Sports

Flag Football Games Offer Return to Thanksgiving Tradition

A group of flag football players will take the field Thursday, offering a return to a past Thanksgiving tradition.

Steve Castellano remembers participating in a flag football game every Thanksgiving morning before sitting down for a traditional turkey feast.

The original game was played with friends from the area years ago and offered a chance to catchup once a year while hitting the field for some enjoyable football action. Castellano, 44, said the game was tradition with his friends back then.

"What was really neat about it was as you got older after high school and after college you come around and you play, but as you grow older you see these other kids that you watched playing and they're starting to play with you in the game," he said.

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Though the tradition faded somewhat over the years, it made enough of an impact on Castellano that he decided to bring it back to share with friends and their families.

Last year Castellano organized a father-son "Turkey Bowl" that he hopes will be a new tradition that connects Harrison's football fans for years to come. There were about 17 participants in last year's game, but this year Castellano said he expects about 45 fathers and sons to take the field at Harrison High School.

Find out what's happening in Harrisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Cones and flags have been borrowed for the game and Castellano has split participants into four teams of 11. Family members will all play for the same teams with the first games kicking off at about 8:30 a.m.

"I used to play in the games for years and years and years, and now it's obviously about the kids," he said. "Now the words getting out and everyone wants to be involved."


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