A Closer Look at the Foxborough-Mansfield Thanksgiving Day Football Rivalry

The tradition is one of the oldest and the rivalry is one of the best in the state – Foxborough vs. Mansfield.

The annual Thanksgiving Day football game between the two schools has a long history fueled by community pride and local bragging rights within the Hockomock League.

This season, Mansfield won the Kelley-Rex Division while Foxborough missed out on a chance of winning a share of the Davenport Division with a frustrating, 14-7 loss to Sharon on Nov. 10.

Despite the Hockomock League division races already decided there's still the matter of local bragging rights on the line when the Warriors travel to Mansfield's Alumni Field for Thursday's 10 a.m. game on Thanksgiving Day.

Both teams will take the field with 7-3 records overall. Mansfield finished 4-1 in the large school division, while the Warriors went 2-2 in the small school division.

Over the years, the Foxborough-Mansfield Thanksgiving Day game has been very competitive but the Hornets currently hold a 46-32-3 record, which currently includes a five-game winning streak over Foxborough.

Foxborough's last win was one of their most memorable in the history of this rivalry. The Warriors beat Mansfield, 16-6, on a cold and rainy day at Mansfield's Alumni Field in 2006. It was the Hornets' only loss of the season and put Foxborough into the playoffs.

The Warriors went on to beat Bishop Stang in the playoffs and then gave head coach Jack Martinelli his 200th win by beating Burlington in that year's Super Bowl.

Over the years, here's how this rivalry breaks down:

• 1925- Hornets, 24-0
• 1926- Hornets, 7-0
• 1927- Hornets, 19-0
• 1928- Hornets, 7-0
• 1929- Hornets, 7-0
• 1930- Hornets, 49-0
• 1931- Hornets, 48-0
• 1932- Hornets, 26-0
• 1939- Tie, 0-0         
• 1940- Hornets, 39-0
• 1941- Hornets, 45-0
• 1942- Hornets, 19-0
• 1943- Hornets, 26-6
• 1944- Hornets, 12-2
• 1945- Warriors, 14-0  
• 1946- Hornets, 20-6
• 1947- Hornets, 13-7
• 1948- Warriors, 6-2
• 1949- Warriors, 37-0
• 1950- Hornets, 7-0  
• 1951- Hornets, 25-14
• 1952- Hornets, 26-2
• 1953- Tie, 7-7 (F)
• 1954- Warriors, 12-7
• 1955- Hornets, 27-0
• 1956- Hornets, 34-20
• 1957- Hornets, 52-7
• 1958- Hornets, 6-0
• 1959- Hornets, 14-6 
• 1960- Hornets, 18-0 
• 1961- Warriors, 12-6     
  
• 1962- Warriors, 25-0     
  
• 1963- Warriors, 7-6
• 1964- Warriors, 16-10
• 1965- Hornets, 14-13
• 1966- Warriors, 21-0
• 1967- Warriors, 13-6  
• 1968- Hornets, 12-7 
• 1969- Warriors, 20-0
• 1970- Warriors, 33-0 
• 1971- Warriors, 32-20      
  
• 1972- Warriors, 41-6        
• 1973- Tie, 0-0                 
  
• 1974- Warriors, 39-27    
• 1975- Hornets, 12-0         
• 1976- Hornets, 30-0 
• 1977- Hornets, 13-0
• 1978- Warriors, 21-7 
• 1979- Hornets, 23-16 
• 1980- Warriors, 45-19 
• 1981- Hornets, 16-6
• 1982- Warriors, 21-6 
• 1983- Warriors, 40-14 
• 1984- Warriors, 24-0 
• 1985- Warriors, 11-0 
• 1986- Warriors, 28-0 
• 1987- Warriors, 20-15 
• 1988- Warriors, 38-15 
• 1989- Hornets, 14-0 
• 1990- Warriors, 20-7 
• 1991- Warriors, 15-6 
• 1992- Hornets, 32-0 
• 1993- Hornets, 18-2 
• 1994- Hornets, 28-12 
• 1995- Warriors, 34-20 
• 1996- Hornets, 47-34 
• 1997- Warriors, 13-6   
• 1998- Warriors, 17-7
• 1999- Hornets, 34-19 
• 2000- Warriors, 21-7 
• 2001- Hornets, 21-6
  
• 2002- Warriors, 21-19
• 2003- Hornets, 35-0 
• 2004- Hornets, 34-7
• 2005- Hornets, 20-0 
• 2006- Warriors, 16-6 
• 2007- Hornets, 31-7 
• 2008- Hornets, 28-0 
• 2009- Hornets, 36-0 
• 2010- Hornets, 32-12 
• 2011- Hornets, 14-7

CALL FOR COMMENTS: What do you enjoy most about this rivalry? Tell us in the comments section below! Have Foxborough-Mansfield football photos you would like to share from years past? Upload them to our gallery above!