Thanksgiving Classic

By Orli Trumbull (Sophomore)

A chill blanketed the field on the day of the 2023 Thanksgiving Classic. The previous night’s rain had turned the grass into a semi hardened mud mixture, which students carefully stepped through while making their way around the crowded snack table. Onlookers paid $5 for a ticket to spend the second half of the school day watching a flag football game between female Junior and Senior students. The Thanksgiving Classic is a long-standing Obama tradition organized by Mr. Ehman and the Student Council, serving as both fundraiser and entertainment for the students as well as a break from the school day. Mr. Miller, one of the two referees for the game, says he has been refereeing since the tradition began.

The Student Council had set up a table selling hot chocolate, Coke, and a variety of chips. Hanging on the fence behind the snack table were hand painted posters displaying support for the Junior and Senior teams and generally raising school spirit.

As viewers huddled together and purchased hot chocolate to stay warm, players on the field bundled themselves in jackets and covered their sneakers with blue plastic bags. There was a range of experience on both teams, coached by Mr. Roa and Ms. Dugan (for the Senior and Junior teams respectively). Ms. Dugan is the coach of the flag football team, a new addition to Obama that began last year. She utilized her pre-game time to make “sure everyone felt comfortable with the rules of the game,” and practiced passing and handoffs. Having teachers coach the teams was new this year. In previous years, football players did the coaching.

The Senior team scored a touchdown and took the lead in the first 10 minutes of the game. Despite the quick lead, the Juniors did not give in and kept the score close the whole game. By half time, the Seniors had scored their fourth touchdown, keeping them a few points ahead of the Juniors. Like any good match-up played in late-November, the game came down to the last play, with the Seniors pulling ahead for a win of 56 – 49. Senior Jazmine Herriot was game MVP. Both teams played an excellent game.