, Andrew Warde High School quarterback Jack McFarland had a game he'll never forget.

McFarland led the Crimson Eagles to a 26-6 victory over the Flying Tigers during his senior year. Warde, which won four of its last five games that season, improved to 4-6 overall. It was also the Eagles' fourth straight Thanksgiving Day triumph over the Tigers.

"I remember having a separated throwing shoulder from the New Canaan game the Saturday before," recalled McFarland in an interview with me a couple of years ago. He completed 11-of-23 passes for 114 yards and a pair of scoring aerials. "The Thanksgiving game always had a 'bowl' atmosphere. It meant everything to me, my teammates, the coaching staff, and the school," he admitted.

"The thing that stands out to me was the game was at Ludlowe, (and) the crowd was huge, (about) five to seven thousand," added McFarland, who lives in Monroe with his wife and four children.

What does he remember most about the game itself? "I threw two touchdown passes, one to Jeff Baker (the split end), and another to Glen Cantwell (the running back). Ludlowe had a pretty good linebacker named Charlie Nagy." Nagy, of course, would go on to pitch major league baseball for the Cleveland Indians. Cantwell, who had two interceptions, rushed for 52 yards.

The quarterback said his coach deserved a lot of credit for getting the team ready to play. "Our coach, Jack Coughlin, was a master motivator," he acknowledged. "He made sure we knew the season and our pride was on the line when we played Ludlowe."

Coughlin was Warde's third football coach, having succeeded the legendary Fern Tetreau (1956-1969), who came over from Ludlowe and started the program at Warde, and the late Bill Davis (1970-1979), who coached the first five Thanksgiving Day tussles with Ludlowe.

"Jack (McFarland) carried the team while we were losing," Coughlin was quoted as saying after the game. "He always played hard. He's a tough kid."

At the time, McFarland and his teammates didn't realize the 29-year history of Andrew Warde football was drawing to a close. "We knew the series was winding down, (but we) had no idea it was coming to an end at that time," McFarland stated about the penultimate game of the original series. The Crimson Eagles played their last-ever football game the following Thanksgiving Day against Ludlowe.

Three years later, in 1987, Andrew Warde High School graduated its final class, and both Warde and Ludlowe consolidated into Fairfield High School at the Warde site. The Fairfield Mustangs were born in 1988. When the Board of Education decided to reopen a second high school at the Ludlowe site several years ago, the modern-day version of the rivalry was resurrected in 2005.

"I have not been back to the Thanksgiving game," said McFarland, who became a baseball coach at Staples High School in Westport. "I have been an assistant coach in football and the head baseball coach at Staples."

Paul Piorek

Crimson Eagles Topped Golden Eagles in Come-From-Behind Fashion 55 Years Ago Today

A big second half both offensively and defensively carried the Andrew Warde High School football team to a come-from-behind 25-7 victory over visiting Trumbull High School 55 years ago today, Saturday, November 15, 1969.

Chico Rodriguez threw three touchdown passes to run his season total to 17 and scored another on a two-yard sneak. In addition, Warde's defensive line continuously contained the Trumbull eleven and improved its overall record to 4-5. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, dropped their sixth in a row to fall to 2-7.

Trumbull opened the scoring in the first quarter as Tom St. Onge fell on a loose lateral at the Warde three yard line. Quarterback Tim St. Onge carried two yards to the one from where Jay Wright ran in for the score. Dick Weinberg booted the extra point.

Warde managed to move into Trumbull territory three times in the first half, but drives were twice stopped on interceptions by Gary Haines and Paul Conner.

The second half, however, was another story. The Crimson Eagles took the opening kickoff and marched 67 yards for their first touchdown. The final 25 yards came on a nifty catch by Dave Abraham in the end zone.

Warde drove to the Trumbull 11 on its next possession but lost the ball on downs. Again, Trumbull punted, and this time the winners were not to be denied. On the final play of the third quarter, Rodriguez threw a 38-yarder to Steve Duboys at the Trumbull six yard line. The Golden Eagles' defense pushed Warde back to the 11 where, on fourth down, Rodriguez' screen pass to Robbie Orciuch produced the go-ahead score.

Later in the fourth quarter, Warde drove 57 yards on the ground with Rodriguez scoring from the two yard line. Co-captain Doug Forstrom, a strong runner all afternoon, carried seven times for 34 yards during the drive.

In the last minute of action, Warde's Jack Rozgonyi intercepted a Trumbull pass and raced 44 yards to the visitors' nine yard line. Rodriguez again found his big target, Abraham, in the end zone to complete the scoring.

Warde's offense gained 385 total yards compared to just 85 for Trumbull. Forstrom picked up 98 yards on 21 carries to top the rushers, while Rodriguez completed 16 of 28 aerials for 195 yards.

Paul Piorek

Warde's First Thanksgiving Day Football Rivalry Game 'Kicked Off' 56 Years Ago

Fairfield Ludlowe High School will host Fairfield Warde High School Thanksgiving morning in the 19th annual Turkey Day football game between the two schools since the rivalry was resurrected in 2005.

However, 56 years ago this month, Warde began a short-lived and all-but-forgotten Thanksgiving Day rivalry against a small private school in Bridgeport. Prior to the opening of Andrew Warde High School in 1956, cross-town rival Roger Ludlowe High School had an established Turkey Day football game against Bassick in Bridgeport.

That left the Crimson Eagles searching for a Thanksgiving Day opponent. So, how and why did the series with Kolbe eventually start? "We both needed a Turkey Day game, so a friendly, competitive situation developed," explained former Warde coaching legend Fern Tetreau. "Both teams played hard."

The Kolbe Friars, who didn't even have a field of their own, were Warde's opponents on Thanksgiving Day from 1968 through 1974. The only question prior to each of Warde's first five games with Kolbe wasn't who would win but, rather, by how much would Warde win.

Warde dominated the series from 1968 through 1972, winning two of the five games in shutout fashion and never allowing more than eight points in any game. Overall, Warde won all seven games in the series and outscored Kolbe, 214-44.

"The best part about our clash with Kolbe was that we never had a terrible turkey dinner," Tom Davis, a member of the Eagles' squads from 1970 through 1972, told me via email. "It was always enjoyable. We went into the game knowing that we were going to win. They may have thought that they were a better team but we knew that we would win."

The Crimson Eagles won the first meeting between the schools, 32-8, in 1968. One year later, Warde blasted Kolbe, 40-6. Quarterback Chico Rodriguez threw five touchdown passes to lead the Eagles. Steve DuBoys caught scoring strikes of 70, eight, and 87 yards to help Warde to a 20-0 lead after one quarter.

Rodriguez led the winners on a 76-yard drive to open the second quarter, culminating with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Al Cassidy. Mike Skalski caught an 87-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, and the Eagles closed the scoring in the fourth quarter when Jack Rozgonyi scampered five yards to paydirt.

The Eagles made it three in a row in 1970 when they posted a 20-6 victory in Fairfield. Warde traveled to Hedges Stadium in Bridgeport and earned its first of two straight shutout victories in 1971 (34-0). Quarterback Glen Hlavaty riddled the Friar secondary by passing for four touchdowns, leaving many wondering whether the Friars would ever win a game in the series, much less be competitive. However, even a new Kolbe coach couldn't change the Thanksgiving Day outcome in 1972.


According to the November 19, 1972 issue of the Bridgeport Sunday Post, "Kolbe High School football coach Paul Janosko is faced with a difficult assignment. In his first year as the Friars' mentor, he will try to lead his charges to their initial Thanksgiving Day triumph. With two fine performances in recent weeks, including a 40-18 triumph over Bullard Havens for their only victory, the Friars figure to give Warde a run for its money."

However, that was not to be as the Crimson Eagles buried Kolbe, 40-0. Warde finished the season at 3-6-1. Dividing the quarterback chores were Hlavaty and Davis. Running back Jim DelVecchio and placekicker Harry Caston were the scoring threats for Warde. Neil Karker and Frank Markoya were the sure-handed receivers for the Eagles.

"The '72 game was a really good game for us as we pounded them pretty good, and we all played a pretty good game," wrote Tom Davis, the younger brother of head coach Bill Davis. He noted that the games against Kolbe carried added significance for him and his brother.

"The Thanksgiving Day games were the only games my Dad saw me play as he owned his own business and worked on Saturdays, so those days were special for me." Overall, Warde outscored Kolbe, 166-20, after the first five games.

One year later, in 1973, the Kolbe gridders were a confident group heading into the Thanksgiving Day showdown with their Fairfield neighbors. According to the Bridgeport Sunday Post of November 18, 1973, "In five previous attempts, the Kolbe High School football team has failed in its quest to defeat Warde on Thanksgiving Day. That could all change as the Friars venture to the Crimson Eagles' gridiron in Fairfield for their sixth annual confrontation.

"Coach Paul Janosko's Friar combine has enjoyed a very successful season, posting a 4-5 MBIAC record. In two of the setbacks, the Friars led Harding, 14-0, at intermission before bowing, and lost in the final minute to St. Joseph, 14-12. Having already won more games than any other Kolbe eleven, Janosko has his troops primed for their first .500 season."

Once again, though, Warde prevailed. Senior halfback Ken Aiello exploded for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the second half to lead the Eagles to a 28-18 come-from-behind victory over the Friars in the 1973 Thanksgiving Day tussle. Aiello's fourth-quarter scoring runs of 11 and 54 yards erased an 18-14 Friar lead as the losers frittered away an opportunity to notch their first win in this Turkey Day series.

Aiello, who finished with 155 yards on the ground, was awarded the Most Valuable Player for Warde, while Kolbe halfback Ken Iassogna, who churned up 120 yards in 18 carries and scored a touchdown, was the Frairs' recipient.

"The Kolbe effort should rank as one of its strongest in this series as the Friars were in full command until the Crimson Eagles mounted a ferocious running attack in the second half to overpower the opposition," the newspaper article stated. Jim DelVecchio ran for a 74-yard touchdown in the third quarter for the victorious Eagles.

The final Thanksgiving Day matchup between the two rivals happened in 1974. The Eagles finished the seven-game sweep of Kolbe by posting a 20-6 victory in front of an estimated 4,000 fans in Fairfield. Warde linebacker Phil Cerrone came up with the big play as he killed a Kolbe scoring bid with a pass interception and an 82-yard return to set up an important insurance touchdown for Warde.

Cerrone, who gained the Most Valuable Player award for his crucial theft, intercepted Jamsey Codrington's pass in the right flat as Kolbe was driving toward the Warde goal line. Cerrone stepped in front of intended receiver Ira Thomas at the 10, picked off the pass, and rambled 82 yards to the Friars' eight. Two plays later, Harold Savage scored a touchdown from nine yards out, staking the Crimson Eagles to a 12-0 lead with 3:30 left in the game.


Warde put the finishing touches on its second victory of the season and final Thanksgiving Day win against Kolbe on its next series as an unsuccessful Kolbe onside kick gave the Eagles the ball at midfield, setting up Greg Aiello's 37-yard scoring gallop with 1:03 showing.

The following year, Andrew Warde High School's Crimson Eagles began a Thanksgiving Day football tradition against Roger Ludlowe High School. In fact, Warde defeated Ludlowe twice during the 1975 campaign, marking the only time in the long and storied history of the Fairfield football rivalry that one school swept two games in the same year against the other. As for Kolbe, it no longer fields a high school football team.

Paul Piorek

Student Poll at Warde 64 Years Ago Accurately Predicted Presidential Election

Election Day is today. Sixty-four years ago, the students at Andrew Warde High School narrowly voted for John F. Kennedy over Richard M. Nixon in October of 1960, just weeks before the election.

The vote was 668 (48 percent) for Kennedy to 638 (45 percent) for Nixon with 102 students (seven percent) undecided. It was the first of two presidential straw ballots conducted at the high school.

The faculty, however, favored Nixon with 33 teachers (45 percent) voting for him compared to 25 teachers (34 percent) favoring Kennedy. Sixteen teachers (21 percent) were undecided.

The voting by paper ballot was conducted by about 175 students, members of seven Problems of Democracy classes in the school. The balloting was conducted in homerooms so that all the students could participate.

Students representatives conducting the voting included Charlene Mitchell, Cahrlotte Cerutti, Lynn Carter, Rita Schweitz, Pat Musone, Paul Hiller, Carole Glantz, Larry Gill, Barbara Bachrach, Ann Dickey, and Rosemary Vasas. Faculty advisers were Edward Bateson, Gordon Ingerson, Fred Klee, and Virginia Mussler.

The voting in each of the four houses in the high school was as follows:

• Barlow House: Kennedy (175), Nixon (153), Undecided (23);
• Mason House: Kennedy (167), Nixon (166), Undecided (24);
• Wolcott House: Kennedy (164), Nixon (155), Undecided (36);
• Smedley House: Kennedy (162), Nixon (164), Undecided (13)

Paul Piorek