Editor’s note- In a series that covers the Thanksgiving Day football battle between Central and Eastern, Mike Letendre will cover the rivalry one decade at a time.

By Michael Letendre

The decade of the 1970s started off well for the Bristol Eastern football program when it came to taking on Bristol Central on Thanksgiving.

But by 1975, the Rams began to rule the series and it would be a long time before the Kingstreeters got to the pay window on Turkey Day.

The Lancers showed a little magic in 1973 and 74 but the Rams were the superior squad for most of the decade.

Here’s a quick look at all the Thanksgiving action from Muzzy Field as Central began its domination of the pigskin sport during the holiday:

1970 – Bristol Eastern, 32-22: Schermerhorn made 16 completions on 28 attempts for 308 yards – the most ever thrown on Thanksgiving – and three touchdowns for the victory. Overall, Eastern posted 463 yards of total offense as the Lancers’ Rick Schmaltz (eight catches, 160 yards – both records) helped to foil Central. The Rams were penalized just five yards that day.

1971 – Bristol Central, 34-0: Central took back the series as several turnovers by the Lancers helped force the shutout. The Rams’ Jeff Castolene zipped in four rushing touchdowns (45, 7, 1, 4 yards – 153 yards overall) in the winning effort during another delayed battle between the schools. Castolene’s 43 carries remains a Thanksgiving Day record.

1972 – Bristol Central, 16-12: The Rams scooped up over 400 yards in total offense as the Lancers allowed Central two quick scores to ice the contest. Central’s 7-2 record that year was then the best single season ledger in program history. Twenty first downs by Central remains a T-Day standard while Rich Godbout ended the day with 42 carries for 182 yards to lead his team to the win. Eastern’s Tim McHugh nabbed 135 yards on 20 carries.

1973 – Bristol Eastern, 7-0: Eastern’s Frank Sanders zipped in the only score of the day, an 84-yard touchdown kickoff return, as Eastern came away with the shutout win. Central’s Dennis Hernandez played well in defeat, scooping up 116 yards on 26 carries.

1974 – Bristol Eastern, 7-6: The Rams tallied over 250 yards in offense while Eastern barely had 100 but in the end, the Lancers pulled out the victory. Eastern’s Dan Jenkins caught a punt, handed it off to Francis Richardson and his 55-yard touchdown dash was the ultimate difference in the showdown, leading the Lancers to the Colonial Conference championship in an amazing one-point triumph. 

1975 – Bristol Central, 19-0: Central, putting together a remarkable stretch of Thanksgiving Day success, won the first of 10 straight games against Eastern that carried into Central Connecticut Conference play. In this one, Brian Godbout rushed in two touchdowns (nine and two-yard touchdown rushes) to propel Central to its first Colonial Conference Championship and a shutout victory over the Lancers. 

1976 – Bristol Central, 20-6: Central’s Jeff Thomas ran in a two-yard touchdown while also punching in a 30-yard TD interception for six points as the Rams defeated Eastern once again. Garry Pearson scored on a two-yard rush for Eastern over the fourth quarter of play. Central’s Ralph Milano led the offense with 114 yards on 29 carries. 

1977 – Bristol Central, 24-21: Gaining its third consecutive Colonial Conference championship, the Rams took the Turkey Day game as quarterback Joe DeFillippi scooped in the winning touchdown for Central. His one-yard score opened the final period of play to propel the Rams to the victory. Pearson, who transferred over to Bristol Central (how did he do that?), made a 95-yard kickoff return – a Thanksgiving Day record. He also collected 230 yards on 36 carries to lead the Rams over his old school. 

1978 – Bristol Central, 22-6: Pearson scored all three of Central’s touchdowns (17, 12 and five yards) in the Thanksgiving Day game, taking advantage of eight Eastern turnovers. Pearson collected 185 yards on 42 rushes to secure the win. After attending both public high schools in the city, Pearson tallied over 2,000 rushing yards on the season and 5,054 for his career – a city record before Eastern’s Reinaldo Soto and Central’s Timmy Washington broke his Mum city standard many years later. 

1979 – Bristol Central, 8-6: Billy Parks’ one yard touchdown jaunt, along with a two-point conversion on a Karl Hall offering to Dean Varano with 3:04 remaining in the contest, propelled the Rams to another hard-fought victory over Eastern. The Lancers gave up just 42 points all season long, the second-best defense in the state that year in terms of points allowed per game.