Newton North 14, Brookline 13 – Tigers win 131st meeting over Warriors

November 26, 2025

By Charlie Adams NEFJ Correspondent BOSTON – A tripleheader of high school Thanksgiving football at Fenway kicked off with one of the oldest rivalries of the day on Wednesday. In what was nearly a home game for both schools, Newton North and Brookline battled for their 131st annual Thanksgiving matchup. The teams traded shutout halves, with the difference being a failed two-point conversion as Newton North came from behind to……

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Patriots players share favorite Thanksgiving high school & college memories

November 26, 2025

It’s that time of year again. For as long as NEFJ has been lucky enough to cover the Patriots daily (year five now), we always try to ask a bunch of players for their favorite high school or college memories centered around Thanksgiving. This year, I was able to get a good mix of guys that have experienced playing on the actual day, while others were shocked to learn that…

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Bowling Green 45, UMass 14 – Minutemen close out historic winless season

November 25, 2025

By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff AMHERST – As the rain came down at McGuirk Alumni Stadium while the clock ticked away to zero, a most unwelcome reality drenched the UMass football program. With their 45-14 loss to the Bowling Green Falcons, the Minutemen (0-12, 0-8) finished the season winless for the first time in history. The loss added UMass to a list of 19 other schools in the FBS era…

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Wakefield 20, Melrose 9 – Warriors beat Red Hawks at Fenway in 65th Thanksgiving meeting

November 25, 2025

Image courtesy of Wakefield Athletics  By Charlie Adams NEFJ Correspondent BOSTON – High school football returned to Fenway Park on Tuesday for the first of four Thanksgiving rivalries, with Wakefield winning for a fifth straight year over Melrose. “It’s a fantastic environment, it’s just beautiful,” Wakefield coach John Rafferty said. “It’s a great venue, and it’s a great opportunity and I’m glad we made the most of it.” With the…

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URI shifts focus towards making a national championship run

November 25, 2025

Image courtesy of URI Athletics  Somewhat stunningly, Rhode Island didn’t get a bye in the FCS postseason despite a 10-win season and repeating as CAA champs, winning the title outright for the first time in 40 years. Now that it’s been decided, the Rams face a familiar foe in Central Connecticut State, the NEC champs that Rhody hosted and beat in the first round of the FCS playoffs a year…

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UMass Four Down Preview: Bowling Green Falcons (3-8, 1-6) at UMass Minutemen (0-11, 0-7)

November 25, 2025

Image courtesy of ESPN By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff Kickoff: The UMass Minutemen host the Bowling Green Falcons at McGuirk Alumni Stadium with one final opportunity to salvage a win in their 2025 campaign. The Minutemen have never gone winless in a season since joining the FBS in 2012, and have never not won a game in a season that had three or more total games, making the importance of securing…

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Connecticut Top 25 – Week 11

November 24, 2025

CIAC Sports By Andy Close and Rob Gullo NEFJ Correspondents The last week of the regular season has finally arrived in Connecticut. Most teams were on a bye last week, as they prepare for Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving Day games across the state. The quarterfinal round of the CIAC playoffs in all six classifications begins on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Here are this week’s rankings: 1. New Canaan (9-0): New Canaan was ranked…

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Vrabel has brought true family feel to Patriots locker room

November 24, 2025

Image courtesy of the New England Patriots  FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots locker room was a little extra emotional in Cincinnati on Sunday following the win. Not because they had just grabbed win No. 10, remaining the top team in the AFC, but because they were able to Face Time Jahlani Tavai and celebrate with him for a bit while Tavai is tending to a serious family matter. In a very…

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College Dudes of the Week – Final regular season edition

November 24, 2025

Jim Shannon – Hearst Connecticut Media We got some big time performances when it mattered most this weekend. Some guys helped clinch league titles and others helped their teams qualify for the FCS postseason with an at-large bid. Oh, and one particular QB continued his remarkable season. Here’s the Week 13 Dudes of the Week: If we did a Dude of the Week for all the Dudes, it would have…

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Division 1 New England College Poll – Week 13

November 24, 2025

The regular season has come to an end for everyone but UMass and BC, who close out their brutal campaigns this week. URI, Yale, CCSU, UNH and Harvard all made the FCS postseason and will play next Saturday just a few days after Thanksgiving. Here’s how things shook out after the final weekend of 2025: 1. UConn (9-3) – Huskies win nine games for the 2nd straight year. Chance for…

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