Draft:Wellesley vs Needham Rivalry

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Instructions · What links here · Wellesley vs Needham Rivalry (talk: + · bio) · (log) · Copyvios report · reFill · Citation Bot · (Search: Google, Wikipedia) · Submitted 28 hours ago by Gopatsx7 (talk: D · +) · Last edited 27 hours ago by Gopatsx7

The Wellesley-Needham, football rivalry is an American football high school football rivalry between the Wellesley High School Raiders and the Needham High School Rockets, located in neighboring towns in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. First contested in 1882, it is recognized as the oldest continuous public high school football rivalry in the United States, and it is traditionally played on Thanksgiving Day.

History

The rivalry began on November 30, 1882, when the teams met at Morton Field in Wellesley. Wellesley won the inaugural game 4–0 under early rugby-style rules common at the time. The matchup proved popular, leading both schools to establish it as an annual tradition. In the early years, games alternated between the towns, with Needham hosting soon after the first contest.

Over the decades, the game has been played almost every year, with rare interruptions primarily due to external events such as World War I and the Spanish flu pandemic (no games in 1917–1920), as well as isolated skips in 1888, 1904, and 1914. It has survived changes in rules, equipment, and conference alignments, remaining a cornerstone of local Thanksgiving celebrations in the Boston suburbs. A notable exception occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the 2020 game was postponed and played in March 2021. Two games were played in 1943, making the total number of contests 138 as of 2025.The rivalry draws large crowds, including alumni and families from both communities, and has been broadcast locally in recent decades. In 2015, a special edition was played at Fenway Park in Boston, where Needham defeated Wellesley 12–7.

Series record

As of the 2025 game, Wellesley leads the all-time series 67–62 with 9 ties. The series spans 138 games across nearly 144 years.

Early results included low-scoring affairs typical of the era (e.g., Needham won 1–0 in 1883). More recent games have featured higher scores and dramatic finishes, including overtime contests in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. As of the end of 2023, after Needham's 21–7 victory, the series stood at 66–61–9. Needham won again in 2024 by a score of 20–13, updating the tally to 66–62–9. Wellesley's 20–6 win in 2025 brought the series to its current standing.

Notable Games

1882: First game, Wellesley 4, Needham 0.
1991: Game was famously postponed after two Needham students planted a rocket at the Wellesley field ahead of the game, which a maintenance worker mistook for a possible bomb. Police ended up exploding the rocket.
2015: Played at Fenway Park; Needham won 12–7
2019: Wellesley wins 27-0, game ends in brawl
2024: Needham 20, Wellesley 13. Needham wins and finishes undefeated, even after Wellesley’s best season in over 20 years
2025: Wellesley 20, Needham 6, ending a two-year Needham Thanksgiving win streak and helping Wellesley finish above .500.

Impact

The game is considered the most important game of the season for both teams, with it being the last game seniors will play at the high school level. In addition it is the De-facto homecoming game. It is also a fierce rivalry with. Needham head coach Doug Kopsco noting that the game “The rivalry, it’s almost like fighting your cousins or something, It’s competitive, and that’s what makes it so great.” It is the most important part of the thanksgiving traditions of both towns with Wellesley head coach Jesse Davis saying that “it is a special time of year.”

Full games list

Chart from Wellesley Public Schools

1882	Wellesley	4	Needham	0
1883	Needham	1	Wellesley	0
1884	Needham	3	Wellesley	1
1885	Needham	2	Wellesley	1
1886	Wellesley	2	Needham	0
1887	Wellesley	0	Needham	0 (TIE)
1888	NO GAME
1889	Wellesley	3	Needham	1
1890	Needham	4	Wellesley	2
1891	Wellesley	0	Needham	0 (TIE)
1892	Needham	4	Wellesley	0
1893	Needham	4	Wellesley	0
1894	Wellesley	6	Needham	0
1895	Wellesley	4	Needham	0
1896	Wellesley	6	Needham	6 (TIE)
1897	Wellesley	6	Needham	0
1898	Needham	16	Wellesley	0
1899	Wellesley	0	Needham	0 (TIE)
1900	Needham	6	Wellesley	0
1901	Wellesley	0	Needham	0 (TIE)
1902	Needham	5	Wellesley	0
1903	Wellesley	0	Needham	0 (TIE)
1904	NO GAME
1905	Wellesley	6	Needham	0
1906	Needham	6	Wellesley	0
1907	Wellesley	10	Needham	5
1908	Needham	4	Wellesley	0
1909	Wellesley	6	Needham	0
1910	Needham	6	Wellesley	0
1911	Needham	6	Wellesley	0
1912	Wellesley	54	Needham	0
1913	Wellesley	49	Needham	0
1914	NO GAME
1915	Wellesley	7	Needham	0
1916	Needham	27	Wellesley	0
1917	NO GAME
1918	NO GAME
1919	NO GAME
1920	NO GAME
1921	Needham	7	Wellesley	0
1922	Wellesley	0	Needham	0 (TIE)
1923	Needham	20	Wellesley	6
1924	Needham	20	Wellesley	6
1925	Wellesley	7	Needham	0
1926	Wellesley	46	Needham	0
1927	Wellesley	12	Needham	0
1928	Needham	27	Wellesley	13
1929	Wellesley	37	Needham	0
1930	Wellesley	6	Needham	0
1931	Needham	14	Wellesley	0
1932	Needham	6	Wellesley	0
1933	Wellesley	6	Needham	0
1934	Wellesley	13	Needham	0
1935	Needham	21	Wellesley	0
1936	Wellesley	13	Needham	12
1937	Needham	19	Wellesley	0
1938	Needham	20	Wellesley	6
1939	Wellesley	13	Needham	13 (TIE)
1940	Needham	6	Wellesley	0
1941	Wellesley	6	Needham	4
1942	Wellesley	13	Needham	7
1943*	Needham	6	Wellesley	0
1943*	Needham	19	Wellesley	2
1944	Needham	13	Wellesley	7
1945	Wellesley	13	Needham	0
1946	Wellesley	25	Needham	7
1947	Wellesley	21	Needham	12
1948	Wellesley	13	Needham	6
1949	Needham	18	Wellesley	13
1950	Wellesley	18	Needham	0
1951	Needham	51	Wellesley	0
1952	Wellesley	30	Needham	7
1953	Wellesley	19	Needham	0
1954	Wellesley	24	Needham	6
1955	Needham	19	Wellesley	13
1956	Wellesley	33	Needham	14
1957	Wellesley	7	Needham	6
1958	Needham	36	Wellesley	0
1959	Wellesley	26	Needham	12
1960	Wellesley	20	Needham	8
1961	Wellesley	24	Needham	0
1962	Wellesley	24	Needham	14
1963	Wellesley	14	Needham	14 (TIE)
1964	Needham	20	Wellesley	14
1965	Needham	12	Wellesley	10
1966	Needham	38	Wellesley	20
1967	Needham	13	Wellesley	6
1968	Needham	33	Wellesley	18
1969	Wellesley	30	Needham	6
1970	Needham	12	Wellesley	6
1971	Wellesley	20	Needham	0
1972	Wellesley	20	Needham	0
1973	Wellesley	16	Needham	8
1974	Wellesley	30	Needham	6
1975	Needham	27	Wellesley	0
1976	Needham	26	Wellesley	6
1977	Needham	14	Wellesley	13
1978	Wellesley	16	Needham	0
1979	Needham	28	Wellesley	8
1980	Needham	43	Wellesley	20
1981	Wellesley	6	Needham	0
1982	Needham	38	Wellesley	12
1983	Wellesley	16	Needham	7
1984	Needham	28	Wellesley	8
1985	Needham	25	Wellesley	21
1986	Wellesley	32	Needham	7
1987	Needham	36	Wellesley	17
1988	Wellesley	21	Needham	17
1989	Wellesley	35	Needham	0
1990	Wellesley	16	Needham	3
1991	Wellesley	35	Needham	7
1992	Wellesley	35	Needham	8
1993	Wellesley	19	Needham	0
1994	Needham	13	Wellesley	10 (OT)
1995	Needham	28	Wellesley	0
1996	Needham	20	Wellesley	12
1997	Needham	14	Wellesley	7
1998	Wellesley	27	Needham	20
1999	Wellesley	24	Needham	7
2000	Wellesley	34	Needham	6
2001	Wellesley	20	Needham	12
2002	Needham	17	Wellesley	0
2003	Wellesley	20	Needham	18
2004	Needham	27	Wellesley	21
2005	Wellesley	14	Needham	7
2006	Wellesley	14	Needham	6
2007	Needham	20	Wellesley	14
2008	Needham	26	Wellesley	7
2009	Wellesley	28	Needham	27
2010	Needham	20	Wellesley	17
2011	Needham	42	Wellesley	18
2012	Needham	39	Wellesley	21
2013	Wellesley	22	Needham	6
2014	Needham	27	Wellesley	13
2015	Needham	12	Wellesley	7
2016	Wellesley	34	Needham	14
2017	Wellesley	23	Needham	20
2018	Needham	14	Wellesley	13
2019	Wellesley	27	Needham	0
2020**	Wellesley	34	Needham	0
2021	Wellesley	34	Needham	28
2022	Wellesley	24	Needham	17
2023	Needham	21	Wellesley	7
2024	Needham	20	Wellesley	13
2025	Wellesley	20	Needham	6

*note two games in 1943

**postponed due to pandemic – played on 3/19/21