Thanksgiving Day Football in Pennsylvania:
Slatington v. Palmerton (1935-1974)

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From 1935 to 1974, the Slatington and Palmerton high school football teams played on Thanksgiving Day, with one exception because of weather. These games were part of a continuing sports rivalry between the two towns that spanned most of the twentieth century.

While the two high schools, now known today as Northern Lehigh High School and Palmerton Area High School, still play an annual football game, usually the last game of the regular season, the Thanksgiving Day rivalry ended in 1974 after forty years of games. The final record was 24 wins for Palmerton, 14 wins for Slatington and 2 ties.

Here I explore that Thanksgiving football rivalry.

The two towns, Slatington and Palmerton

The tradition of Thanksgiving Day football in the Lehigh Valley

Early football played in Slatington

The football fields in Slatington and Palmerton

Slatington v Palmerton since 1974

THE GAMES
1935
Slatington 2 - Palmerton 13
1936
Palmerton 19 - Slatington 12
1937
Slatington 0 - Palmerton 18
1938
Palmerton 19 - Slatington 13
1939
Palmerton 40 - Slatington 0
1940
Slatington 0 - Palmerton 0
1941
Slatington 14 - Palmerton 19
1942
Palmerton 6 - Slatington 3
1943
Slatington 0 - Palmerton 20
1944
Palmerton 0 - Slatington 12
1945
Slatington 0 - Palmerton 7
1946
Palmerton 13 - Slatington 6
1947
Slatington 7 - Palmerton 27
1948
Palmerton 25 - Slatington 0
1949
Slatington 20 - Palmerton 8
1950
Palmerton 0 - Slatington 6
1951
Slatington 0 - Palmerton 25
1952
Palmerton 14 - Slatington 14
1953
Slatington 26 - Palmerton 20
1954
Palmerton 8 - Slatington 28
1955
Slatington 13 - Palmerton 9
1956
Palmerton 20 - Slatington 12
1957
Slatington 14 - Palmerton 9
1958
Palmerton 0 - Slatington 25
1959
Slatington 0 - Palmerton 13
1960
Palmerton 23 - Slatington 0
1961
Slatington 12 - Palmerton 34
1962
Palmerton 6 - Slatington 0
1963
Slatington 6 - Palmerton 7
1964
Palmerton 32 - Slatington 6
1965
Slatington 12 - Palmerton 6
1966
Palmerton 7 - Slatington 0
1967
Slatington 7 - Palmerton 13
1968
Palmerton 6 - Slatington 27
1969
Slatington 62 - Palmerton 0
1970
Palmerton 30 - Slatington 14
1971
Slatington 0 - Palmerton 27
1972
Palmerton 0 - Slatington 14
1973
Slatington 28 - Palmerton 12
1974
Palmerton 6 - Slatington 14

 

 

Some suggested reading and sources

Evan Burian, Sports Legends of the Lehigh Valley (1998)
Evan Burian, Ancient Rivals and Thanksgiving Football in the Lehigh Valley (2004)
Kevin Gorman, Tales from Pennsylvania High School Football (2008)
Dave Leone, The Rivalry: A Profile in Tradition, Phillipsburg, NJ vs Easton, PA (2016)

Newspapers: The Morning Call, The Palmerton Press, The Slatington News

High school yearbooks: Palmerton High School and Slatington High School