Tigers Advance to First Section 1 Final in 20 Years, Will Sacrifice Turkey Bowl
A big game won and a tradition lost. However, nobody can deny that the White Plains High School Football Team, advancing to their first Section 1 Championship in 20 years creates a special excitement in the City of White Plains.
The 2A seeded Tigers (7-1) trounced 1B seeded John Jay-East Fishkill H.S., 33-6, in the Section 1 AA Semifinals, at Hopewell Junction, on Saturday, Nov. 2.
The victory propelled the Tigers to their first Section 1 Football Final since 1993. The Tigers will meet 2B seeded North Rockland High School (7-2), in the AA Championship, at Mahopac High School, on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 12 p.m. This will be the third straight year that the Red Raiders have reached the Championship game.
Tigers senior Quarterback Cameron Crabbe completed 10 of 19 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown in the game. Tigers running-back Chris “The Workman” Jordan carried the ball 29 times for 154 yards and two TDs.
The Tigers offense gained 407 total yards in the game, while their stingy defense, led by defensive end Lukas Repetti, relinquished a mere 167 total yards to the Patriots.
As thrilled as White Plains and their fans are to be reaching the Section 1 Championship game for the first time in 20 years, it does come with a drawback. Consequentially, the traditional Turkey Bowl Game, on Thanksgiving morning, against cross-town rival Stepinac High School will be canceled.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Inc. is the governing body of high school athletics in New York State for grades 7-12. As stated in the NYSPHSAA Handbook, “it is a non-profit, voluntary, educational service organization composed of public, parochial, and private schools dedicated to providing equitable and safe competition for the students of its member schools.”
On Page 116 of the NYSPHSAA Handbook, Rule 38 clearly states: “A contestant (or team) may participate in no more than 9 interschool football contests, inclusive of sectional championships. The 9th game is permitted, with section approval, for teams who do not qualify for sectional play. For the teams involved in the sectional tournament, the maximum number of contests shall be 10. For those sections involved in the state championship three additional games are permitted for a total of 13 games for the season.”
Hence, the White Plains Tigers record is 7-1, meaning they played their eighth game this season against John Jay-East Fishkill, when they won the Section 1 AA Semifinal game. Therefore, the Tigers ninth contest this season will be against North Rockland in the Section 1 Championship game. Citing the NYSPHSAA Handbook, the Tigers will play their maximum games allowed (nine) in a season when the meet the Red Raiders in the AA Championship game, on November 9.
The only way that the Tigers could play another game this season is if the game was part of the sectional tournament or if they advance to the state tournament. Therefore, as disappointing as it is to celebrate Thanksgiving in White Plains without the rival cross-town Turkey Bowl game, this year the Tigers and their fans will have to settle for a Section 1 Championship game and possibly a Section 1 Title.
“I love the Thanksgiving Day game; it has always been a great tradition in White Plains. However, at this point and time we are trying to do something that has never been done before (at WPHS),” stated White Plains Head Football Coach Skip Stevens.
“Yes, White Plains has gotten to the Section Finals before but we have never won it and if we win the Sectional Title we go on to play in the New York State Playoffs and we have never been to the State Playoffs before,” emphasized Stevens. “I look at it as the glass half-full. We are playing for something that is very, very special and it is unfortunate that we have to lose something very, very special to do that,” expressed Stevens.
Stepinac was also very much looking forward to the Turkey Bowl being played this season. “The Turkey Bowl has been played for about 40 years in White Plains,” asserted Stepinac Head Football Coach Mike O’Donnell. “This has been a problem for about the last ten years when Section 1 changed some of the guidelines. A few years ago when the budget cuts came in they went from 10 games to nine games,” explained O’Donnell.
“The game has always been in jeopardy and White Plains has been doing everything possible to make sure the Turkey Bowl takes place each year by taking byes during the season. They know how important the game is to the community, the city and the alumni of both schools,” stressed the Stepinac Head Coach.
“White Plains has done their part, it is not like they have not done their part. But obviously if we do not have a Turkey Bowl it will be a huge disappointment for everyone involved, it is a lot bigger than just a game, it is a social event and tradition,” declared O’Donnell, before Stepinac played St. Joseph’s-by-the-sea on Sunday.
Nevertheless, O’Donnell did divulge that the Tigers Fan Committee visited him last week to try and find a solution to the problem. Nonetheless, O’Donnell’s outlook remained the same. “We will see what happens but Section 1 rules are their rules and I do not see Mrs. Simmons changing her mind as far as Section 1 is concerned,” said a disappointed O’Donnell. Jennifer Simmons is the Executive Director of Section 1.
O’Donnell also disclosed because of the game being canceled this season, Stepinac may bring in another team to play a Turkey Bowl game on Thanksgiving, at Stepinac High School this month. He further stressed because of the ongoing scheduling problems with White Plains High School, Stepinac may have to start a new Turkey Bowl tradition by bringing in new opponents to play at Stepinac on Thanksgiving Day.
“I am so proud of White Plains and Coach Stevens and what they have accomplished this year and there should be nothing else on their minds right now except for winning a Section Championship,” acclaimed O’Donnell.
“However, we have reached out to other schools in the last week to see if we can host a Turkey Bowl anyway. The only problem with that is if it happens that could bring an end to the tradition. White Plains is a great program but if we have to worry each year, if we are going to have a Turkey Bowl or not than we might have to make a decision to start a new tradition,” revealed O’Donnell.
