A look at all-time Thanksgiving rivalries: Phillipsburg-Easton and Westfield-Plainfield

The changing high school football schedule over the years has whittled away at traditional Thanksgiving Day rivalry games, with many being moved earlier in the season or to Week Zero.

But there are still some that are alive and kicking, including the big one out at Lafayette College, with Phillipsburg taking on Easton (PA). And, of course, in Union County, there’s Westfield and Plainfield.

Here’s a closer look at those rivalries, with all-time records. Scores are from the Dr. Roger Saylor special collection at Penn State and Gridiron New Jersey.

Phillipsburg-Easton Series:

The Red Rovers lead the Stateliners 61-50-5 all-time, with the first meeting coming in 1905. This will be the 117th meeting.

In 1907, they played each other twice, and the only year they didn’t play was 2020, the COVID-shortened season. That year, the NJSIAA and state restrictions kept teams from playing out-of-state opponents.

This year will be the first time Phillipsburg has ever played Easton after winning a state sectional title, as all their other championships were won after Thanksgiving. That schedule has changed now, with the expanded playoffs.

A win on Turkey Day, and a win in the state Group 4 Final – which can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio on Wednesday, December 4 at 7 pm from Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium – would give Phillipsburg its 750th win all-time.

No one has ever won more than six straight in the series, which the Red Rovers did from 2015-2021, with no meeting in 2020. Otherwise, Phillipsburg won five-in-a-row from 1945-1949 and again from 1960-1964. They will look to make it three straight for the first time since they won four-in-a-row from 1987-1990.

Easton’s five-game win streaks came from 1936-1940 and 1950-1954.

• 1905: Easton, 32-0
• 1906: Easton, 47-0
• 1907: Easton, 5-0 and 16-0 (played twice)
• 1908: Easton, 11-0
• 1910: Phillipsburg, 5-0
• 1911: Easton, 6-0
• 1914: Easton, 7-0
• 1915: Easton, 3-0
• 1917: Easton, 356-0
• 1918: Phillipsburg, 9-0
• 1919: Easton, 13-7
• 1920: Phillipsburg, 14-7
• 1921: Easton, 41-7
• 1922: tie, 7-7
• 1923: Easton, 31-7
• 1924: Easton, 21-0
• 1925: Easton, 27-7
• 1926: tie, 6-6
• 1927: Easton, 20-13
• 1928: Easton, 21-12
• 1929: Phillipsburg, 13-0
• 1930: Easton, 20-0
• 1931: Easton, 7-6
• 1932: Phillipsburg, 32-0
• 1933: Phillipsburg, 13-0
• 1934: Phillipsburg, 13-0
• 1935: Phillipsburg, 24-0
• 1936: Easton, 28-0
• 1937: Easton, 7-0
• 1938: Easton, 12-7
• 1939: Easton, 7-0
• 1940: Easton, 7-2
• 1941: Phillipsburg, 7-0
• 1942: Phillipsburg, 12-6
• 1943: Easton, 7-2
• 1944: tie, 0-0
• 1945: Phillipsburg, 6-0
• 1946: Phillipsburg, 19-0
• 1947: Phillipsburg, 31-0
• 1948: Phillipsburg, 46-0
• 1949: Phillipsburg, 33-7
• 1950: Easton, 20-13
• 1951: Easton, 28-13
• 1952: Easton, 14-7
• 1953: Easton, 14-7
• 1954: Easton, 6-7
• 1955: Phillipsburg, 7-6
• 1956: Phillipsburg, 18-6
• 1957: Easton, 20-7
• 1958: Easton, 26-6
• 1959: Easton, 21-0
• 1960: Phillipsburg, 7-6
• 1961: Phillipsburg, 7-0
• 1962: Phillipsburg, 9-0
• 1963: Phillipsburg, 33-6
• 1964: Phillipsburg, 7-0
• 1965: Easton, 13-6
• 1966: Easton, 13-6
• 1967: tie, 0-0
• 1968: Easton, 20-0
• 1969: Phillipsburg, 41-8
• 1970: Easton, 23-0
• 1971: Phillipsburg, 8-0
• 1972: Phillipsburg, 15-13
• 1973: Phillipsburg, 18-6
• 1974: Easton, 10-6
• 1975: Easton, 7-0
• 1976: Phillipsburg, 28-0
• 1977: Phillipsburg, 7-6
• 1978: Easton, 14-7
• 1979: Easton, 35-22
• 1980: Easton, 14-3
• 1981: Phillipsburg, 23-0
• 1982: Phillipsburg, 32-0
• 1983: Phillipsburg, 14-7
• 1984: Phillipsburg, 14-12
• 1985: Easton, 14-7
• 1986: Easton, 20-10
• 1987: Phillipsburg, 19-10
• 1988: Phillipsburg, 20-15
• 1989: Phillipsburg, 21-12
• 1990: Phillipsburg, 28-0
• 1991: Easton, 24-15
• 1992: Easton, 29-0
• 1993: tie, 7-7
• 1994: Easton, 34-6
• 1995: Easton, 25-13
• 1996: Easton, 27-7
• 1997: Phillipsburg, 26-6
• 1998: Easton, 34-0
• 1999: Easton, 41-7
• 2000: Easton, 17-14
• 2001: Easton, 28-7
• 2002: Phillipsburg, 25-0
• 2003: Phillipsburg, 26-23
• 2004: Easton, 31-0
• 2005: Phillipsburg, 17-0
• 2006: Easton, 21-7
• 2007: Easton, 17-16
• 2008: Easton, 35-14
• 2009: Easton, 26-10
• 2010: Phillipsburg, 3-0
• 2011: Easton, 24-8
• 2012: Easton, 35-18
• 2013: Easton, 16-7
• 2014: Phillipsburg, 19-15
• 2015: Easton, 26-0
• 2016: Easton, 24-14
• 2017: Easton, 21-14
• 2018: Easton, 31-26
• 2019: Easton, 16-13
• 2020: No Game (COVID)
• 2021: Easton, 7-3
• 2022: Phillipsburg, 35-14
• 2023: Phillipsburg, 47-12

Westfield-Plainfield Series

Believe it or not, this is an even longer-running series than Phillipsburg and Easton, although they haven’t played as many games. The two first met in 1900, with the Blue Devils leading the Cardinals 54-44-7 heading into this 106th meeting.

Westfield has won 17 straight in the matchup, the longest streak by either team. Plainfield’s longest win streak in the series came when they won 11 straight from 1949 through 1959.

• 1900: Westfield, 26-0
• 1903: Plainfield, 15-0
• 1905: Plainfield, 24-6
• 1907: tie, 6-6
• 1907: Westfield, 11-0
• 1908: Plainfield, 5-0 and 12-0 (played twice)
• 1909: Plainfield 35-6
• 1910: Westfield, 6-0
• 1911: Plainfield, 37-6
• 1912: Westfield, 19-7
• 1913: Westfield, 20-6 and 27-7 (played twice)
• 1914: Plainfield, 19-0
• 1915: Plainfield, 7-0 and Westfield, 7-3 (played twice)
• 1916: tie, 0-0 and Plainfield, 7-3 (played twice)
• 1917: Plainfield, 39-0
• 1919: Plainfield, 6-0
• 1921: Plainfield, 28-0
• 1922: Plainfield, 19-0
• 1923: Westfield, 3-2
• 1924: Plainfield, 18-0
• 1925: Plainfield, 7-2
• 1926: Plainfield, 20-0
• 1931: Westfield, 21-0
• 1932: Westfield, 13-6
• 1933: tie, 0-0
• 1934: Westfield, 7-6
• 1935: Plainfield, 7-0
• 1936: tie, 0-0
• 1937: tie, 0-0
• 1938: Plainfield, 13-0
• 1939: Westfield, 20-0
• 1940: Westfield, 13-0
• 1941: Westfield, by forfeit
• 1944: Westfield, 12-0
• 1945: Westfield, 12-6
• 1946: Plainfield, 6-0
• 1947: Westfield, 32-12
• 1948: Westfield, 14-6
• 1949: Plainfield, 19-6
• 1950: Plainfield, 33-7
• 1951: Plainfield, 14-6
• 1952: Plainfield, 27-14
• 1953: Plainfield, 25-6
• 1954: Plainfield, 6-0
• 1955: Plainfield, 20-0
• 1956: Plainfield, 19-6
• 1957: Plainfield, 19-12
• 1958: Plainfield, 21-0
• 1959: Plainfield, 7-0
• 1960: Westfield, 13-7
• 1961: Westfield, 13-6
• 1962: Plainfield, 27-7
• 1963: Westfield, 14-12
• 1964: Plainfield, 12-6
• 1965: Westfield, 21-0
• 1966: Plainfield, 33-14
• 1967: Plainfield, 12-7
• 1968: Westfield, 25-21
• 1969: Westfield, 45-0
• 1970: Westfield, 49-6
• 1971: Westfield, 12-6
• 1972: Westfield, 27-6
• 1973: Westfield, 20-0
• 1974: Westfield, 31-14
• 1975: Westfield, 9-6
• 1976: Westfield, 34-0 and 14-0 in playoffs (played twice)
• 1977: Westfield, 38-0
• 1978: Westfield, 6-2
• 1979: Westfield, 3-2
• 1980: Westfield, 14–0
• 1981: Westfield, 28-6
• 1982: Plainfield, 21-3
• 1983: Plainfield, 14-6
• 1984: Plainfield, 14-0
• 1985: tie, 0-0
• 1986: Westfield, 27-14
• 1987: Westfield, 35-6
• 1988: Westfield, 7-6
• 1989: Westfield, 13-6
• 1990: Westfield, 21-6
• 1991: Westfield, 28-0
• 1992: Plainfield, 19-14
• 1993: tie, 0-0
• 1994: Westfield, 20-7
• 1995: Westfield, 28-20
• 1996: Plainfield, 38-7
• 1997: Westfield, 22-7
• 1998: Plainfield, 28-7
• 1999: Plainfield, 20-14
• 2000: Westfield, 42-25
• 2001: Westfield, 24-21
• 2002: Westfield, 14-6
• 2003: Plainfield, 9-7
• 2004: Plainfield, 40-0
• 2005: Plainfield, 9-6
• 2006: Westfield, 17-7
• 2007: Westfield, 28-27
• 2008: Westfield, 21-19
• 2009: Westfield, 26-6
• 2010: Westfield, 35-6
• 2011: Westfield, 22-21
• 2012: Westfield, 30-16
• 2013: Westfield, 34-0
• 2014: Westfield, 6-0
• 2015: Westfield, 32-6
• 2016: Westfield, 30-14
• 2017: Westfield, 37-7
• 2018: Westfield, 27-20
• 2019: Westfield, 24-0
• 2020: cancelled, COVID
• 2021: Westfield, 14-0
• 2022: Westfield, 42-13
• 2023: Westfield, 28-9